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This Easy Chicken Souvlaki Recipe is the perfect warm weather grilling recipe. You will love how tender the chicken thigh meat gets from the lemony Mediterranean marinade. The chicken is served with tzatziki and served on a pita with your favorite Greek ingredients!
This Chicken Souvlaki is juicy, lemony grilled chicken on skewers, ready in about 80 minutes including marinating time, and it’s become my go-to for everything from a Tuesday night grill to a backyard get-together. You cube boneless chicken thighs, marinate them in a bright, garlicky lemon-herb marinade, thread them on skewers, and grill until golden and just charred at the edges. Serve the whole thing wrapped in warm pita with homemade tzatziki and a simple Greek salad, and you’ve got a full Mediterranean dinner from one post.
I first fell in love with souvlaki on a trip to Greece with my husband Mike, it’s everywhere in Athens, and for good reason. What made it click for me was how simple it actually is: a great marinade, good chicken, and high heat. Once I got home and started testing it in my own kitchen, I realized the secret is in two things: using chicken thighs (they stay juicy at high heat in a way breasts just don’t), and not skipping the full 30-minute marinade minimum. If you like chicken skewers try these Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers, Greek Marinated Chicken Kabobs or these Lebanese Chicken Kabobs. In Greece they often make Pork Souvlaki but it can also be made using chicken, beef and sometimes lamb.
Why This Recipe Works
Chicken thighs have more fat marbling than breasts, which means they hold onto moisture under the high heat of a grill, they come off juicy every time instead of tight and dry. The marinade uses both lemon juice and red wine vinegar, which work together to tenderize the meat while the olive oil carries the herbs into every piece. And because you’re cutting the chicken into uniform 1-inch chunks, everything cooks at the same rate, no overcooked ends and raw middles. The result is chicken that’s golden on the outside, tender through the middle, and packed with flavor from the first bite.
Recipe Ingredients
These simple pantry staples are all you need. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and printable instructions.
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe because I find that it stays the juiciest and holds in a lot of the flavors from the marinade. You can also use chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts but make sure to cut the pieces into uniform size so it cooks evenly.
- Citrus: fresh lemon juice is used in this marinade to add sweetness and help tenderize the chicken.
- Olive Oil: I suggest a high quality extra virgin olive oil if you can use one. I find that the olive oil adds a lot of flavor and nutritional benefits to the marinade.
- Vinegar: the red wine vinegar pairs nicely with the lemon juice to create a sweet and tangy marinade.
- Spices: The spices of thyme, oregano and paprika work well together! If you would prefer you can use Greek seasoning along with the paprika.
Serve this easy chicken souvlaki with this Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce.
What is the Difference Between Chicken Gyros and Chicken Souvlaki?
I ate a lot of gyros and souvlaki in Greece! I love them both equally. Gyros are made by thinly slicing meat that is grilled on a vertical rotisserie. You often see pork or chicken used but can also be made from beef or lamb. Gyros are often served in warm pita bread as a wrap but I have also seen it served on a platter with roasted vegetables, Greek potatoes or fries and tzatziki. Souvlaki is grilled pieces of meat, like chicken or pork, served on skewers. It is often served on a pita or on a platter with tzatziki, vegetables and potatoes.
How Do You Make Chicken Souvlaki?
Step 1. Create Marinade: Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.
Step 2. Cut the Chicken: Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and put them in a large Ziploc bag or glass tupperware container and pour in the marinade.
Step 3. Marinate the Chicken: Seal the bag or close the container and toss to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken for up to two hours but at least for a 1/2 of an hour.
Step 4. Soak the Skewers: Before grilling soak wooden or bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes unless you are using metal skewers. When you are ready to grill the chicken heat the outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the fridge and take the chicken from the container or bag and discard the marinade. Set out a large platter or wooden cutting board. Thread the chicken onto the wood or metal skewers.
Step 6. Create Tzatziki: While the grill is heating make the Tzatziki sauce by combining the Greek yogurt, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Put in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step 7. Create the Greek Salad: To make the Greek salad combine the cucumber, tomato, olives, parsley, oregano and feta cheese in a medium mixing bowl. In a mason jar or salad dressing container combine the lemon juice and olive oil and then pour on the salad and stir to combine. Refrigerate the salad until ready to use. Brush the grates with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking.
Step 8. Grill the Chicken: Add the chicken to the grill and cook for about 7-8 minutes, turning once. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from the grill. Serve the chicken skewers with pita, greek salad and tzatziki.
Storage Tips
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, the air fryer at 375°F for 3–4 minutes gives you the best texture, it brings back a little of that grilled exterior without drying it out. The microwave works too; just cover it and heat in 30-second intervals to avoid rubbery chicken.
- Let the cooked chicken cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe zip bag or container. It will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the air fryer or in a skillet over medium heat.
- The tzatziki does not freeze well, but it keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a covered container.
Recipe FAQ
When you cut the chicken pieces make sure you try to keep them the same size so they cook evenly. I try to stick to 1-inch cubes but you can do larger if you want.
The marinade is what really infuses the flavors into the chicken. You can to at least marinade the chicken for a 1/2 hour but ideally for 2 hours in the fridge. I don’t do much more than that because the lemon will start to break down the chicken.
You can make these into Greek Chicken Kabobs. To do this I suggest cutting the chicken into larger chunks and adding sliced vegetables and rotate in the chicken.
More Chicken Recipes
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Easy Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of Chicken Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
For the marinade:
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano {or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano}
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the tzatziki:
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 2% or whole milk yogurt works best
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- 2 cups of grated cucumber, about 1 small cucumber, squeeze out the excess juice from the cucumber
- Dash of salt and pepper
For the Greek salad:
- 1/2 of an english cucumber, diced
- 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup of feta cheese
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and put them in a large Ziploc bag or glass tupperware container and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag or close the container and toss to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken for up to two hours but at least for a 1/2 of an hour. Before grilling soak wooden or bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes unless you are using metal skewers.
- When you are ready to grill the chicken heat the grill to medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the fridge and take the chicken from the container or bag and discard the marinade. Set out a large platter or wooden cutting board. Thread the chicken onto the wood or metal skewers.
- While the grill is heating make the Tzatziki sauce by combining the Greek yogurt, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, white vinegar, cucumber, salt and pepper.
- Put in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to serve. To make the Greek salad combine the cucumber, tomato, olives, parsley, oregano and feta cheese in a medium mixing bowl.
- In a mason jar or salad dressing container combine the lemon juice and olive oil and then pour on the salad and stir to combine. Refrigerate the salad until ready to use. Brush the grates with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking.
- Add the chicken to the grill and cook for about 7-8 minutes, turning once. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from the grill. Serve the chicken skewers with pita, greek salad and tzatziki.
Notes
- You can marinade up to 2 hours. Don't marinade more than 2 hours or the chicken starts to bread down.
- You could add vegetables on the skewers if you want. I like zucchini, red onion and red bell pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks so much. This was delicious and very reminiscent of a Greek restaurant souvlaki.
So glad you liked it!
This is a great recipe.