Introduction

Chicken souvlaki is Greek street food at its finest, a combination of marinated grilled chicken, warm pitta, creamy tzatziki, and fresh salad that delivers maximum pleasure with minimum complexity. The word souvlaki comes from the Greek word souvla meaning skewer, and the dish is defined by the method of cooking small pieces of marinated meat on skewers over high heat until the exterior caramelises and the interior remains juicy.

The marinade is what makes souvlaki distinctive and what separates it from a plain grilled chicken skewer. Lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and a generous amount of salt combine to produce a marinade that both flavours and tenderises the chicken. The lemon acid breaks down the protein structure slightly, allowing the flavours to penetrate deeply. The olive oil protects the meat from the high heat of the grill and produces the characteristic slightly blistered, golden exterior.

Souvlaki is eaten throughout Greece as a quick meal at any time of day, from lunch to late night after the bars close. It is the Greek equivalent of the kebab, the shawarma, and the taco: fast, portable, satisfying, and completely delicious.

History and Background

Souvlaki has ancient roots in Greek cooking. Archaeological evidence of meat cooked on skewers has been found in Greece dating back to the Bronze Age, and the basic concept of marinated meat grilled on skewers has been documented in Greek literature since at least the time of Homer. The word skewer appears in ancient Greek texts and the cooking method described in classical sources closely resembles the modern preparation.

The modern souvlaki as it is eaten today, in pitta with tzatziki and salad, developed in Greek urban street food culture in the 20th century as pitta bread became widely produced commercially and tzatziki became standardised. Athens souvlaki shops became particularly famous in the 1950s and 1960s and the dish became the most common street food in the country. Souvlaki spread internationally through Greek immigration and tourism, becoming widely available in cities across Europe, North America, and Australia wherever Greek communities settled. It is now one of the most widely eaten Mediterranean street foods globally

Chicken Souvlaki

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Chicken

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Calories

1820

kcal

Ingredients

• 600g boneless chicken thighs cut into 3cm chunks

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 4 garlic cloves minced

• 2 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp paprika

• Salt and black pepper

• For tzatziki: 200g Greek yoghurt, 0.5 cucumber grated and squeezed dry, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp fresh dill, salt

• To serve: 4 pitta breads, sliced tomato, red onion, fresh parsley, lemon wedges

Directions

• Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add chicken chunks and marinate for at least 1 hour.
• Make tzatziki by combining yoghurt, squeezed cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Refrigerate.
• Thread marinated chicken onto metal or soaked wooden skewers.
• Heat a griddle pan or frying pan over high heat.
• Cook skewers for 5 to 6 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
• Rest for 2 minutes.
• Warm pitta breads in the pan for 30 seconds each side.
• Spread tzatziki over each pitta.
• Slide chicken from skewers onto the pitta.
• Add sliced tomato, red onion, and parsley. Squeeze lemon over. Wrap and serve.

Tips

• Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading to prevent them from burning during cooking.
  Thread the chicken pieces tightly together on the skewer leaving no gaps. Tightly packed pieces retain more moisture during cooking.
  Cook on high heat. The caramelised, slightly charred exterior is the defining quality of good souvlaki and only happens at high heat.
  The tzatziki must be made with squeezed cucumber. Unsqueezed cucumber releases water into the yoghurt making it thin and watery within minutes.
  Rest the cooked chicken for 2 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute and prevents them all running out when the pitta is bitten.
  Dried oregano is traditional and essential. Fresh oregano has a different, milder flavour. Use dried.
  Generous salt in the marinade is crucial. Under-salted souvlaki is flat and disappointing regardless of other flavours.

Variations

Make a pork souvlaki using pork shoulder cut into chunks with the same marinade for the more traditional Athenian version. Replace pitta with rice and salad for a souvlaki plate version. Make a halloumi souvlaki for a vegetarian version by replacing chicken with halloumi cubes which hold their shape on a skewer. Add red and green pepper pieces between the chicken chunks on the skewer for colour and flavour. Make a souvlaki bowl by serving over orzo pasta dressed with lemon and olive oil instead of in a pitta.

Storage and Serving

Serve immediately from the grill while the chicken is still sizzling. The combination of hot chicken, cold tzatziki, and fresh vegetables in a warm pitta is the ideal serving temperature contrast. Provide extra lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side. Leftover cooked chicken keeps in the fridge for 3 days and is excellent cold in a salad or reheated briefly in a pan. Marinated raw chicken keeps refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Tzatziki keeps for 3 days in the fridge.

FAQs

Q: What is the difference between souvlaki and gyros?
A: Souvlaki uses small chunks of meat on skewers. Gyros uses thin slices of meat cooked on a vertical rotating spit. They are served similarly in pitta with tzatziki but the cooking method and texture differ.

Q: Can I make souvlaki without skewers?
A: Yes, cook the marinated chicken chunks directly in a hot pan or griddle pan. The skewers are traditional but the result without them is identical.

Q: What type of pitta is best?
A: Greek-style pitta, which is thicker and more bread-like than Lebanese pitta, is traditional. Any large flatbread works as an alternative.

Q: Why does my chicken stick to the pan?
A: The pan was not hot enough or the chicken was moved too early. Let the chicken cook undisturbed until it releases naturally from the pan surface.

Q: Can I bake the souvlaki instead of grilling?
A: Yes, bake at 220C for 20 to 25 minutes. You will not get the same char but the flavour from the marinade is still excellent.

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