Barbecued meat is a timeless Balkan classic, listed in every local restaurant or tavern’s menu. One of the most popular methods of grilling meat is on skewers, and my recipe will show you how to do that. Souvlaki is the Greek version of barbecued meat on skewers. In this recipe for chicken souvlaki, the chicken is wonderfully juicy, with wonderful smoky flavours, and simply delicious!

HISTORY OF SOUVLAKI.

The word souvlaki comes from the Greek word souvla meaning a spit.

The origins of souvlaki can be traced back to ancient Greece under the name of obeliskos (obelos – spit). Over the centuries, many ancient Greek philosophers and writers have written about obelisks in their works, including Aristophanes, Xenophon and Aristotle. The earliest recorded reference was made by Homer in his poems.

Excavation in Akrotiri on the Greek island of Santorini found stone sets of barbecue skewers (Greek: krateutai) dating back to the 17th century BC.

Nowadays, the common Greek Pita Souvlaki resembling the ancient obeliskos is a favourite street food in Greece and worldwide.

HOW TO MAKE GREEK CHICKEN SOUVLAKI?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THIS RECIPE

Meat: The most suitable meat for chicken souvlaki is chicken breasts because the breasts are meaty and do not contain bones. They are easy to cut into pieces.

Garlic: Garlic brings beautiful piquant flavour to the dry chicken meat.

Olive oil: Greeks use olive oil in almost every dish. For this recipe, use good quality Extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil adds moisture to the meat and imparts beautiful flavour.

Spices: Souvlaki marinade can be made with different spices, yet the oregano gives the dish an authentic Greek taste.

Lemon juice: Adds beautiful citrus flavours and makes the dish juicier and even more delicious!

White wine: It is not essential to use wine and most authentic Greek recipes do not include it, but white wine carries flavours in the marinade and will help season and cook the meat evenly.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS.

Chicken souvlaki is a fun and easy dish to make. It doesn’t take too long to prepare and cooks very quickly. It’s a great dish for a quick dinner or a barbecue party. But, do prepare the meat overnight, so it can absorb more of these beautiful flavours from the marinade.

You can cook chicken souvlaki on a bbq grid over a charcoal or wood fire, on an electric or gas barbecue or even on a griddle pan in your kitchen.

Step 1: Prepare the meat & THE MARINADE.

The most important step in making the perfect souvlaki is the marinade. The authentic marinade for Greek chicken souvlaki is made with olive oil, lemon juice and dried oregano, but I like to add some white wine to it, as well. Place all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and whisk to blend them well.

Cut the chicken breasts into well-uniformed cubes for the meat to cook evenly. The recommended size of the meat cubes is 2.5 cm.

Place the marinade and the chicken pieces in a bowl and stir to coat the meat with the marinade. You can then transfer the marinated chicken to a freezer bag with a zip. Massage the chicken meat through the plastic to ensure it absorbs, even more, flavour and becomes tender. Leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight if possible.

Step 2: Thread the chicken pieces on skewers.

Use wooden or metal skewers to thread the chicken on. The material the skewers are made of won’t affect the taste of the chicken. Ensure the chicken pieces are treaded loosely and are barely touching for the meat to cook evenly.

Step 3: Make Ladolimono sauce.

Traditionally, in Greece, when chicken skewers are cooking on the grill, the meat is brushed or drizzled with a dressing made with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Thy locals call this dressing ladolimono. The purpose of the sauce is to neutralise the fat in the meat and make it juicy.

How to make Ladolimono sauce?

Combine freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon with two tablespoons of olive oil and stir the ingredients well to combine them.

Step 4: Grill the chicken souvlaki.

Souvlaki tastes best when cooked on a barbecue. If you are making a charcoal barbecue, you need first to burn the charcoal to white hot coals. When the charcoal turns into grey ash with a red glow underneath, it’s ready for cooking.

Chicken cookies quickly. It will take no more than 10 minutes. To prevent the meat from overcooking, turn the skewers regularly with thongs and brush it with the ladolimono dressing. When using wooden skewers, be careful, because the wood can catch on fire.

🍲 HOW TO SERVE AUTHENTIC CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

In Greece, souvlaki is traditionally eaten as a wrap. The grilled meat is placed on lightly grilled pita and garnished with sauces and fresh salad, sliced tomatoes and onions.

Although this is not the way Greeks serve it traditionally, you can plate the souvlaki on a bed of fresh salad, with potato chips and a variety of dips on the side.

Enjoy! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳

PIN IT FOR LATER!

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