Entrees Greek

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki

One of our featured dishes on Dinner by the Minute that is mouthwatering, quick and simple to make. For those who love greek food, this is definitely a dish to experience. Greek-inspired chicken, cool tzatziki and a pita trying its best to hold everything.

What It Is

Origin

The Dinner by the Minute source lists the origin as: Greece (Athens).

Fun Fact

Archaeologists excavating Akrotiri on Santorini found stone supports for meat skewers dating back roughly 3,700 years, which means souvlaki has been a going concern since long before anyone thought to put it in a wrap.

Prep

25 min

Cook

20 min

Temp

Grill, medium heat

Total

45 min

Servings

4 pitas

(a generous estimate, much like most cookbook authors)

Difficulty

moderate

Diet

Nut-Free, Low-Carb, High-Protein

Away Mission

140 min walk

(or beam directly past it, if the transporter's working today)

#chicken-souvlaki-with-tzatziki #entr-es-mains #greek-mediterranean

Ingredients

3 boneless chicken breasts
½ tbsp Greek seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 pita, warmed
¼ cup chopped lettuce
2 tbsp prepared tzatziki
3 grilled chicken breasts
2 tbsp chopped tomato
½ tbsp chopped red onion
A few sprigs dill
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp chopped cucumber
½ tbsp chopped red onion
½ tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp water, or more to thin the sauce

Steps

Place boneless chicken in an airtight container and add chicken, greek seasoning, olive oil and lemon juice. Let the chicken marinate for at least 1 hour. You can marinate up to 24 hours for a bolder taste.
After marination, remove them from the container and add the marinated chicken to a medium-hot grill. 1 pita, warmed 1/4 cup chopped lettuce 2 tbsp prepared tzatziki 3 grilled chicken breasts 2 tbsp chopped tomato ½ tbsp. chopped red onion a few sprigs of dill
Cook until the center is no longer pink and the exterior is golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside. Tzatziki Sauce
In a small bowl add greek yogurt, chopped cucumber, red onion, fresh dill, and the juice from half lemon. Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt. If the sauce is too thick, add ½ tablespoon of water at a time until desired thinness is reached. Making the Sandwich
Warm pita bread for 15 seconds in a microwave or 5 minutes in oven at 220ºF. Add chopped lettuce, tzatziki sauce, chicken, tomato, red onion and dill. Gently lift the sides of the pita up to create a taco-like shape to your chicken gyro.
You can nuse parchment paper or tinfoil to wrap yours or leave it open for some messy fun.

Notes

Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes if you have the time; a couple of hours is even better. This isn't a dish that punishes patience.

Nutrition Facts

Per 1 pita

Calories 620

Burning this off: roughly one intense session of Zamboni driving.

% Daily Value*

Fat 22.0 g 29%

Saturated + Trans 5 g 25%

Cholesterol 220 mg

Sodium 3270 mg 142%**

Carbohydrate 15.0 g

Fibre 2.0 g 7%

Sugars 4.5 g 5%

Protein 84.0 g

Potassium 940 mg 20%

Calcium 170 mg 13%

Iron 4.1 mg 23%

*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot. Sodium levels calculated in a country with universal healthcare — and it's free, so don't worry about it too much.

**This dish means well. Some numbers above are having a bit of a moment. Delicious? Absolutely. A daily habit? Let's not. Eat it, enjoy it, then maybe take the stairs.

Substitutions

Pork tenderloin makes a legitimate stand-in for chicken here, cut the same way. No Greek seasoning blend on hand? Oregano, garlic powder and lemon zest gets you most of the way there. Naan works if pita's out.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked chicken and tzatziki separately for up to 3 days. The tzatziki actually improves overnight as the flavours settle.

Freezing

Not stated in the cookbook. Most cooked bases can be frozen in airtight meal-sized portions, but dairy sauces, potatoes and fresh garnishes may change texture after thawing.