Souvlaki: Chicken Shish Kebab – a recipe for brined and marinated chicken on pita bread, topped with a salad and tzatziki sauce.
Last week, the recipe I featured made me think of Greek comfort food – this week’s recipe makes me think Greek street food! I saw the picture of this in the cookbook, and I knew I wanted to try it.
I decided to make these for lunch this week. It was definitely delicious – but let me warn you – it was a lot of work for a lunch. Not just one recipe here – but 4! Each element is not necessarily difficult, but when you put them all together, it does take a bit of time. And the meat needs to brine for at least 24 hours, then marinade for 4 to 24 hours. But really, I don’t want to discourage anyone from making this, because it really is delicious!!
Recipe notes:
- For the salad, I left out a few ingredients. There are so many ingredients that I didn’t think I’d miss one or two!
- I had salad and Ladolemono left over, so I just used the Ladolemono as a dressing and had a lovely side salad for dinner!
- I usually love garlic, but my tzatziki was pretty garlicky. I probably put too much on the pita as well, but it was a bit overpowering. I would either cut back on the amount of garlic next time or just use less tzatziki. (It may have been my garlic, too – it seemed extra strong!)
Recipe Rating: 4.25 out of 5
Souvlaki: Chicken Shish Kebab
Souvlaki: Chicken Shish Kebab - a recipe for brined and marinated chicken on pita bread, topped with a salad and tzatziki sauce.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 quart cold water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 shallots sliced
- salt and pepper
Greek Salad: (this is the full recipe - you will only need 1/4 for the souvlaki)
- 1 large Spanish or sweet onion thickly sliced
- extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 pound whole trimmed bulbs of fennel sliced crosswise paper-thin
- 4 small fire-roasted bell peppers cut into thin strips
- 24 grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- 3/4 pound English cucumber peeled, halved, seeds scooped out, and thickly sliced
- 8 whole scallions thinly sliced
- 1 red onion sliced paper thin
- 1/2 cup small picked sprigs of dill, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup small sprigs parsley roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon dry Greek oregano
- about 50 mixed green and black olives brined and/or oil-cured, pitted and halved
- 16 whole caperberries
Ladolemono: (Makes about 3/4 cup. You will only need 1/2 cup of it)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dry Greek oregano
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Tzatziki: (makes 1 quart - you will only need 2/3 cup)
- 1 English cucumber peeled
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 4 shallots thickly sliced
- 1 cup small picked sprigs of dill
- 2 1/2 cups Greek yogurt or labne spread
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
For serving:
- 4 rounds pita bread
Instructions
- In a plastic or ceramic bowl or crock, stir the 1 quart water, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 cup vinegar together until the salt and sugar have dissolved (this will take a few minutes). Cut the chicken into large chunks. Immerse in the brine and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the meat from the brine and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with a towel. In a deep baking dish or roasting pan, combine the marinade ingredients - the olive oil, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, shallots, and a little salt and pepper. Thread the pieces of meat onto 4 wooden skewers and immerse the skewers in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic right down onto the meat to exclude any air. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours; overnight is even better, though not essential.
- Remove the skewers from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes while you preheat a charcoal or gas grill, or ridged cast-iron grill pan, until hot.
- Prepare the Greek salad: rush the onion slices with a little olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. On a griddle pan or cast-iron skillet, grill the onions until tender. Separate into rings.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining salad ingredients.
- Make the Ladolemono: In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, mustard, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a generous grinding of pepper. Whisk to blend the mixture completely and, whisking all the time, drizzle in the olive oil. This sauce will separate; whisk or shake in a jar before using.
- Make the Tzatziki: Quarter the cucumber lengthwise and trim off the triangular wedge of seeds. Cut the cucumber into very small, even dice. Transfer to a mixing bowl. In a food processor, combine the garlic, vinegar, shallots, and dill. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Add the mixture to the cucumbers; add the yogurt. Fold together with a rubber spatula, adding the olive oil and lemon juice. Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper, starting off with 1 tablespoon salt. Taste for seasoning. (You can store Tzatziki in a covered, clean jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
- Season the Souvlaki lightly with salt and pepper and grill until firm and char-marked on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a resting platter and dress with Ladolemono.
- Paint the pita with extra-virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until firm and char-marked on all sides. Smear some Tzatziki in the center of each pita round. Push the meat off the skewer on top of the tzatziki. Top with some of the Greek Salad. Pull the sides of the pita up to meet in the center, like a taco. Serve like a hand roll, or wrap and secure with a wide strip of parchment.
Recipe Notes:
from How to Roast a Lamb
Sophie says
I was just thinking this would be a great picnic lunch food! But gosh, whenever I even think of making something this tasty for lunch I always try to sneak around dinner :)…
Erin from Long Island says
I look forward to grilling weather so I can try this! I may cut a couple corners or make some ahead, but it will be done!
Cookie baker Lynn says
That is a lot of recipe to cope with. I might have to find a street fair to buy one. Or break down and make it myself……yours is tempting me.
kat says
That does seem to have a lot of steps but certainly looks tasty
Emily says
My, my! Look at how good this looks! And that pita bread makes me really like this. I love pita.
Sook says
This looks like a great, tasty and healthy recipe!
Chef Aimee says
There is nothing as comforting as souvlaki…this is better than any Astoria, NY vendors, that I am SURE of! 🙂
Bellini Valli says
This is definitely one of my all time favourites!!!
grace says
yes, this does seem like a lot of effort, but methinks it'd be worth it–this is a meal i'd LOVE. frankly, i'd be tempted to just hunker down with pita and tzatziki, but the rest would be welcome too. 🙂
Tia says
wow that looks SO time consuming. thanks for the warning too otherwise I wouldn've dived in and run outta time! lol
Abby says
Pork souvlaki is one of my fave sandwiches, but I've never tried it with chicken! Looks great – and healthy with all those veggies piled on!
teresa says
this looks delicious!
Kim says
This post makes me feel better about paying $8 for a gyro:D Look at all the work that goes into it! This looks amazing, one of my favorite things to eat.
Joanne says
Whoa that really is a lot of recipe in one. Who knew that street food vendors needed to do all of THAT before handing you your wrap? Looks and sounds delicious though.