Souvlaki

By Lidey Heuck

Published Oct. 18, 2023

Souvlaki
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
About 3 hours
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, plus at least 2 hours marinating
Rating
4(676)
Notes
Read community notes

Souvlaki is a popular Greek dish of marinated meat grilled on skewers, often served with tzatziki, pita and grilled vegetables or a crisp green salad. It’s made with a variety of meats, including beef, lamb, pork and chicken, used here. This yogurt-based marinade makes for incredibly tender grilled chicken, whether it sits for 2 hours or overnight. Pork tenderloin is a great swap for the chicken because it’s flavorful, lean and cooks quickly. Use two (1-pound) tenderloins and grill until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. 

Learn: How to Grill

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • ¾cup plain Greek yogurt (at least 2–percent fat)
  • ¼cup olive oil, plus more for brushing the grill
  • 1tablespoon grated or minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • 1teaspoon chopped fresh or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary or thyme leaves
  • 1teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½teaspoon ground cumin
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • One lemon, plus optional wedges for serving
  • 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
  • Toasted pita and tzatziki, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

330 calories; 15 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 522 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Set aside eight (10- to 12-inch) wood or metal skewers. (If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before using. This will prevent the skewers from catching fire on the grill.)

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Zest the lemon over the bowl; halve the lemon and reserve for serving. Whisk until smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and cut into 1- to 1½-inch cubes. (If you’re using thighs, the pieces may be thinner than 1 inch, so cut them a little bigger for folding later when skewering.) Add the chicken to the marinade and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day.

  4. Step 4

    Thread the chicken onto the skewers, separating the breasts and thighs if using both, and folding any thinner pieces in half so that all the pieces are similarly sized. You should have 6 to 8 skewers total.

  5. Step 5

    If using a grill, lightly oil the grates. Set the grill to medium-high (400 degrees) or heat a grill pan slicked with olive oil on the stovetop over medium-high. Grill the skewers for 8 to 10 minutes with the lid closed, turning once halfway, until fully cooked. (Breast meat will cook more quickly than thighs.) If the chicken sticks to the grates, give the skewers another minute before turning. (An internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken should read 165 degrees.)

  6. Step 6

    Transfer the skewers to a platter and squeeze the reserved lemon over them. Serve the chicken on the skewers, or remove the pieces and arrange them on a platter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley. Serve with toasted pita and tzatziki, as well as additional lemon wedges, if desired.

Ratings

4 out of 5
676 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Susan

I've made recipes similar to this many times and it's always good. One caution, though - I would not let the chicken marinate in the yogurt overnight. It gets overly tenderized to the point of being unpleasantly mushy. A couple hours at most would be my advice.

JoAnn

Is there a way to make this without a grill? We have a convection oven with air fryer capability...wondering if and how that might work.

roni

No grill? No problem. You can roast the chicken to cook it through and then crisp it on the stovetop in a sauté pan slicked with neutral oil hot enough to be almost smoking.

paul

Re: using a convection oven in lieu of a grill: if you have a wire rack that fits a half sheet pan well, line the sheet pan with foil or parchment, put the rack on top, and roast on convection at 425F. Rotate the pan once, but the meat will cook evenly without flipping the skewers.

LaDeDah

We use the broiler if we can't use a grill (as in, -20 temps in frozen MN tundra). Cover a baking sheet with a cookie cooling tray (whatever those are called, the name escapes me; I haven't had coffee), and keep a close eye on it. It is the same method we use for butter chicken, tikka masala, etc.

Greek Lady

We use metal skewers and broil the souvlaki in the winter months.

Edith

I grill both bone-in skin-on and boneless skinless chicken in this marinade - have been doing it for years. Results are fantastic but DON'T marinade more than 2 hours.

alannah

How long should we roast the chicken if not using a grill

Nori

I do my kabobs in my air fryer. They turn out great!

TriciaPDX

Smaller pieces of chicken take on more intense and uniform flavor from the marinade and grill smoke than would whole pieces. But both are still tasty!

Mike

I've used a ridged frying pan in the past in lieu of a grill and it works well. You can get the char markings and crispness, though obviously without the smokiness that a charcoal or wood grill might provide.

Cinnamon F

I cooked this in the air fryer on the "air roast" setting for 25 minutes at 400, turning occasionally to get it brown on both sides. It was very tasty.

Lisa

I thought this was great, but next time I would use breasts instead of the boneless thighs. I found the thighs had too much fat and tendons that don't break down with such a quick grilling.

littlespider

If I use the pork tenderloin as suggested above, how do I properly cut them to put on skewers? I don't often cook with pork so am new to this!

Ian

Alternate red onion and green bell peppers with the chicken. Grill at 500 for ten minutes, turning skewers half way through.

Ian

Alternate red onion and green bell pepper with chicken cubes. Grill at 500 for 10 minutes, turning halfway through.

John in Brooklyn

This is not a souvlaki recipe. Well, in the sense that souvlaki is skewered cubes of meat it is, but the flavor profile is all off, Middle Eastern more than Greek. Your best bet is to search an authentic recipe as an acidic base of either lemon or red wine vinegar will have a greater tenderizing effect while also maintaining the right profile. If you're grilling, the yogurt will also impede caramelization unlike the acids.

Ann

This is a keeper. Worked fine with nonfat Greek yogurt. Arranged pieces on cooling rack over paper lined sheet pan. Baked at 425 for 20 minutes then quick broil for 3-4 minutes. Easy clean up. Too cold to grill. Looking forward to preparing this in June.

Cinnamon F

I cooked this in the air fryer on the "air roast" setting for 25 minutes at 400, turning occasionally to get it brown on both sides. It was very tasty.

Jenn

No grill and no sticks (i find the latter more trouble than they are worth). Air fried pieces at 400F for 8 minutes or so, flipped pieces and cooked another 8 minutes or so to reach safe temperature. Nicely charred and yummy with garlic naan!

Christian

Made as directed, using Silk non-dairy greek yogurt. Excellent.

Anna Oh

I’m very glad I listened to the other comments about marinating for not much more than 2 hours. I used chicken tenderloins and cooked in a cast iron, and it was perfectly tender. Even added a sprinkle of Zataar at the end. This is a delicious dish.

Katie

I’ve made this twice now and it gets absolutely devoured by both kids and adults. First time marinated 2 hours, second time more like 4. The only difference I noticed was the garlic - definitely more pronounced with the longer marinade time. Delicious recipe!!

barry

This recipe is incredibly adaptable in terms of flavor profile. We make this dish almost weekly and can be done on the grill or even on the broiler. I prefer less marinade time and adding red onion to my skewers for flavor and to have on pita later.

NCSong

I made this exactly as the recipe stated. I marinated the chicken for 24 hours and did not find it mushy. I did broil it and found the texture very good. The flavor was wonderful. I made the accompanying tzatziki sauce and served it on a crispy pita. Will definitely make again in the near future.

Elie Chocron

I used Tofutti in place of yogurt to eliminate dairy and roasted in the oven. Came out tender and tasty! Will make it again.

sheila

This is an amazing recipe. I substituted tofutti sour cream for the yogurt to make dairy free. Baked to make it easier. 30 min. Was amazing.

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