Juicy and tender chicken skewers marinated in delicious Greek flavours. 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.
An easy and healthy weeknight dinner, but also perfect for a weekend BBQ. Serve them 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.
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Why you will love it
- A delicious introduction to Greek flavours
- Easy to adapt
- Can be made in advance
- Perfect for a BBQ
- Great for feeding a crowd
Ingredients needed
- 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.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
Two: Put the chicken and vegetables in to a bowl and pour over the marinade. Mix well and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for 2 hours.
Three: Thread on the wooden skewers (that have been soaked first). Put the skewers on a baking tray and then in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°/Gas 6 for 25 minutes. Then put under the grill (broiler) for 3-4 minutes each side to crisp up.
Four: 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.
What chicken to use
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs chopped in to 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 on the Greek chicken skewers instead.
If you don't fancy making skewers, you could add chicken legs and vegetables to a baking tray and add the marinade.
What vegetables to add
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.
How to adapt them
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.
What to serve them with
These skewers are the perfect addition to a Greek 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).
FAQs
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
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Recipe
Greek Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Lemon (juice only)
- 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 4 Cloves of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
Skewers:
- 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs cut in to large chunks
- 2 Bell peppers, cut into chunks
- 1 courgette cut into chunks
Instructions
- Put the chicken and vegetables in to a bowl.
- Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Mix well.
- Thread on the wooden skewers (that have been soaked first).
- Put the skewers on a baking tray and then in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 25 minutes. Then put under the grill for 3-4 minutes each side to crisp up.
- Serve with flatbreads and dips.
Notes
- 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.
Allyssa
Glad to find this recipe! Fam loves skewers! will surely try! thanks a bunch for sharing this!
Danielle Wolter
Love how simple these were to make - and they came out delicious! Perfect for summer grilling!
Jo
Family approved! The chicken was perfectly seasoned, Definitely making these again!
Jeannette
LOVE the zesty kick from the marinade! So juicy and perfect with the veges!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
We love chicken marinated in lemon and oil like this and your marinade sounds so good. Can't wait to try your spin on it!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Loving the Greek flavours on these skewers. The chicken looks so juicy. I can't wait for grilling season to fire up here. Easy, delicious dinners....gotta love it!!
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes
I love the sound of this simple marinade! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to close my eyes and transport myself to Greece.
Tara
Hopefully I can visit Greece someday. Your photos are gorgeous! These skewers sound so good. Love that marinade and the addition of the veggies.
Sarah
These look and sound so good and are making me excited to get my grill back up and running! Those pictures from Greece are stunning...must've been an amazing trip!
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours
A delicious meal, with lovely combination of ingredients. A good olive oil makes all the difference with flavour.
Nayna Kanabar
We love paneer skewers and make them in the grill in the winter , nothing like bringing the feel of a barbecue in doors in the winter. Your recipe looks great.
Katie
I would love to visit greece one day. Those chicken skewers look, and sound, divine. I will have to make these, I know my kids would love them. Anything on a stick is cool to eat apparently lol
Lisa (mumdadplus4)
These look really tasty, we are olive oil people we have all sorts of flavours as well as good quality normal olive oil
Anna @AnnaTheApple
Love these. I'm such a big fan of olives, hummus and chicken. I don't tend to put much olive oil on my salads but when I do it always tastes that much better.
Stephanie Merry
This looks amazing! I'm a big fan of Greek food so I'll have to give this a try x
Choclette
Where would we be without olive oil? It's wonderful stuff and so is Greek food AND so is that sunset - wow!
Bec Oakes
This looks delicious! I love Greek food. Just need to go there and have the real thing
Bec x
Allison - Celebrating Sweets
My husband and I love Mykonos. I will have to make this recipe to recreate our travels. It looks delicious!
Sharee Hill
I have a recipe for Greek Pesto Chicken Skewers. I can't wait to try your sauce on and switch it up a bit! These look great, and your sauce sounds delicious!
Willow | Will Cook For Friends
Mmm, these sound so good with all that garlic and oregano! And I am a big believer in using LOTS of olive oil in my cooking. I don't know what is up with this trend I keep seeing (mostly on youtube) of people sauteing veggies in a bit of water because they don't want ANY FAT in their food. What the...? Don't they know fat is good for people?! Our brains literally NEED FAT to function, and healthy fats like olive oil are one of the best ways to help our bodies thrive. So happy to see so many bloggers promoting the benefits of healthy olive oil with the European olive oil initiative. Thanks for spreading the word, and of course, for this delicious recipe! I can't wait for that tzatziki sauce... I'll slather that stuff on anything!