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grilled chicken souvlaki family

Best grilled chicken souvlaki family

grilled chicken souvlaki family brings easy Greek family meals, quick BBQ souvlaki, and simple summer dishes. Discover delicious flavors. Try this recipe tod...
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Chicken Recipes
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 320

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp honey

Method
 

  1. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and honey in a bowl until the honey dissolves completely. I always use a fork for this because a whisk breaks down the garlic too much and releases bitterness. You want visible minced pieces suspended throughout.
  2. Add the cubed chicken to the marinade and stir for thirty seconds so every piece contacts the liquid. Don't overthink this step—just coat everything and trust the acid starts working immediately. Twenty minutes of marinating is enough time for grilled chicken souvlaki family because lemon juice breaks down muscle fibers rapidly.
  3. While the chicken rests, soak wooden skewers in water for at least fifteen minutes so they don't char to ash on the grill. I learned this the hard way when Connor watched his skewer literally catch fire, which wasn't the outdoor experience we were going for. Metal skewers work too if you have them, though they conduct heat and require careful handling when pulling off the grill.
  4. Thread the chicken onto skewers, alternating with red onion and green bell pepper chunks every two pieces of chicken. Press each piece down gently so nothing wobbles—loose skewers spin on the grill and leave one side raw. Pack the vegetables close enough that they shield the exposed chicken from direct flame.
  5. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400°F) and oil the grates with a folded paper towel dipped in oil. This prevents sticking and creates that contact sear you want on the exterior. I always test the heat by holding my hand six inches above the grate—if I can hold it there for four seconds, the temperature is right.
  6. Lay the skewers directly on the grates and resist moving them for four minutes. This is where most home cooks fail—they flip every two minutes and never build that crust. The quick BBQ souvlaki magic happens when you leave them still and let the grill work.
  7. Flip each skewer once and cook for another four minutes until the chicken reads 165°F at the thickest point. Check the internal temperature by inserting a thermometer into the chicken without touching bone or the skewer itself. Tom always checks the vegetables too—they should be charred at the edges but still firm enough to pull off the skewer without crumbling.
  8. Pull the skewers to a cooler part of the grill and rest them for three minutes so the juices redistribute back into the muscle. This is the difference between chicken that feels like rubber and chicken that stays juicy when you bite into it.