Super Juicy Chicken Souvlaki with Greek Salad

Tired of eating overcooked, dried out chicken? I guarantee with this recipe, you’ll have tender, juicy, flavorful chicken every time. The trick, picked up from Indian cuisine, is using yogurt in the marinade. Yogurt has a lot of calcium that activates enzymes within meat helping to break down the protein. Be careful, marinate too long in yogurt and your meat can get mushy.

I, like most Americans, love Greek food. It’s simple, healthy, flavorful and never too expensive. Opa!!! This is my spin on Souvlaki. It’s super easy to make and great for a quick weeknight meal. I used chicken but pork, beef or shrimp work too. The recipe is adapted from one I discovered in The Carefree Cook.

Great Greek Salad

• 2 T red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 small garlic clove crushed in a garlic press

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

• ¼ - ½ tsp kosher salt

• 1/8 tsp fresh black pepper

• ½ - 1 red pepper cut into ½ inch dice (like less red pepper so I use a half)

• 2 small cucumbers, halved seeds removed cut into ½ inch dice or 1 large English cucumber (removing seeds not necessary) cut into ½ dice

• 2 large ripe tomatoes seeded cut into ½ inch dice

• 2 scallions coarsely chopped

• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese - full or reduced fat works

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives

• Combine oregano, vinegar, garlic, Dijon, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil.

• Combine red pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, feta and olives in medium bowl. Add the dressing and if needed add more salt and pepper.

Chicken Souvlaki

• 2 lbs. chicken breast preferably organic or antibiotic free

• ½ cup chopped onion

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup 2% or full fat yogurt ( I used thick Fage Greek yogurt)

• 2 garlic cloves chopped

• 1 T dried oregano

• ½ tsp sugar

• ¼ tsp cumin

• ¼ tsp coriander

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• metal or wooden skewers (if wooden soak skewers in water for 30 minutes)

• Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes.

• Puree the onion with the yogurt, lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper in food processor or blender. Pour marinade into large plastic Ziploc bag and add all of the chicken. Let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours up to 6 hours. More than 6 hours and your chicken could get mushy.

• You can grill or broil the chicken. I chose to broil it.

• Broiling instructions: Preheat your oven broiler. Skewer meat onto wooden sticks put them on greased broiling pan. Place chicken in oven and broil 5 minutes. Rotate the skewers and broil for another 5 minutes. Check for doneness.

• Grilling instructions: Preheat your grill. Skewer meat onto wooden sticks. Oil your grill grates and grill chicken skewers for 5 to 6 minutes. Rotate the chicken and grill another 5 to 6 minutes. Check for doneness.

Servings: 4-6

Time: 40 mins + marinating time

HEARTFUL RECIPE – Sort of. Contains dairy. If you're allergic to dairy, skip this dish. If your can tolerate a littel dairy, this dish is worth it. – One of our real food recipes that focuses on veggies, protein, healthy fats and/or healthy carbs and doesn't include gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar, corn or peanuts.