Have you ever marinated chicken for an hour and still ended up with something dry on the grill? Chicken Souvlaki Pita Bowls fix that without any extra effort. Thread it onto skewers, grill it, and build bowls with hummus on the bottom, pita, feta, whatever vegetables are in the fridge, and a spoonful of tzatziki if you want it.
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What makes this different
This marinade isn't just oil and lemon juice. It's Greek yogurt added to the usual mix, and that's what keeps the chicken tender right off the grill: yogurt's fat coats the meat and its acidity works faster than citrus alone, so you get real flavor in as little as 30 minutes.
This comes together in about an hour, including a short marinade. Give the chicken at least 30 minutes in the yogurt mixture, but don't go past 4 hours or the citrus starts to break down the texture.
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Ingredients
You can get everything you need for chicken souvlaki in one trip to the grocery store.
Ingredient Notes:
- Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts, but thighs work too if that's what you prefer.
- Greek yogurt: Full-fat gives you the richest flavor and the best marinade texture, but 2% works fine if that's what's in your fridge.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice matters here. Bottled juice has preservatives that change the taste, and this marinade only has a handful of ingredients carrying the flavor.
- Oregano and parsley: I use dried in this marinade, but fresh herbs work if you have them on hand.
- Pita, hummus, and feta: These are what turn grilled chicken into a full bowl. Spread the hummus across the bottom of the bowl first so every bite has some, then layer everything else on top. Swap in warm rice or grilled flatbread if you don't have pita. Pickled red onions are a good stand-in for raw onion if you want something with more bite, and they only take 30 minutes to make.
- Tzatziki (optional): A cucumber and yogurt sauce spooned over the top gives the bowls a cooler, tangier finish alongside the hummus.
- Skewers are optional. Thin sliced chicken breasts work in the same marinade if you'd rather skip cubing and threading altogether. Marinate them the same way, then grill or bake until they reach 165°F, and slice before serving.
Instructions
A quick spin in this yogurt-based marinade gives you the juiciest chicken.
- Step 1: Add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, oil, vinegar and spices to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Step 2: Add chopped chicken to bowl and stir to fully immerse the chicken in the marinade. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours
- Step 3: Thread marinated chicken on skewers, or leave whole if using boneless breasts. Discard the excess marinade.
- Step 4: Cook in grill pan or on grill for 6 minutes and flip over and grill for additional 6 minutes. Cook until chicken is cooked to 165°F, remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
My best Tips
- Freeze the chicken for 30 minutes before cutting. Slightly firm chicken is much easier to cut into even cubes than fully thawed chicken.
- Cut the chicken into uniform pieces. Skewers with mismatched chunk sizes cook unevenly, so some pieces dry out before the others finish.
- Don't marinate past 4 hours. The acid in the lemon juice keeps breaking down the chicken's proteins the longer it sits. Past 4 hours, the texture turns mushy instead of tender.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes before threading the chicken. Dry wood scorches and can burn over direct heat.
- Make these Crispy Pita Chips to have extra for dipping into the leftover hummus.
FAQs
Marinades that have a lot of citrus in them shouldn't sit for more than 4 hours. After that, the acid in the juice breaks down the proteins in the meat too much and you are left with a mushy texture instead of a tender one.
Souvlaki meat is marinated and cooked on skewers while Gyro meat has been thinly sliced off a rotisserie. Traditional Souvlaki can be made with chicken, pork, beef, or lamb that has been marinated and threaded on skewers before cooking, while Gyros are generally lamb.
No, the yogurt marinade gives you a nice crust on the chicken when you grill it, whether it is in a grill pan or on the outside grill. Discard the excess marinade in the bowl after you remove the chicken.
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Recipe
Chicken Souvlaki
Ingredients
Chicken Souvlaki
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1½ inch cubes
Pita Bowls
- pita bread
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ½ cup hummus
- ½ cup cucumber, chopped
- ½ cup kalamata olives, cut in half
- ½ red onion, sliced
- ½ cup tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup Tzatziki Sauce optional
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Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, spices and olive oil until fully combined.3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Cut chicken breasts into 1½ inch cubes and immerse in marinade. Let sit for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Thread marinated chicken on skewers and discard excess marinade.
- Heat grill pan over medium high heat. Cook chicken for 6 minutes and flip over and grill for additional 6 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.pita bread, ½ cup feta cheese, ½ cup hummus, ½ cup cucumber, , ½ cup kalamata olives, , ½ red onion, , ½ cup tomatoes,
- Spread the hummus across the bottom of each bowl. Layer with pita bread, chicken, feta, cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion and tomatoes. Spoon tzatziki over the top if using.
Notes
- Freeze the chicken for 30 minutes before cutting. It's easier to cut into even cubes when it's slightly firm.
- Cut the chicken into uniform pieces so the skewers cook evenly.
- Don't marinate longer than 4 hours. The citrus keeps breaking down the texture past that point.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes before threading them to keep them from burning on the grill.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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