Juicy and tender chunks of chicken marinated in delicious Greek flavours, these Greek Chicken Skewers are a BBQ favourite. Chunks of chicken thighs and vegetables, bursting with lemon, garlic and oregano. Baked and then grilled to get them nice and crispy. Serve with all the traditional Greek sides for a meal that is great for feeding a crowd.
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An easy and healthy weeknight dinner, but also perfect for a weekend BBQ that everyone will love. Serve these Greek chicken kebabs up with some flatbreads, dips and salads for a light and fresh meal that will transport you to the Greek islands.
Easy to adapt with different meat and vegetables and they can be made in advance too.
If you are looking for more chicken on a stick recipes, why not try our Marinated Chicken Skewers or Paprika Chicken Skewers?
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Why You Will Love Them
- Full of Greek flavours - If you love Greek flavours like lemon and oregano, then you are going to love this Greek chicken kebab recipe.
- Easy to adapt - You can adapt it with different marinade ingredients, as well as adding extra vegetables.
- Can be made in advance - These actually taste better when they have had a change to marinate.
- Perfect for a BBQ - These are easy to make in a big batch and all the meat eaters will love them.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken - We used thighs as there is more flavour than breast. However breast will still work fine, but may be a bit dryer.
- Vegetables - We used two different coloured bell peppers and a courgette (zucchini). Chunks of red onion or mushrooms would be great too.
- Herbs - We used dried oregano, thyme and basil as they are all traditionally used in Greek cuisine.
- Marinade - A simple mix of olive oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar mixed with some garlic and the above herbs.
Variations
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs chopped into large chunks are the best choice when it comes to these skewers, as they are really tender and juicy. However, you could use chunks of chicken breast instead.
If you don't fancy making skewers, you could add chicken legs and vegetables to a baking tray and add the marinade.
You could just keep these as Greek chicken skewers and then serve vegetables on the side, but we love some charred chunks of vegetables on the skewers.
We used bell peppers and courgette, however you could add cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. Try to make sure that you use softer quick cooking veg, so everything cooks at the same time.
Chicken and veg not enough for you? Why not try adding some halloumi cheese? The squeaky cheese is amazing when cooked, as it softens, but still holds its shape. It also goes perfectly with the Greek flavours.
You don't have to use chicken. You can swap it for pork or beef, or even king prawns.
How to Make Greek Chicken Skewers - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6. Soak the wooden skewers in water.
- Step 1: Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
- Step 2: Put the chicken and vegetables into a bowl and pour over the marinade. Mix well and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for 2 hours.
- Step 3: Thread on the wooden skewers (that have been soaked first). Put the skewers on a baking tray and then into the oven for 25 minutes. Then put under the grill (broiler) for 3-4 minutes each side to crisp up.
- Step 4: Serve with flatbreads and dips.
Marinade
These skewers are all about the incredible Greek flavours. A generous amount of olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic and oregano, thyme and basil bring these little chicken chunks to life.
You could add a little paprika for some smokiness, and some red chilli flakes if you want to add some spice. However, these aren't traditional Greek flavours.
To make really tender chicken, you can add some greek yogurt to the marinade.
What to Serve with Greek Chicken Kebabs
These skewers are the perfect addition to a Greek platter like on our Greek Meze Platter.
We served ours with some Homemade Tzatziki, olives, tomato slices, Easy Homemade Flatbreads, plenty of feta and some sun-dried tomato rice (you could swap the rice for orzo to keep it more traditional).
Extra Tips
- Cut the chicken and vegetables evenly, so that they all cook at the same rate.
- If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them for at least 30 minutes first, otherwise they will burn.
- Don't skip the marinating step, as it really does intensify the flavour. Aim for 2 hours, but at least 30 minutes. Don't go for overnight, as you won't get the best texture chicken.
- For an extra intense lemon flavour, add lemon zest to the marinade.
- If you fancy a change from chicken, try making these with pork, beef or halloumi.
- You can swap the chicken thighs for chicken breast, but they won't be as juicy.
- If you are going to use different vegetables, make sure they are quick cooking, softer vegetables.
- Add a sprinkling of fresh chopped dill before serving for some extra flavour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and you should do because they need 2 hours to marinade before they are threaded on to skewers. You could even marinade them for 4-5 hours and then thread them and leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours before putting in the oven.
Yes, you definitely can and they are the ideal food for the BBQ. We have baked ours in the oven and then put them under the grill to crisp them up, but there is no reason why you can't just grill them.
Make sure you use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is cooked all the way through. It will take about 10-15 minutes to cook on the grill, turning a couple of times.
More Greek Recipes
If you've tried these Greek chicken skewers, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Greek Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Lemon - (juice only)
- 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 4 Garlic clove - minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried basil
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
Skewers:
- 6 Chicken thighs - boneless and skinless; cut into large chunks
- 2 Bell peppers - cut into chunks
- 1 Courgette (zucchini) - cut into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6. Soak the wooden skewers in water.
- Put 6 Chicken thighs, 2 Bell peppers and 1 Courgette (zucchini) into a bowl.
- Mix together 3 tablespoon Olive oil, juice of 1 Lemon, 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar, 4 Garlic clove, 1 teaspoon Dried thyme, 1 teaspoon Dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Dried basiland 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Pour over the chicken and vegetables and mix well. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for 2 hours.
- Thread onto the wooden skewers.
- Put the skewers on a baking tray and then into the oven for 25 minutes. Then put under the grill for 3-4 minutes each side to crisp up.
- Serve with flatbreads and dips.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the chicken and vegetables evenly, so that they all cook at the same rate.
- If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them for at least 30 minutes first, otherwise they will burn.
- Don't skip the marinating step, as it really does intensify the flavour. Aim for 2 hours, but at least 30 minutes. Don't go for overnight, as you won't get the best texture chicken.
- For an extra intense lemon flavour, add lemon zest to the marinade.
- If you fancy a change from chicken, try making these with pork, beef or halloumi.
- You can swap the chicken thighs for chicken breast, but they won't be as juicy.
- If you are going to use different vegetables, make sure they are quick cooking, softer vegetables.
- Add a sprinkling of fresh chopped dill before serving for some extra flavour.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Sue Ecob says
You say not to skip the marinating step but you don't even mention it in the recipe or the timings.
Dannii Martin says
In the main body of the post it says "Two: Put the chicken and vegetables into a bowl and pour over the marinade. Mix well and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for 2 hours."
I will edit the recipe card to say the same too
Sally Russell says
If I make this with halloumi how long do you recommend cooking for?
Dannii Martin says
We have a recipe for halloumi kebabs you can follow
Shalini says
This looks absolutely delicious and easy to make too! I will definitely check out the Tzatziki sauce too.
Karlie says
Love the trio of thyme, basil and oregano in this marinade. This would also be delicious with mushrooms!
Julie says
I love this marinade and will definitely be making these fabulous looking Greek chicken skewers.