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Home » chicken » Greek Chicken Souvlaki

Greek Chicken Souvlaki

Published: Jun 13, 2017 · Modified: Apr 25, 2020 by Louisa Clements · This post may contain affiliate links

This post may contain affiliate links

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40 minutes 14 Comments

Make chicken souvlaki the way they do in Greece with this recipe for grilled Greek chicken souvlaki made with a simple souvlaki marinade of olive oil, garlic, oregano and lemon juice. 

An authentic recipe for juicy Greek chicken souvlaki with garlic and lemon juice. | livinglou.com

If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that I grew up spending my summers in Greece. And while there are so many wonderful things I can say about the beaches, and the pastel-hued houses that colour the landscape, and the crystal clear blue sea, what I really want to talk about today is the food.

The first recipes I ever developed when I worked at Chatelaine was an entire appetizer platter of Greek recipes–mediterranean cuisine is a cooking style that is right within my comfort zone.

What I love about Greek cuisine is that for the most part, it’s incredibly simple and flavourful. It basically encompasses my entire philosophy around food; simple, fresh and flavourful.

An authentic recipe for juicy Greek chicken souvlaki with garlic and lemon juice. | livinglou.com

In Greece, we’d spend the summers on the island of Kefalonia, where the local family-run takeout restaurant would deliver souvlaki via motorbike–you could always hear them coming from a mile away. This Greek-style chicken souvlaki is inspired by this tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It took me a while to perfect this recipe, but I’ve finally figured out how to make an authentic Greek souvlaki.

I always make this with a classic tzatziki sauce and a hortiatiki (aka Greek salad) to round out the meal.

How to make a chicken souvlaki marinade? 

A combination of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, oregano and garlic powder are what flavour souvlaki. You can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you marinate the chicken for any longer the acid from the lemon juice will start to “cook” the chicken and it will be tough and dry instead of juicy and tender.

An authentic recipe for juicy Greek chicken souvlaki with garlic and lemon juice. | livinglou.com

Should you use fresh garlic or garlic powder in Greek souvlaki? 

You can definitely use fresh garlic, but I opt to use garlic powder because this recipe is for grilled souvlaki, and when grilling fresh garlic tends to burn which would give this dish a bitter taste. It’s the same reason I use garlic powder in my grilled Greek chicken wings.

An authentic recipe for juicy Greek chicken souvlaki with garlic and lemon juice. | livinglou.com

Chicken Souvlaki

Author: Louisa Clements
3.60 from 5 votes
Make chicken souvlaki the way they do in Greece with this recipe for grilled Greek chicken souvlaki made with a simple souvlaki marinade of olive oil, garlic, oregano and lemon juice.
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Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
servings icon
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts, cut into 1-½" pieces
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  • In a glass bowl, whisk olive oil with lemon juice, oregano, salt and garlic powder. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat and soak wooden skewers for 20 minutes. Thread chicken onto skewers.
  • Grill, covered, for 4-5 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges and tzatziki sauce.
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + rating and let me know what you think!
Filed Under: 5 Ingredient Recipes, chicken, easy, gluten free, grilling, quick recipes
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Souvlaki
Amount Per Serving
Calories 254 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 713mg31%
Potassium 445mg13%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 43IU1%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 15mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any specific dietary concerns, please consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Let me know if you give this chicken souvlaki recipe a try in the comments below.

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Comments

  1. Claudia

    February 17, 2022 at 8:01 pm

    I grew up in Europe and love the food. I cook it the same way but add a little paprika as well.
    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      February 27, 2022 at 10:14 pm

      Great idea, Claudia! Paprika can add some colour for sure.
      Reply
  2. Maryann Cahill

    May 20, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    Have you cooked this a different way, other than grilling?
    Reply
  3. Scott Evans

    June 24, 2019 at 9:15 pm

    This was awesome and so simple. I will definitely make again.
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      June 26, 2019 at 9:18 am

      Thanks Scott, I'm so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!
      Reply
  4. John

    August 01, 2017 at 11:03 pm

    I just made this tonight. On a pita with tzatziki and feta. Light and tasty!
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Lou

      August 17, 2017 at 10:32 pm

      I'm so glad that you enjoyed it John, it's one of my favourites!
      Reply
  5. Laurel

    July 02, 2017 at 12:09 pm

    Ok this part of tonight's dinner ??
    Reply
    • Lou

      July 24, 2017 at 10:45 pm

      Love that, I hope you enjoyed it!
      Reply
  6. Akhil

    June 21, 2017 at 7:24 am

    its such a simple recipe..not sure where I went wrong :/ if you require someone to eat all the food that you make for this blog please hire me :) I have 27 years of experience in eating and am very passionate about not starving
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Lou

      June 29, 2017 at 11:02 pm

      Hi Akhil, what went wrong with the recipe?
      Reply
  7. Katherine

    June 16, 2017 at 8:36 pm

    Love how simple this is! Looks and sounds yummy. :)
    Reply
    • Lou

      June 25, 2017 at 10:15 am

      Thanks Katherine!
      Reply

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Hi, I'm Louisa Clements & welcome to Living Lou. I've been creating simple, fresh & flavorful recipes for the modern kitchen for 12 years.
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