Tony Zentgraf
Souvlaki – meaning small skewer is a classic Greek meal traditionally made from pork or chicken. Ths recipe for Greek Chicken Souvlaki brings in the classic flavors from Greece, lemon, olive oil, garlic, oregano and paprika.
What’s in this Article?
Skewered Street Food Around the World Recipe Series
Dating Back to Ancient Greece
Souvla literally translated meaning ‘spit’ should give some indication of how Souvlaki got its start. The grills they were cooked on were called krateftes, stone or ceramic kits that held skewers over fire. Whereas many other skewered street food around the world, the skewers were rotated over coals giving the meat its classic char.
The ancient grills have been excavated from ancient sites in Santorini among other sites and can be viewed at museums around Greece in fact proving the heritage of souvlaki.
Souvlaki can found in ancient Greek texts including, Homer’s Iliad and Athenaeus’ Deipnosophists. Interestingly, Deipnosophists has been translated into several descriptions such as Sophists at Dinner, Philosophers at Dinner and even The Gastronomers. This group of educated men would congregate around a meal and discuss everything from politics to foods. As a result, it is in these writings Athenaeus documented skewered meats that he called kandaulos.
Popularity of Souvlaki in Greece
Although the origins of souvlaki can trace back to ancient Greece it wasn’t until 1924 the first account of a skewered grilled meat served on pita was served. Isaac Meraklidis a political migrant fleeing from Armenia to Egypt then settling in Greece opened a restaurant serving skewered meats.
It wasn’t until the early 1950s that Souvlaki took off as a popular street food. Today, all across Greece you can find souvlaki ranging from street vendors to elevated dining experiences. Because of the varied establishments, you can eat at the styles of the popular skewered meats from the traditional, eaten on a skewer from a street vendor to served with pita and tzatziki at a restaurant.
Making it at Home
Prepping souvlaki is one of the easiest skewered street foods you can make. Ingredients are without a doubt, simple and flavorful. You can use chicken breast or thighs but I recommend thighs as they grill up nicely and have more flavor.
Once you whisk together the ingredients for the marinade and dice the chicken, marinate for a few hours to overnight for best flavor.
Grill or broil in the oven to get some char on the meat, as a result will add to the traditional flavors!
Enjoy!
Chicken Souvlaki (GF)
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- 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 6 ea Garlic minced
- ⅓ cup Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ tsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Dry Oregano crushed
- ½ tsp Dry Chili Flakes
- ½ tsp Granulated Onion
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
Instructions
- Trim any unwanted fat from the chicken thighs and dice into pieces about 1 ½" in size.
- In a bowl combine all ingredients except the olive oil and chicken.
- Drizzle in the olive oil into the bowl while whisking to emulsify the marinade.
- Once incorporated add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat the chicken.
- Marinate 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to grill, skewer the chicken. Depending on the method of service you may want to skewer less on a skewer if the skewers are meant for appetizers or buffet vs for the family on a weeknight.
- Grill chicken until it reaches 165°. While grilling try to get some char on the skewers to enjoy those crusty bits, yum. Easy to do under the broiler or bake in the oven for the week nights.
- Serve with Tzatziki and your favorite Greek side dish. Check out the Greek Orzo Salad recipe or the Tabouleh salad recipe.
