Name: Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 700 g (1 ½ lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, in 3 cm (1 ¼ in) cubes; 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon; 3 garlic cloves, finely grated; 2 tsp dried Greek oregano; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp fine sea salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp (30 g) Greek yogurt (optional); 1 small cucumber (about 200 g); ½ tsp fine salt, for the cucumber; 250 g (1 cup) full-fat Greek yogurt; 1 small garlic clove, finely grated; 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice; 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or mint; 4 Greek-style pocketless pita breads; 2 tomatoes, sliced; ½ red onion, thinly sliced; parsley, lemon wedges, extra oregano and flaky salt

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Greek chicken souvlaki is chunks of chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano, threaded onto skewers and grilled until charred at the edges. Wrap them in warm pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki, or serve them on a plate with salad, rice or chips. It’s simple food, and the quality comes from a few details: the right cut of chicken, a marinade that’s mostly lemon and oregano, a hot grill and taking the skewers off at the right moment.

Serves 4 (8 skewers). Allow 25 minutes of prep, 1–4 hours of marinating, and about 12 minutes of cooking.

What souvlaki is

Souvlaki means “little skewer” and comes from souvla, the Greek word for a spit. Small pieces of grilled meat on skewers are among the most common street foods in Greece, sold from souvlatzidika (souvlaki shops) and eaten as a quick meal at any time of day. In much of Greece the default meat is pork, but chicken souvlaki is everywhere too. You’ll usually be offered it on the stick, as a plate with chips and salad, or wrapped in a thick pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki, and often with a few chips tucked inside as well.

Ingredients

Chicken and marinade

700 g (1 ½ lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or breasts
4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice, plus the finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tsp dried oregano, preferably Greek
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 g) Greek yogurt (optional)

Tzatziki

1 small cucumber (about 200 g)
½ tsp fine salt, for the cucumber
250 g (1 cup) full-fat Greek yogurt
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or mint

To serve

4 Greek-style pita breads, the thick, pocketless kind
2 tomatoes, sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
A few sprigs of parsley
Lemon wedges
Extra dried oregano and flaky salt

You’ll also need 8 metal skewers, or wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes.

Ingredient notes

Chicken thighs are the better choice. They have more fat, so they stay juicy over a hot grill and are hard to overcook. Breast works well if you cut it into larger pieces and watch it closely. Cut either into 3 cm (1 ¼ in) cubes. Pieces the same size cook evenly.

Greek oregano is more pungent and aromatic than most dried oregano. It’s sold in Greek shops, often on the stem as rigani. Ordinary dried oregano is fine; rub it between your palms as you add it.

Yogurt in the marinade isn’t essential. A little helps the chicken brown and keeps breast meat moist, but the classic Greek marinade is just oil, lemon, garlic, oregano and salt.

Pita. Greek pita for souvlaki is soft, thick and has no pocket. It’s wrapped around the filling rather than stuffed. Middle Eastern pocket pita works if you can’t find it, but it’s thinner.

Method

Marinate. Cut the chicken into 3 cm (1 ¼ in) pieces. In a bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and yogurt, if using. Add the chicken, mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Longer than that and the lemon starts to make the surface mushy.
Make the tzatziki. Grate the cucumber coarsely, toss it with the salt and leave it in a sieve for 10 minutes. Then squeeze it hard in your hands or a clean tea towel to remove as much water as possible. Mix with the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and herbs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the garlic mellows into the yogurt.
Thread the skewers. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, pressing the pieces together lightly but not squashing them, about 6–7 pieces per skewer.
Heat the grill. Heat a barbecue or ridged grill pan to medium-high. If you hold your hand 10 cm (4 in) above the grill, you should only manage 3–4 seconds. Oil the grates or pan lightly.
Grill. Cook the skewers for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until charred in places and cooked through. The thickest piece should reach 74°C (165°F), or be opaque all the way through with clear juices. Breast cooks faster than thigh, so check from 8 minutes.
Rest. Move the skewers to a plate, squeeze over a little lemon, sprinkle with oregano and flaky salt, and leave for 3–5 minutes.
Warm the pitas on the grill for 20–30 seconds a side, brushing them lightly with oil first if you like, until soft and lightly marked.
Assemble. Spread tzatziki over a pita, add the chicken pulled off the skewer, then tomato, onion and parsley. Roll it up tightly and wrap the bottom half in baking paper or foil to hold it together.

No grill? Use the oven

Heat the grill (broiler) to high and set the skewers on a foil-lined tray about 10 cm (4 in) below the heat. Cook for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway, until charred at the edges and 74°C (165°F) inside. You can also roast them on a rack at 220°C (425°F), or 200°C (400°F) fan, for 15–18 minutes, then finish under the grill for colour.

Souvlaki or gyros?

The two are often confused, especially outside Greece, because both end up in the same pita with the same tzatziki. Souvlaki is cubes of meat grilled on a skewer. Gyros is meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie, cooked slowly as it turns and shaved off in thin slices, much like Turkish döner or Middle Eastern shawarma. In Greek souvlaki shops you’ll usually be asked which one you want in your pita. This recipe is souvlaki. Gyros can be approximated at home by roasting a tightly packed log of thinly sliced marinated meat, then slicing it and searing the slices. Our oven döner kebab works on exactly that idea: a packed log of marinated chicken, baked, sliced and seared.

Looking for more? See our easy chicken dinner recipes from around the world, sorted by time.

Common mistakes

Marinating too long. Hours, not days. Overnight in lemon gives a chalky texture, especially with breast.
Watery tzatziki. Squeeze the cucumber properly, and use thick, strained Greek yogurt.
Packing the skewers tightly. The pieces in the middle steam and stay pale. Leave a little space so the heat reaches all sides.
Grill not hot enough. You want char on the edges. A lukewarm grill dries the chicken before it browns.
Cooking breast to the same time as thigh. Breast dries quickly. Check it early.

Variations

Pork souvlaki: use pork shoulder or neck, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes, with the same marinade. Grill to 63°C (145°F) at least, then rest 3 minutes. Shoulder is more forgiving if cooked to 70°C (158°F).
Vegetable skewers: add chunks of red onion and pepper between the chicken, or make separate vegetable skewers, since vegetables cook at a different pace.
Halloumi: skewers of halloumi and courgette with the same marinade make a vegetarian option. Grill for 2–3 minutes a side.

Make ahead and storage

Marinate the chicken in the morning for dinner, and make the tzatziki up to 2 days ahead; stir it before serving, as it may separate slightly. Cooked chicken keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat it in a hot frying pan for 2–3 minutes until steaming, or eat it cold in a salad. Uncooked marinated chicken can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before threading and grilling. Our make-ahead, storage and freezing guide covers cooling, thawing and reheating chicken in more detail.

Serving ideas

For a fuller meal, serve the skewers on a platter with lemony roast potatoes or chips, a Greek salad of tomato, cucumber, onion, olives and feta, and plenty of tzatziki and warm pita. Our Mediterranean chickpea salad makes a good side, and for a slow-cooked Greek dish to make on another day, try our traditional Greek moussaka. And if you want something between roast potatoes and chips, a tray of our crispy smashed potatoes works well alongside.

Common questions

Can I cook souvlaki in an air fryer? Yes. Use short skewers that fit the basket, or skip the skewers and cook the pieces loose. Air-fry at 200°C (400°F) for about 10–14 minutes, turning halfway, until the thickest piece reaches 74°C (165°F). You’ll get browning but less char than on a grill, so a minute under a hot grill (broiler) at the end helps if you want the smoky edges.

My yogurt is quite thin. Can I still make tzatziki? Yes, but strain it first. Line a sieve with a clean cloth or a coffee filter, set it over a bowl, add the yogurt and leave it in the fridge for 1–2 hours. It thickens as the whey drains out. Thin yogurt plus cucumber water is the usual reason tzatziki ends up runny.

How do I stop wooden skewers burning? Soak them for at least 30 minutes, fill them so little bare wood is exposed, and keep the exposed ends away from the hottest part of the grill. A strip of foil folded over the handle ends also protects them. Flat metal skewers avoid the problem altogether and stop the pieces spinning when you turn them.

How can I tell it’s cooked without a thermometer? Cut into the thickest piece: it should be opaque all the way through, with clear juices and no pink at the centre. A thermometer is still the most reliable check, especially with breast. Our kitchen conversions guide lists safe internal temperatures for other meats too.

Is this a healthy meal? It’s a fairly light one: grilled chicken, a yogurt-based sauce rather than a mayonnaise one, and plenty of salad. How filling or rich it is depends mostly on what goes with it, so a plate with salad and a little pita is lighter than a wrap stuffed with chips.