Chicken Souvlaki

Botch · July 2014

Chicken Souvlaki today. This recipe was in the new Cook's Illustrated, and not something I've ever made before (in fact, I've never even made any kind of shish kebab before, had to buy some skewers).

Chicken cubes are brined, then tossed in a mixture of olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, oregano, and minced mint and parsley. They're skrunched against each other on the skewer, with veggie skrunched against both ends, to keep the chicken from drying out (worked well):

The cooked kebabs are then tossed in a little more of the marinade, spread on pita, and topped with the peppers/onions and a homemade zatziki sauce; the CI recipe used a LOT of mint, which I haven't before and it was delicious! Chopped Greek salad and olives finish off.

Very messy to make, messy to eat, and my chicken cross-contamination skills need work. I also need to remember those #%$^@! skewers are HOT when they come off the grill. I'll also do them raised direct next time, will be easier to turn the skewers. But these things were delicious, definitely a keeper.

CPARKTX · July 2014

Nice cook. Not familiar with that dish, I love trying new stuff.

cook861 · July 2014

I some times marinate whole boneless chicken breast and cook them whole too same as you but i dont burn my fingers on the skewers use the same marinate to :}

Desertegghead · July 2014

I am going to do this with while boneless thighs and then cut after they are cooked. Delish

Dobie · July 2014

I don't use skewers anymore. I put everything in a wire basket and I don't have the hassle of skewering, unskewering and stuff falling off into the fire. Might not look as fancy to guests but it's usually for me and the mrs served over rice with some soy sauce. Yours looks like some Mediterranean goodness.

SmokeyPitt · July 2014

That looks incredible. I would so burn myself on those too. My favorite thing to do is take off something hot with gloves on, take off the gloves, then turn around and grab the hot thing I just took off. I am pretty sure I only have a couple of nerve endings left and then I won't need gloves.

CarolinaCrazy · July 2014

SmokeyPitt said:

That looks incredible. I would so burn myself on those too. My favorite thing to do is take off something hot with gloves on, take off the gloves, then turn around and grab the hot thing I just took off. I am pretty sure I only have a couple of nerve endings left and then I won't need gloves.

All the time!

Skiddymarker · July 2014

Great looking souvlaki, the mint is a nice variation - SWMBO is drooling on the keyboard as I show her this, it is her all time favourite.

Our usual is to serve the chicken off the skewer on top of a bed of rice or pilaff, the toasted garlic butter brushed pitas are served cut in wedges on the side with tzatziki as dip for the pita/veggies/chicken as desired.