A simple Greek-inspired marinade, followed by a quick sear on the grill (or in a saute pan) and you've transformed a boring chicken dinner into drool-worthy Mediterranean chicken kebabs! 45 minutes from start to finish (30 minutes of which is marinating!) and your healthy lunches are prepped for the entire week!
You'll Love This
- It's quick and easy! Some marinades require tedious prep and hours in the fridge. This recipe has a super quick marinade that can be thrown together in just a couple minutes. Then pop it all in the fridge for 30 minutes and you've got a flavorful, Mediterranean inspired chicken dinner.
- It's not your usual, boring seared chicken breast. This recipe gives your usual chicken, veggie, and starch dinner combination a tasty makeover utilizing fresh flavors and dried herbs.
- There are no special cooking techniques or kitchen gadgets required. You don't need any special tools or years of experience in the kitchen to throw this recipe together. If you can slice a lemon in half and squeeze it, you can make this Greek chicken!
Instructions
Combine olive oil, lemon, juice, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Give the tenders a quick marinade in the fridge.
Thread the chicken tenders onto 6 inch wooden skewers.
Continue with remaining kebabs.
Heat oil in a large saute pan and cook the skewers in batches until they are golden brown on the outside and the chicken is cooked through on the inside. Serve Mediterranean chicken kebabs with my homemade yogurt sauce and enjoy!
Tips
- Don't marinate the chicken for longer than 30 minutes. The lemon juice in the marinade will actually begin to cook the chicken if you marinate it for too long which will lead to an undesirable texture. 30 minutes is the sweet spot for the marinade to penetrate the chicken, but not actually start cooking it.
- Don't stress if you don't have 6-inch wooden skewers! You can use shorter ones, longer ones, or no skewers at all. The chicken will still taste great even without the skewer - I just love the skewers for the presentation and ease of eating.
- Use your oven to hold the warm chicken while you cook the second batch. Heat your oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper. Once you've finished cooking your first batch of chicken, transfer it to the baking sheet and pop it in the oven while you finish cooking the second batch. The low oven temp will keep the chicken warm without drying it out.
Family Dinner Favorites
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Copycat Noodles & Co. Penne Rosa
- Easy Mediterranean Lasagna
- Vegan Curry Ramen Noodles
- Vegan Lentil Tortilla Soup
Greek Chicken Kebabs
A simple Greek-inspired marinade, followed by a quick sear on the grill (or in a saute pan) and you've transformed a boring chicken dinner into drool-worthy Mediterranean chicken kebabs! 45 minutes from start to finish (30 minutes of which is marinating!) and your healthy lunches are prepped for the entire week!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mediterranean/Greek
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken sliced into tenders
- ¼ cup + 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- zest + juice from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 6 inch wooden skewers
For serving:
- creamy yogurt sauce
- quinoa
- sauteed broccoli
- fresh chopped dill or parsley
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine ¼ cup olive oil, lemon zest and juice, oregano, garlic and a large pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add chicken tenders to the bowl and nestle them into the marinade so they are almost completely covered. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
- Thread marinated chicken onto the wooden skewers.
- Saute chicken in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your pan.
- Saute each side for 3-5 minutes or under a dark golden brown crust has formed and the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with yogurt sauce, quinoa, broccoli, fresh dill or parsley and lemon wedges.
Notes
Don't marinate the chicken for longer than 30 minutes. The lemon juice in the marinade will actually begin to cook the chicken if you marinate it for too long which will lead to an undesirable texture. 30 minutes is the sweet spot for the marinade to penetrate the chicken, but not actually start cooking it.
Don't stress if you don't have 6 inch wooden skewers! You can use shorter ones, longer ones or no skewers at all. The chicken will still taste great even without the skewer - I just love the skewers for the presentation and ease of eating.
Use your oven to hold the warm chicken while you cook the second batch. Heat your oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper. One you've finished cooking your first batch of chicken, transfer it to the baking sheet and pop it in the oven while you finish cooking the second batch. The low oven temp will keep the chicken warm without drying it out.
Keywords: chicken kebab marinade recipe, Greek chicken kebabs, chicken skewers, Mediterranean skewers
Denise
Restaurant quality! Would serve this for company! And I made the yogurt sauce (with sour cream) and THAT was delish! I had never zested lemons because I was always too lazy but it’s so worth the effort! Will def be keeping in rotation even after my Mediterranean diet.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
Could not agree more - lemon zest is totally worth the extra effort! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Denise. Thanks so much for leaving a review - I really appreciate it 🙂
Nick @ GreekBoston.com
Chicken kebabs (souvlaki) is a traditional dish in Greece. In fact, you could take the ingredients and use any kind of meat you have on hand instead of chicken, such as pork or lamb.
Midwest Foodie
I bet this recipe would be delish with pork or lamb. Great idea Nick!
Luke
An amazing dish with amazing flavors!!
★★★★★
Midwest Foodie
A quick, easy and healthy meal prep recipe to get your week started off on the right foot!
★★★★★