Greek Grilled Chicken
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Greek grilled chicken skewers are a flavorful and easy-to-make dinner. These skewers use tender chicken breast or thighs, richly marinated in a blend of oregano, lemon, and garlic, then grilled to perfection.
Greek Culture Behind This Recipe
This grilled Greek chicken recipe, or authentic souvlaki, comes directly from my friend and former teaching partner, Christina, whose heritage is deeply rooted in Greece.
The first time I went to Greece, I visited Athens, Santorini and finally Crete. I tasted my first Greek Salad, with tangy, creamy feta, delicious Greek Chicken, Moussaka, Pastitsio, and ouzo in Greece.
My taste buds were never the same again. Since then, my go-to marinade for just about anything is Greek-inspired, which you’ll see in many Greek chicken recipes, and is made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and lots of fresh herbs. Oregano is a signature herb in lots of Greek dishes with chicken.
How To Make Greek Chicken Marinade
As with most European dishes, simplicity is key. These Greek chicken skewers are no exception. Whether opting for chicken thighs or breast, Greek cuisine shines through in the marination process, similar to authentic souvlaki.
The marinade is a combination of lemon juice and red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, and olive oil. The chicken should marinate for 3 hours for maximum flavor, but in a pinch, 30 minutes is fine.
To prepare the Greek chicken skewers marinade you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano finely chopped (1 1/2 teaspoons if using dried)
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. That’s it! The Greek grilled chicken marinade is ready.
Quick meal prep tip! You can prep several meals at once by preparing the marinade, adding the chicken chunks to the bag, and freezing. The night before you plan to grill, defrost them in the fridge. They can defrost and marinate at the same time!
How To Make Authentic Greek Grilled Chicken Skewers
Once the chicken chunks have been marinated, thread them on a metal kabob or bamboo skewers. If using bamboo skewers, remember to soak them for at least 30 minutes in water to prevent them from burning.
To maximize the amount of skewers you can make, add mushroom caps, bell pepper, or onion to the skewers if desired. Perfect for a BBQ!
Grill or broil chicken until done. This will depend on the thickness of your chicken and the temperature of your grill or broiler. If grilling, place skewers on the grill, turning occasionally until thoroughly cooked and golden on all sides, about 10 – 15 minutes.
Either chicken thighs or breasts can be used. Breast meat has less fat, but isn’t as juicy. Thighs have more fat but are more flavorful. You can also use a combination of breasts and thighs.
What to Serve With Greek Chicken?
From a vibrant Greek salad to Crispy Greek Potatoes or refreshing Greek Pasta, there are lots of great sides to go with Greek dishes with chicken.
If you want the meal to be lighter and low-carb, these Grilled Vegetables or feta and dill stuffed Zucchini Boats make a delicious addition to any Mediterranean meal.
Greek Grilled Chicken {Chicken Souvlakia}
Ingredients
- 1 lbs chicken breasts or thighs (skinless and boneless) cut into 1" chunks
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium sized lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh oregano finely chopped (1 1/2 teaspoon if using dried)
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Coat chicken pieces.
- Marinate chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes. Marinate up to three hours for maximum flavor.
- Thread chicken on metal skewers. Add mushroom caps and bell pepper if desired.
- Grill or broil chicken until done. This will depend on the thickness of your chicken, and temperature of your grill or broiler.
Notes
Add your marinade to a zip-lock bag with chicken pieces and freeze. The day before you are ready to cook chicken, defrost bag in fridge. It will defrost and marinate all at once.
Fabulous! A wonderful recipe. Greek flavors are so vibrant. I haven’t made it there yet, but it’s on my list!
OMGosh !!!! My taste buds are craving this now … Not fair … 😉 Thanks for the wonderful recipes. My grocery day is tomorrow, and I know exactly what I am making us for supper. Your chicken recipe mentions Greek seasoning. Can that be bought in the spice isle or did you come up with it yourself ? I’m going to check out the potatoes recipe too. Love, love, love Greek food. Have a great evening Cynthia.
Sheila, I actually buy my greek seasoning at a greek grocery store in downtown LA, but I’ve seen similar Greek seasonings in the spice isle of my local grocery store as well. Let me know how it turns out!
I will definitely be making these Greek dishes you gave us again and again Cynthia !!! Soooo tasty and everyone loved everything and I have very picky eaters. I found the Greek spice at Superstore and was soooo pleased. YUMMEY ;-). Thanks again girl. Have a happy weekend.
Hugs,
Sheila
Thanks so much Sheila. I love to hear that!
My oldest son love Greek chicken, but I haven’t made it in some time. I haven’t made Greek rice before, so would love to make this the next time I make Greek Chicken. Thanks for sharing this on The Weekend Social.
Thank you for hosting and sharing! I don’t know if the Greek rice is authentic, I experimented with greek flavors, but it’s simple and tasty!
Hi Cynthia! We both have stories of Greece, complete with a Greek Lemon Chicken recipe – I recently posted a recipe on Bijouxs. Such a beautiful country!
Awesome Lynn! I love Greece!
I really love Greek food! The flavors are so fantastic. I need to make this for dinner soon!
I still think about all the amazing food I ate on my trip to Greece for my high school graduation at 18. Almost half a lifetime ago, I swear I can still taste all the delicious flavors. Great chicken recipe to bring back those memories!
I love how simple and flavor packed this chicken recipe looks. Perfect for summer!
I love Greek flavors! I appreciate your side suggestions, they look like they’d pair wonderfully!
I love Mediterranean food and this chicken looks perfect! We loved our time in Greece, it’s so fun to recreate those recipes.
Such a simple marinade with big flavors! Definitely a do over!
This was absolutely delish. I made tzatziki sauce and was quite proud of myself. So flavorful.
thank you Patti! Glad you liked it!
Always happy for another chicken recipe. I’m sure this dish will be a hit in our household.
Thank you!
I love grilled chicken and this grilled greek chicken recipe is a winner!!! Super flavorful and delicious!
Thank you!
I love the simple and refreshing flavors in this recipe! Summertime on a stick!
That’s a good way to put it!
I loved reading about your trip to Greece and how this delicious recipe came to be! Delicious!
thank you!
Tender, juicy, and flavorful chicken that’s perfect with Greek salad (my favorite). Yum!
Immediately obsessed with this recipe!!
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