Description
All the Athens street-cart vibes—charred, juicy chicken; herb-lemon aroma; cool, garlicky tzatziki—re-engineered for Mediterranean-Diet compliance without changing the look.
Ingredients
A) Citrus-Herb Souvlaki Marinade
- 6 garlic cloves (grated to a paste)
- Zest of 1 lemon + 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp dry white wine
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano (preferably Greek)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary (lightly crushed)
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or a rounded 1/8 tsp Morton)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion (finely grated (with juices))
- 2 bay leaves (crumpled)
B) Chicken
- 2 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (trimmed and cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces)
- 8 metal skewers (or wooden skewers soaked 30–45 minutes)
C) Light, No-Added-Sugar Tzatziki
- 1 1/2 cups 360 g 0% Greek yogurt
- 1 cup finely grated seedless cucumber (excess water squeezed)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove (grated)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill and/or mint
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt (optional, black pepper to taste)
D) Pita & Classic Fixings
- 8 small 100% whole-wheat pocket pitas (about 60 g each; aim for ≥6 g fiber, no added sugar)
- 2 medium tomatoes (sliced)
- 1/2 English cucumber (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 small red onion (very thinly sliced (briefly rinsed in cold water))
- 8 Kalamata olives (pitted, halved, and rinsed)
- Fresh parsley or dill sprigs
Instructions
- Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk all marinade ingredients except the bay leaves. Taste a tiny drop; it should be bright and savory.
- Marinate the chicken: Reserve 2 Tbsp marinade in a clean cup for basting. Toss chicken with the remaining marinade and the crumpled bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes–12 hours.
- Make tzatziki: Stir yogurt, squeezed cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dill/mint, and the optional pinch of salt with pepper. Chill 15 minutes.
- Preheat: Oil grill or ridged grill pan and heat to medium-high (about 450–500°F). For a grill pan, heat until a few wisps of smoke appear.
- Skewer: Remove and discard bay leaves. Thread chicken onto 8 skewers with slight gaps; discard used marinade.
- Grill: Cook 8–10 minutes total, turning every 2–3 minutes. Brush once with the reserved clean marinade during the final minutes. Cook to 165°F in the center; rest 3 minutes.
- Warm pitas: Heat 15–30 seconds per side until pliable and lightly charred.
- Assemble: Spread tzatziki in each pita, add chicken, tomato, cucumber, a few onion slivers, and 2 olive halves. Finish with herbs and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Serving & Storage:
- Serve hot with extra lemon wedges.
- Refrigerate leftover chicken and tzatziki separately for up to 3 days; rewarm chicken briefly and re-stir tzatziki before serving.
Nutrition Facts (per serving: 1 stuffed pita, 1/8 recipe): Calories: 430 kcal | Total Fat: 9.8 g (Saturated Fat: 2.0 g) | Total Carbs: 40.0 g (Dietary Fiber: 7.0 g, Total Sugars: 4.7 g, Added Sugars: 0.0 g) | Protein: 44.3 g | Sodium: 357 mg | Cholesterol: 92 mg
These values are approximate and may vary based on ingredients and preparation. Nutrition calculated using: 106 g cooked skinless chicken breast per serving; total olive oil retained 2.4 Tbsp across the batch (1.4 Tbsp from marinade retention + 1 Tbsp in tzatziki); one 60 g whole-wheat pita with 6 g fiber and no added sugar; two rinsed Kalamata olive halves per serving; standard amounts of vegetables and aromatics. If the optional 1/8 tsp salt is included in the tzatziki, sodium increases by 37 mg per serving.
Nutrition
- Calories: 430