Street-Style Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Bright Tzatziki

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword 30-minute Mediterranean chicken dinner, Greek lemon oregano chicken skewers, Mediterranean chicken souvlaki with tzatziki

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 11

Marinating Time 30

Total Time 1 16

Servings 8

Calories 430kcal

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

Herb-Lemon Activation : Whisk together all marinade ingredients except the bay leaves. Taste a tiny drop; it should be bright and savory, not salty.
Chicken Coat & Chill : Reserve 2 Tbsp marinade in a small cup for basting (food-safe). Toss chicken with the remaining marinade and the crumpled bay leaves. Cover and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature (quick option) or 2–12 hours refrigerated.
Tzatziki Set : Stir yogurt, grated/squeezed cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dill/mint, and the optional pinch of salt with pepper. Chill 15 minutes to meld.
Skewer Line-Up : Thread chicken onto 8 skewers with slight gaps for even heat flow. Discard used marinade.
Sear & Sizzle : Preheat a well-oiled grill or ridged grill pan to medium-high (about 450–500°F). Grill skewers 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 off heat.
Pita Warm-Up : Warm pitas directly on the grill or pan 15–30 seconds per side until pliable and lightly charred.
Wrap Assembly : Spread tzatziki inside each pita. Slide chicken off the skewers and into the pita. Add tomato, cucumber, a few onion slivers, and 2 olive halves. Finish with parsley or dill. Serve immediately.

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 of recipe)

Calories: 430 kcal
Total Fat: 9.8 g
Saturated Fat: 2.0 g
Carbohydrates: 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

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.