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This Greek Chicken Souvlaki recipe features tender bites of chicken coated in an herby lemon olive oil marinade. With just 10 minutes of prep time and 7 approachable ingredients, this Greek souvlaki is easy for anyone to make. Plus, I give you instructions for cooking it on the grill or under the broiler of your oven.
I don’t love most grilled boneless and skinless chicken breasts. They’re always a bit lackluster and more often than not I find it’s over-cooked and dry. But (!!) let me introduce you to this phenomenal Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe. It’s chicken breast made the right way—moist and flavorful.
Chicken souvlaki is a Greek dish featuring marinated, skewered, and grilled chicken, typically served with warm pita, crisp veggies, and a tangy tzatziki sauce for an easy yet flavorful meal.
And if you’re wondering what the difference is between chicken souvlaki and chicken gyro—the main difference is gyros are made from thinly sliced, seasoned chicken that’s cooked on a vertical rotisserie, while souvlaki consists of marinated chicken pieces skewered and grilled for a slightly charred, smoky flavor.
My primary goal when developing this recipe was to create a grilled (or broiled) chicken skewer that boasts juicy chunks of meat. I also wanted the ingredient list to be short and sweet, so there’s only 7 ingredients. And finally, it had to be simple and inspired by traditional Greek Chicken Souvlaki recipes.
And that’s it. Anyone can master this recipe and learn all about brining in the process. Soaking the meat in a salt water solution is my secret for making the best chicken souvlaki.
Serve it up with pita, hummus, cucumbers, and a cooling homemade tzatziki sauce. If you are looking for more great chicken recipes, try our Monterey Chicken or Chimichurri Chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
- Foolproof chicken breast recipe. We brine the meat for a few hours in a salt water mixture to help tenderize the protein to keep it moist after cooking.
- Perfect for meal prepping. Make a big batch on the weekend and eat it throughout the week with a side of orzo, on top of salads, or in sandwiches.
- Easy 10 minute prep time. Outside of the brining time, this recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes! How easy is that.
- Make Chicken Souvlaki on the grill or in the oven. We provide instructions for both depending on your preference. Both methods are simple and quick!
Lauren’s Tips
- Every broiler is different—so if you choose to cook these under the broiler instead of on the grill, keep an eye on them. Your broiler may run hotter than our test kitchen’s, or it may run a bit cooler. We use an open-flame gas broiler, if you’re using an electric, you may not get as much color and char on the chicken.
- Use cook time as a guide and use internal temperature as a rule. Temperature doesn’t lie. Pull the chicken from the broiler or grill when and instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chicken registers between 160ºF and 162ºF. Pulling the chicken before it reaches 165ºF accounts for carryover cooking and avoids overcooking the chicken.
Ingredient Notes
The full ingredient list, with measurements, can be found in the recipe card below. Here are a few helpful notes on some of the ingredients to ensure success.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: a quick stint in a salt water brine keep the chicken breast moist and tender. If you want to skip the brining step, substitute with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and cook them to an internal temp of 172ºF.
- Fresh herbs: dill and oregano are my favorite herbs to use here. Feel free to add in others that you have on hand—parsley, cilantro and tarragon would all be delicious.
- Lemon: you’ll use the zest for the marinade and then the zested lemon for skewering with the chicken—ultimate lemon flavor throughout!
- Honey: when I can, I like to cook with natural sweeteners. granulated sugar can easily be used instead.
- Pantry: olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Tzatziki sauce: make it yourself or buy it—either way it’s a delicious addition to souvlaki, especially if you plan to serve it as a sandwich stuffed into a pita.
How to Make this Greek Souvlaki Chicken Recipe
- Brine the chicken. In a large bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons kosher salt into 4 cups cold water. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 1½ hours or up to 8 hours.
- Make the marinade. Combine the oil, dill, oregano, lemon zest and honey with a bit of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Slice the zested lemon into thin rounds—the slices will get skewered with the chicken!
- Coat the chicken in the marinade. Measure out ¼ cup oil mixture and set this aside. Drain the chicken then arrange it in an even layer on a baking sheet and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the remaining oil mixture and toss to coat.
- Assemble the skewers. Thread 2 chunks of onion onto a large skewer. Then thread 4 chunks of chicken followed by a lemon slice, 4 more chunks of chicken, anbother lemon slice and 4 more chunks of chicken. Finish with 2 chunks of onion. Repeat skewering until all of the chicken has been skewered.
To Broil the Chicken:
- Heat oven to broil with rack set 6 inches from element. Broil the skewers until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center registers 160ºF, 12–15 minutes.
2. Warm the pita. Spritz pita with water then broil just until warmed through, 1 minute.
To Grill the Chicken:
- Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium. Grill chicken over direct heat, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160ºF, about 10 minutes.
- Warm the pita. Spritz pita with water then grill just until warmed through, 1 minute.
- To serve, brush some reserved marinade over skewers. Serve skewers on a platter with warmed pita bread, remaining oil mixture and homemade tzatziki.
How to Make Ahead
The chicken can be brined, removed from the brine, and skewered up to 1 day ahead of time. Assemble the skewers as written, then transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid, or cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
The herby marinate can be prepped and stored in the fridge up to 3 days ahead of time. And if you really want to get ahead, make a double or triple batch of the marinade and freeze it in large ice cube trays. Once solid, transfer the cubes to zipper-lock bags. Simply thaw whenever you need a good marinade for chicken.
Expert Tips
- Brining the chicken breast keeps it moist and juicy. The breast meat can often be dry and flavorless, but the key to changing this is brining. Simply dissolve kosher salt in water and soak the chicken breast for at least 1 ½ hours in the fridge. Not only does this season the chicken, but it helps the chicken retain moisture during cooking (which means juicy cooked chicken!). Don’t brine for longer than 8 hours or the chicken will become mealy.
- Cut the chicken pieces all the same size. This ensures they cook evenly and at the same rate.
- Soak wooden skewers prior to cooking for at least an hour. This prevents the wood from burning whether you’re grilling or broiling.
- Customize the marinade to your liking. Feel free to add other mediterranean spices and herbs like paprika, cumin, coriander and sesame seeds.
How to Serve It
I always serve this herby chicken with pita and tzatziki. And since the grill (or broiler) is already fired up, I also halve a few zucchini lengthwise, drizzle with olive oil and salt, and cook until charred. It’s a great side for this!
How to Store Greek Souvlaki
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave or oven for a few minutes just until heated through.
Freezing leftover broiled Greek chicken also works, but it may compromise the texture a little bit once thawed.
This is a great meal prep recipe for the week, make a large batch and use it in sandwiches, on salads, or with a side of pasta or couscous.
More Juicy Chicken Recipes to Try
- Roasted Cornish Game Hen Recipe
- Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
- Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets
- Chicken Marbella
- Chicken Barbacoa
Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe (Broil or Grill)
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- kosher salt
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 1 small red onion, halved root to stem, each half cut into quarters
- Tzatziki sauce and pita bread for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons kosher salt into 4 cups cold water. Add 1 ½ pounds chicken breast (cut into chunks), cover and refrigerate for at least 1½ hours or up to 8 hours.
- Combine ⅓ cup oil, 1 tablespoon dill, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.
- Slice zested lemon into thin rounds.
- Measure out ¼ cup oil mixture and set aside. Drain chicken then arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer chicken to bowl with remaining oil mixture; toss to coat and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt.Wipe baking sheet dry with paper towels.
- Thread 2 chunks of onion onto a 12-inch metal or wood skewer. Thread 4 chunks of chicken onto skewer followed by a lemon slice and another 4 chunks of chicken, another lemon slice and 4 more pieces of chicken. Thread 2 more chunks of onion onto end of skewer; place on baking sheet.
- Repeat threading until all chicken is used; 4–5 skewers total.
To Broil:
- Heat oven to broil with rack set 6-inches from element. Broil skewers until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center registers 160ºF, 12–15 minutes, rotating occasionally for even browning.
- Spritz pita with water then broil just until warmed through, 1 minute.
To Grill:
- Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium. Grill chicken over direct heat, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160ºF, about 10 minutes.
- Spritz pita with water then grill just until warmed through, 1 minute.
To serve:
- Brush reserved oil mixture over cooked chicken.
- Serve skewers on a platter with warmed pita bread, remaining oil mixture and homemade tzatziki.
Notes
Nutrition
