Grilled Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce and Greek Salad
Author: Sandra Valvassori
sandravalvassori.com
Don't be put off by the long recipe below, it can all be pulled together really quickly. This is a great light and seasonal dish for a crowd and/or for a quick weeknight meal.
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
For the chicken
1/4cuplemon juice
1-2lemons halvedfor grilling* (optional but delicious - see notes)
3medium cloves of garlicfinely grated
2teaspoonsdried oregano
1/4cupextra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2poundsboneless-skinless chicken breastcut into 2-inch cubes
8-12metal or wooden skewerssoak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes
6whole-wheat pitas
For the Tzatziki
1/2english cucumbergrated
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
2medium cloves of garlicfinely grated
1cupfull fat Greek yogurt**strained if not full fat - see notes
1-2Tablespoonlemon juice or white wine vinegar
2Tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
1Tablespoonchopped fresh dilloptional
For the Greek salad
1english cucumberpeeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2medium ripe tomatoescut into 2 inch pieces
1green or cubanelle pepperseeded and thinly sliced
½small red onionsliced thin
1teaspoondried oreganopreferably greek oregano, plus more for sprinkling
3/4cupkalamata olivesnot pitted if possible
3Tablespoonsred wine vinegar
1/4good quality-extra virgin olive oilplus more for drizzling
8ouncesfetasliced or cubed
Flaky saltto taste
Instructions
In medium bowl, whisk lemon juice, garlic, oregano, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken cubes to the bowl and toss to coat evenly. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate longer or overnight.
Meanwhile make the tzatziki sauce: Place grated cucumbers in strainer set over bowl. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let sit to drain, about 30 minutes. Gently squeeze any water out of the cucumbers, place in a small bowl, and mix with garlic, yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil and dill. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the Greek salad: Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, pepper, onion and oregano on a large platter or shallow bowl. Scatter the olives over top. Drizzle the red wine vinegar and olive oil over top. Sprinkle with oregano. Set aside until ready to serve (do not add the feta yet).
Heat the grill to high. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers. Grill skewers, turning evenly, until well browned on all sides and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. If grilling the lemons, set the lemon halves cut-side down on the hot grills at the same time as the skewers, do not flip.
Remove chicken and lemons to a serving platter. Spritz the chicken with one half of the charred lemon juices, and let rest 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, grill pitas until warm and slightly charred, about 1 minute per side.
Finish the salad: Place feta on top of salad and drizzle with a little more olive oil and a few pinches of oregano. Season with flaky salt to taste.
Serve chicken skewers with salad, pita, tzatziki sauce, and remaining charred lemons.
Notes
*Grilling the lemons helps loosen up and release their juices and it is a step I no longer ever skip. Sprinkled over the grilled chicken, it adds a robust acidity and sweet tangy flavour that I find totally addictive.**Full fat Greek yogurt has already been strained and is quite thick, which is essential for a good tzaziki sauce. However, if you only have plain yogurt, you can strain it yourself for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Just fold some cheesecloth over itself a few of times, or use a nut milk bag if you have one, place it in a sieve, and pour in the yogurt. It will drain quite a bit of liquid within a few hours but overnight would be best to achieve the thickest yogurt possible.