Description
This Greek Grilled Chicken Souvlaki Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish featuring tender marinated chicken thighs grilled to perfection and served atop a fresh Greek salad with a creamy homemade tzatziki sauce. Combining traditional Mediterranean ingredients like oregano, lemon, garlic, and kalamata olives, this recipe offers a healthy, protein-packed meal that’s perfect for a light lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Souvlaki
- 1 lb chicken thighs (boneless skinless, cut into 1 ½” pieces)
- 3 cloves garlic (grated)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt (whole milk yogurt or sour cream)
- 2 tbsp oregano (dried or fresh finely chopped)
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
Tzatziki Sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (whole milk yogurt or sour cream)
- 1 small cucumber (grated, juices squeezed out)
- ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (or more to taste)
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 1 tbsp dill or parsley (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp salt
Greek Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce (chopped)
- 3 small cucumbers (sliced)
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes (diced)
- ½ small red onion (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the Grill: Heat your grill to 450ºF to ensure it’s hot and ready for the chicken.
- Marinate the Chicken: In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic, oregano, and kosher salt. Mix well to coat all the pieces evenly, then let it marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to absorb all the flavors.
- Grill the Chicken Skewers: Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto skewers. Place them on the preheated grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, then flip and grill for another 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and has nice grill marks.
- Prepare the Tzatziki Sauce: While the chicken grills, combine Greek yogurt, grated cucumber with excess water squeezed out, olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic, chopped dill or parsley, and salt in a bowl. Mix well, cover, and chill in the refrigerator until serving.
- Assemble the Greek Salad: In serving bowls, place chopped romaine lettuce as the base. In another bowl, toss sliced cucumbers and diced tomatoes with white wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Divide the tossed vegetables, kalamata olives, and thinly sliced red onions evenly among the salad bowls.
- Serve: Add a generous dollop of chilled tzatziki sauce on each salad bowl, top with the grilled chicken souvlaki skewers, and enjoy your fresh and vibrant Greek meal.
Notes
- Use whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream for a richer tzatziki sauce.
- Make sure to squeeze out excess water from the grated cucumber to prevent the sauce from becoming watery.
- Marinating the chicken longer (up to 1 hour) helps intensify the flavors and tenderizes the meat.
- Adjust lemon juice and salt in tzatziki and salad to taste for balanced acidity and seasoning.
- Ensure skewers are soaked in water for 30 minutes if wooden to prevent burning on the grill.
- This recipe serves well as a light lunch or dinner that’s both nutritious and satisfying.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Greek chicken souvlaki, grilled chicken salad, tzatziki sauce, Mediterranean salad, healthy Greek recipe
