Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Chicken skewers marinated in lemon, garlic and oregano and grilled until charred, served with a crunchy Greek salad and cool tzatziki.
Nutrition per serving
2 skewers + salad- Net carbs
- 6.2g
- Calories
- 456kcal
- Protein
- 43g
- Fat
- 28g
- Total carbs
- 7.7 g
- Fiber
- 1.5 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Pork souvlaki: Pork is the classic souvlaki meat in Greece. Well-marbled shoulder stays juicy and chars beautifully on the grill.
- Marinate the pork 2–8 hours; it handles the acid better than chicken.
- Grill 10–14 minutes, turning every few minutes, until charred and at least 145°F (63°C) inside, then rest 3 minutes. Shoulder is more tender if you take it to 155–160°F (68–71°C).
Shrimp souvlaki: Lemon-oregano shrimp skewers cook in about 5 minutes. A light summer dinner with the same salad and tzatziki.
- Marinate the shrimp just 15–30 minutes. Longer and the lemon juice starts to cook them.
- Thread them through both the head and tail ends so they lie flat, and grill 2–3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque.
Dairy-free (tahini sauce): A garlicky lemon-tahini sauce replaces the feta and tzatziki. It’s creamy and nutty and works well with the charred chicken.
- Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt; it will seize up, then loosen as you whisk in the water a little at a time until it drizzles. Serve the skewers and salad (without feta) with the sauce.
- Skewers
- Greek salad
- Nice to have (optional)
- Skewers
- Greek salad
- Nice to have (optional)
- Skewers
- Greek salad
- Nice to have (optional)
- Skewers
- Greek salad
-
3 oz fetaleave out - To serve
-
½ cup tzatzikileave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $13.01 for 4 servings ($3.25 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Whisk the 3 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, oregano, vinegar, ¾ tsp salt and the pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss, then cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Any longer and the acid turns the surface mealy.
-
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes. Thread the chicken onto 8 skewers with the pieces touching but not crammed, and discard the marinade.
-
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high, about 450°F (230°C), and oil the grates.
-
Grill the skewers 10–12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until charred at the edges and 165°F (74°C) inside.
-
Meanwhile, toss the cucumber, tomatoes, onion and olives with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and salt, then top with the feta. Our Greek salad is a fuller version.
-
Rest the skewers 3 minutes. Serve with the salad, lemon wedges and tzatziki.
Tips for success
-
Thighs stay juicy on a hot grill. If you use breast, pull it right at 165°F (74°C). - No grill? Broil the skewers 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) from the element for 10–12 minutes, turning once or twice.
- For a gyro-style wrap, tuck the chicken into flaxseed wraps or coconut flour tortillas instead of pita.
Nice to have, not needed
- Metal skewers need no soaking and conduct heat into the center — wooden ones work if soaked for 30 minutes.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Warm the chicken in a skillet or microwave 1–2 minutes; serve the salad and tzatziki cold.
Prep tip: Pack the salad without its oil and the feta on the side, and dress it just before eating so the cucumber stays crunchy.
Refrigerate the cooked chicken up to 4 days and the undressed salad up to 2 days.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosPork souvlaki
ProteinPork is the classic souvlaki meat in Greece. Well-marbled shoulder stays juicy and chars beautifully on the grill.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs → boneless pork shoulder
6.2 g net · 686 kcal · 39 g protein · 55 g fat · ≈$3.13 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Shrimp souvlaki
ProteinLemon-oregano shrimp skewers cook in about 5 minutes. A light summer dinner with the same salad and tzatziki.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs → jumbo shrimp
6.2 g net · 359 kcal · 38 g protein · 20 g fat · ≈$5.24 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Dairy-free (tahini sauce)
DietA garlicky lemon-tahini sauce replaces the feta and tzatziki. It’s creamy and nutty and works well with the charred chicken.
- + 3 tbsp tahini
- + 1 tbsp lemon juice
- + 1 clove garlic
- + 2 tbsp water
- no feta
- no tzatziki
7.2 g net · 469 kcal · 42 g protein · 29 g fat · ≈$2.96 per serving (+1 g net carbs vs the original)
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