Souvlaki is Greek for little skewer, and that is the whole idea: chunks of meat marinated in lemon, olive oil, garlic, and oregano, threaded onto sticks, and grilled fast over high heat. Off the skewer with lemon potatoes and a bowl of tzatziki, it stops being street food and becomes a proper dinner.
As a main course it is bright and balanced. Skewered chicken as the protein, Greek lemon potatoes as the starch, a rough chopped tomato and cucumber salad as the vegetable, and cool, garlicky tzatziki as the sauce that ties the plate together.
A Short History
Skewered, fire grilled meat is one of the oldest ways humans have cooked, and in Greece it is genuinely ancient. Archaeologists digging on Santorini found stone supports for skewers dating to the Bronze Age, around the seventeenth century BC, and writers in classical Athens mention obeliskos, little spits of grilled meat sold in the street. The technique has barely changed in three and a half thousand years.
The modern dish, the marinated cubes and the pita wrapped version piled with tomato, onion, and tzatziki, took its current shape in twentieth century Greece, especially in Athens after the 1950s, as cheap, fast, charcoal grilled food. Pork is the most traditional meat at home; chicken is the lighter, now equally common option. The lemon potatoes, patates lemonates, are a separate classic of the Greek oven, and tzatziki descends from a family of yogurt and cucumber sauces found across the former Ottoman world.
The Four Components
- Protein. Chicken thigh in chunks, marinated in lemon and oregano, grilled on skewers.
- Starch. Potatoes roasted in lemon juice, olive oil, and stock until the edges crisp and the centers turn creamy.
- Vegetable. A rough chopped tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad with red wine vinegar.
- Sauce. Tzatziki, thick strained yogurt with grated cucumber, garlic, and dill.
Choosing the Chicken
Boneless skinless thighs, not breast. Thigh meat holds up to an acidic marinade and the direct heat of a grill without drying, and it stays juicy even if a skewer sits a minute too long over the fire. Breast on a skewer is a race you usually lose.
Cut the thighs into even inch and a half pieces so the whole skewer finishes at the same time, and thread them snugly but not jammed, so heat can move between the pieces. If you only have breast, cut it into larger cubes, marinate it for no more than an hour, and pull it the instant it reaches 160F. Metal skewers are worth buying; wooden ones need a 30 minute soak and still tend to burn through.
The Technique That Makes It: Acid and the Two Potato Stages
Lemon juice in a marinade does more than add flavor. Its acidity denatures the surface proteins of the chicken, which lets the meat hold more moisture and take on seasoning faster. The limit is time: past four or five hours, the acid starts to make the surface of the meat mealy, so this is a marinade you start the same day, not the night before.
The potatoes cook in two stages in one pan. They start half submerged in stock and lemon juice, so they steam and turn creamy inside while the tops brown in the oven heat. As the liquid cooks away, the sugars and lemon left behind concentrate into a sticky, savory glaze that coats every wedge. Do not drain them; the finished dish should have just a spoonful of thick, lemony liquid in the bottom of the pan.
Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Potatoes
Serves 4. Prep 25 minutes plus marinating, cook 45 minutes, total about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Protein and marinade
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and black pepper
Starch
- 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
Sauce
- 1 cup thick strained Greek yogurt
- 1/2 English cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt
Vegetable
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 red onion and 1/2 English cucumber, diced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, in wedges
Method
Marinate
- Mix the chicken with the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Marinate 1 to 4 hours in the fridge. Soak wooden skewers if using.
Potatoes
- Heat the oven to 425F. Toss the potatoes in a baking dish with the olive oil, lemon juice, stock, salt, and pepper, spread in one layer.
- Roast 45 minutes, turning once, until the liquid is nearly gone, the edges are browned, and the centers are soft.
Sauce and salad
- Stir the yogurt with the squeezed cucumber, garlic, dill, olive oil, and salt. Chill until serving.
- Toss the tomatoes, diced cucumber, and red onion with the vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
Grill and plate
- Thread the chicken onto skewers. Heat a grill or grill pan to high.
- Grill the skewers, turning every few minutes, until charred and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Rest 5 minutes.
- Serve the skewers with the lemon potatoes, the salad, tzatziki, and lemon wedges.
Doneness
Chicken thigh is safe and best at 170 to 175F, where the connective tissue has softened and the meat is still juicy. Breast, if you use it, should come off at 160F and carry to 165F while it rests. The chicken should be well charred on at least two sides.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
- Calories 765
- Fat 37 g
- Saturated fat 7 g
- Cholesterol 220 mg
- Sodium 1,230 mg
- Carbohydrates 53 g
- Fiber 7 g
- Sugar 10 g
- Protein 57 g
Get Ahead: A Timing Plan
- Up to a day ahead: make the tzatziki (it improves overnight) and the salad base without dressing.
- Same day, up to 4 hours ahead: marinate the chicken. Thread the skewers.
- Last hour: roast the potatoes, then grill and rest the skewers while the potatoes finish. Dress the salad at the table.
Wine Pairing
Lemon and char want a white with serious acidity and a stony edge.
- Assyrtiko from Santorini is the perfect match: bone dry, high acid, saline, grown on the same islands where skewered meat was first cooked.
- Dry rose from the Peloponnese or Provence, chilled hard, for something more forgiving.
- Moschofilero or a light Agiorgitiko red if you want to stay Greek and try something off the beaten path.
Building the Meal Around It
Open with a Greek meze spread: spanakopita, warm pita with hummus or taramasalata, a few dolmades, marinated feta. The potatoes and salad on the plate cover the sides. Finish with something honeyed, Greek yogurt with thyme honey and walnuts, or a slice of orange semolina cake, or just fruit and coffee. More starters in the appetizer collection and salad collection.
Cooking for a Crowd
This is built for a party. Double or triple the marinade and thread the skewers hours ahead. Roast the potatoes on two or three sheet pans, and make big bowls of tzatziki and salad the day before. Grill the skewers in waves, resting them under foil, or move them to a low oven to hold. Warm a stack of pita on the grill at the end and let people build their own plates or wraps.
Troubleshooting
- Dry chicken. Breast instead of thigh, marinated too long, or overcooked. Use thigh, keep the marinade under 4 hours, and pull at 170 to 175F.
- Chicken sticking to the grill. Dirty or cool grates, or you turned it too soon. Clean and oil the grates, get the grill hot, and let each side form a crust before turning.
- Watery tzatziki. The cucumber was not wrung out, or the yogurt was thin. Use strained Greek yogurt and squeeze the grated cucumber hard in a towel.
- Potatoes pale and steamed, not browned. Too much liquid or too crowded. Use one layer and let the liquid cook down fully in the last 10 minutes.
Variations
- Pork souvlaki. The most traditional. Use pork shoulder cut in cubes, same marinade, same timing.
- Lamb. Leg or shoulder in cubes, excellent with an extra pinch of cinnamon in the marinade.
- Souvlaki wraps. Pull the chicken off the skewers into warm pita with the salad, tzatziki, and a few fries.
- Oven or broiler. No grill? Broil the skewers on a rack about 4 inches from the element, turning once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why thigh instead of breast?
Thigh stays juicy through an acidic marinade and high grill heat. Breast can work if you cut it larger, marinate no more than an hour, and pull it the moment it reaches 160F.
How do I keep the chicken from sticking to the grill?
Clean, oiled grates and a hot grill. Let the skewers form a crust before you try to turn them; they release on their own when they are ready.
What is the difference between souvlaki and gyros?
Souvlaki is small chunks of meat grilled on a skewer. Gyros is meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie and shaved off as it cooks. Both often end up in a pita, which is where the confusion comes from.
Can I make the components ahead?
Yes. Marinate the chicken, make the tzatziki and salad, and prep the potatoes up to a day ahead. Roast the potatoes and grill the skewers close to serving.
Why is my tzatziki watery?
The cucumber was not squeezed dry, or the yogurt was not strained. Use thick Greek yogurt and wring the grated cucumber hard in a clean towel first.
What makes this an entree?
The skewered chicken is the centerpiece, served with a starch, a vegetable, and a sauce as the main course. That is what entree means in North American usage.
More Entrees
Chicken Piccata, Carne Asada, Lamb Tagine, and the full entree recipe collection.
Who Is Writing This
Chef Alan Guerin spent 35 years in professional kitchens, from fine dining rooms to hotels and catering, and earned the Four Diamond distinction six times. He built Wine Drop Cookery to put that experience into plain guides anyone can cook from. More about Chef Alan.