Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Alex Herman
https://www.brianlagerstrom.com/recipes/chicken-souvlaki
I wanted to make a recipe with a fast and delicious way to make pita bread, so I made a recipe with a fast and delicious way to make pita bread. Combine that with delicious marinated chicken thighs and some fresh toppings and you have yourself a mighty fine meal. Try out this Greek Souvklaki recipe
2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
125g (1/2c) olive oil
15g (1T) salt
30g (5-6 cloves) minced garlic
5g (3 tsp) dried oregano
5g (1 3/4t) black pepper
100g (1/3c) Dijon mustard (preferably Maille or Grey Poupon)
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon (approx. 30g or 2T)
Skewers (for grilling)
Pita
350g (3c) all-purpose flour
7g (2t) instant yeast
5g (1t) salt
8g (2t) sugar
15g (1T) olive oil
210g (3/4 cup) flavorful yeasty beer, warmed to 86-90°F (30C)
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
160g (1 large) english cucumber, grated
200g (3/4c) plain Greek yogurt
75g (1/3c) mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
5g (1t) salt
5g (2T) chopped fresh dill
15-20g lemon juice (approx ½ Lemon)
120g (2 medium) tomatoes, diced
60g (½) red onion, finely diced
20g (1/3 cup) chopped parsley
Prepare Ingredients and Marinate Chicken
1. If using wood skewers, soak for a few hours before grilling.
2. Cut the chicken thighs into roughly 1-inch pieces.
3. To the chicken, add olive oil, salt, garlic, oregano, black pepper, Dijon, lemon zest and juice. Mix well & refrigerate to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
Make Pita Dough
4. Make the Pita Dough while chicken marinates. In a food processor, combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil. Pulse 5 times to mix. With the processor running, slowly add the warmed beer until the dough forms. It will be shaggy.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes, until it becomes slightly elastic.
6. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces (about 150g each). Shape each into a ball, cover with a damp paper towel, and let rest at room temp for 15 minutes.
Prepare Tzatziki Sauce
7. To prepare the Tzatziki Sauce, grate the cucumber and squeeze out excess water. In a mixing bowl, combine the grated cucumber, yogurt, mayo, garlic, salt, dill, and lemon juice. Stir until well mixed.
Cook and Assemble
8. Roll Out the Pita Dough: Lightly flour a surface and roll out each ball of dough to about 8”/20cm in diameter.
9 Grill the Pita and Chicken: Preheat the grill to 550°F/285C. Skewer the marinated chicken and grill alongside the pita bread. Grill pitas for about 2 minutes per side. Grill chicken skewers for about 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally until well charred on all sides.
10. Assemble the Souvlaki Wrap: Remove chicken from skewers and chop into smaller pieces. Place chicken in a pita, top with tzatziki sauce, tomato-onion relish, and pepperoncini.