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Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Mint Tzatziki close up image with Greek Salad on a flatbread

Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Mint Tzatziki

Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Mint Tzatziki - a simple recipe for the marinade, a quick cooking time and a deliciously refreshing tzatziki make this a meal the whole family will love.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Greek Inspired
Keyword souvlaki, tzatziki
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Marination time 20 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings 6 regular servings or 4 large servings
Calories 265 kcal
Author Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

  • 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the Souvlaki Marinade

  • 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 rounded tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cloves minced garlic

For the Lemon Mint Tzatziki

  • 3 cups Greek yogurt drained.
  • 6 inch piece of English cucumber
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • zest of half a lemon finely minced, (optional)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • pinch salt and pepper to season

Instructions

  1. I like to pound out the chicken breasts to about a quarter inch thickness to provide as much surface space as possible to accept the marinade and increase the flavour. I then cut the thin marinated chicken into about 1 x 3 inch pieces and fold them over before piercing the meat onto a skewer to grill.

To prepare the Souvlaki Marinade

  1. Mix all of the ingredients together and pour over the chicken in a Ziploc bag. Toss the chicken around well in the marinade to coat on all sides.
  2. Marinate in the fridge for 15 - 20 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, soak 4 long bamboo skewers in water. Pierce the chicken onto the skewers, alternating with pieces of sweet pepper or red onion.
  3. Cook on a preheated grill at medium high heat for about 6 minutes before turning over and grilling for an additional 6 minutes on the opposite side or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
  4. Serve with a Greek Salad, flatbread and tzatziki.

To prepare the Lemon Mint Tzatziki

  1. Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.
  2. Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of 1/8 inch or less.
  3. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the diced cucumber and toss together well. Let this rest for about a half hour, stirring occasionally. This process removes some of the liquid from the cucumber so that it will not water down the consistency of your finished tzatziki.
  4. Drain all of the liquid off the diced cucumber before adding it to the drained yogurt along with the mint, garlic, lemon juice, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  5. Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving. I often make the tzatziki a day ahead to let the flavours develop.

Recipe Notes

This recipe can also be done under the broiler and that's how we do it when the back patio is covered in snow. Place the skewers on a wire rack over a cookie sheet under the broiler turning every few minutes until completely cooked. I use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken hits about 180 degrees F.

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.