Last time around, we covered some excellent sun dried tomato scones that call for ingredients that are readily available year round. This time, we're covering the same concept with an excellent Greek chicken recipe. Packed with the flavors offered by lemons, garlic, herbs, wine, and more, this chicken gets its excellent flavor from a long soak in a flavor-packed marinade.
If you don't want to use wine, you can skip that in the marinade, but otherwise I suggest sticking to the recipe for the full impact of this excellent mix of flavors. You can, of course, use fresh oregano and rosemary, but this recipe is written to be accessible year round and, as such, fresh herbs are not required. You can also use chicken thighs instead of breasts. They will take a little longer to cook than the breasts but will also tolerate high heat cooking much more than the breasts.
I like serving this recipe with toasted pita and Greek salad. You can add more options or even just top the salad with the cooked chicken for a main course salad. Choose what brings you joy and enjoy!
Greek Chicken Souvlaki
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon each: Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon + several thin slices of peel (use vegetable peeler)
- 1 ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons cooking fat of your choice - I used Greek olive oil
In the bowl of a food processor, add the garlic, oregano, rosemary, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, olive oil, white wine, and lemon juice & strips of peel. Pulse until well combined.
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and top with the marinade. Toss to combine, making sure chicken is well-coated with the marinade. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat the cooking fat of your choice over medium-high heat. When the fat is hot, add the chicken by removing it from the marinade with tongs. Discard the marinade.
Cook the chicken for 3 minutes without moving it in the pan. Then, using the tongs, flip all of the chicken pieces and allow them to cook an additional 3 minutes. Then increase the heat to high and stir fry them lightly to finish cooking it fully. You can also grill the chicken if you prefer. Serve hot with toasted pita bread and Greek salad.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus marinating time