Main courses
Chicken souvlaki with lemon and oregano
Chicken souvlaki with lemon, olive oil and oregano: quantities for four, marinating guidance and tips for juicy Greek skewers. EL GRECO food journal.
Souvlaki is made from pieces of meat cooked on skewers, with a browned surface and juicy centre. This version uses boneless chicken thigh, which is more forgiving than breast on a home grill.
Lemon and oregano lead the flavour, while olive oil coats the meat evenly. A long spice list is unnecessary. Evenly cut pieces, a hot grill and enough room between the skewers make a bigger difference.
LET’S COOK
Ingredients & method
Total time, including resting: 1 h 40 min
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 15 min
- Resting / cooling
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 4
Step by step
Cut the chicken into roughly 3 cm pieces. Remove tough tendons and pat the surface dry with kitchen paper. If using wooden skewers, soak them before preparing the grill.
Mix the oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken and marinate in a covered container in the refrigerator for one hour.
Thread the chicken without packing the pieces tightly. Let excess marinade drip off and heat the grill or grill pan thoroughly. Never pour leftover raw-chicken marinade over cooked meat.
Grill for approximately 12–15 minutes, turning regularly to brown all sides. Check that the thickest piece reaches at least 74°C internally; timing varies with the size of the pieces and the grill.
Rest the chicken on a clean platter for 5 minutes. Warm the pita separately and prepare the tomatoes, onion and tzatziki. Serve promptly with extra lemon at the table.
SMALL DETAILS, BETTER RESULTS
Tips for a good result
Do not overcrowd the pan: too many skewers lower the temperature and the chicken starts steaming in its juices. Cook in two batches if needed. A browned exterior does not prove that chicken is cooked through. Use a food thermometer. When zesting the lemon, remove only the yellow layer, avoiding the bitter white pith.
Serving ideas
For a Greek-style platter, pair the skewers with tzatziki and a tomato, cucumber and feta salad. Pita and dip are accompaniments, not marinade ingredients. The serving suggestion with pita and tzatziki contains gluten and milk.
