These Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce are loaded with fresh flavors! Chicken breasts are marinated in lemon juice, garlic and spices then grilled to perfection. Dip them in the creamy tzatziki sauce for a healthy, delicious and easy dinner!
Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers Recipe Video
Lately when I’m not eating frozen treats you’ll find me eating anything grilled. I apologize if you’re tired of seeing recipes with the same two “cooking” methods, but it makes summer eating so much easier and more fun too.
Two reasons I’m grilling everything lately. It doesn’t heat up my house and there’s nothing better than grilled meat on a stick! I’m a total sucker for chicken skewers or kebabs. What do you call them?
I always called them kebabs but now I’m kind of digging the skewer name. Anyways, these Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce were top notch and couldn’t be easier to make!
Greek and Mediterranean flavors are some of my favorites. I love the bright lemony flavor, the oregano, the garlic. The flavors aren’t overpowering and the food itself never leaves me feeling stuffed and like I need to go lay down and take a nap after I eat.
Greek salads, like this Greek Salmon Salad with Tahini Yogurt Dressing are at the top of my list of favorites. Second to that is chicken souvlaki, which is essentially what these Greek lemon chicken skewers are.
Chunks of chicken breast are marinated in lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, parsley, and a little bit of olive oil. Pretty simple, but boy does it transform the flavor of the chicken! I marinated my chicken for about an hour, but you could let it go a little longer for extra flavor.
I wouldn’t recommend marinating them for more than a few hours because it changes the texture of the chicken. Since the chicken is cut into small pieces it grills up in no time meaning you get to eat it sooner!
Enough about the chicken, let’s talk about the sauce that I could probably eat a whole bowl of. Tzatziki sauce. Have you had it before?
If you haven’t you’ve been missing out and you are in for a treat! The sauce is really simple, but so delicious especially when you dip a piece of the Greek lemon chicken in it.
Tzatziki sauce is a Greek yogurt based sauce that’s flavored with lemon juice, garlic, and dill. Shredded cucumber is added in giving it even more fresh flavor. The sauce is thick, creamy, and downright addicting! I seriously think I could slather it on all my meals this summer.
These light, healthy, and super delicious chicken skewers are sure to make you a fan of outdoor cooking!
More Greek Recipes You’ll Love
- Greek Pita Pizzas
- Greek Chicken Bowls
- Greek Orzo Salad
- Greek Meatballs and Orzo Skillet
- Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Potatoes
Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce
Lemon, garlic, oregano, and parsley add amazing flavor to these chicken skewers! Serve them with healthy homemade tzatziki sauce for a delicious and easy to make meal!
Ingredients
Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into approximately 1 inch cubes
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 cup shredded English cucumber, you can also dice the cucumber
- 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt, non-fat, 2%, or whole
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic, 1 teaspoon if you like it extra garlicy
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers
- Whisk together all of the ingredients except the chicken in a bowl. Add the chicken and the marinade to a freezer bag. Press out the air and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken and let it marinate for at least an hour.
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat. While the grill is heating, thread the chicken onto metal or wooden skewers. If using wooden skewers be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes.
- Oil grill grates or grill pan and place the chicken skewers on them. Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes then flip it over and grill for another 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Tzatziki Sauce
- Take the shredded cucumber and use your hands to squeeze out the excess liquid. You can also place it in a clean dish towel or paper towels and squeeze out the liquid.
- Place the cucumber into a bowl along with the remaining tzatziki ingredients. Stir together until combined. Taste for seasoning and add any additional lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 566mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 40g
Can these be made ahead of time, marinated for a few hours then frozen individually, on a tray, then put in a bag until ready to bbq?
Hi Ron. I haven’t tried this method of marinating them and then freezing so I can’t say for sure how they would turn out. If you try that method I’d love to know how they turn out.
I’m so excited to make this coming weekend!! I’m thinking of making the tzatziki and chicken marinade a few days ahead so that it’s quicker and easier to put together at the cottage. What do you think about making these two things ahead of time and then just adding the chicken to the marinade a few hours before grilling time?
Did you recently change this recipe? I’ve made it several times and don’t remember ever seeing cumin! I also thought there was a specific measurement of salt. Love the recipe!
Hi Jenny! I did update the recipe a bit, nothing major. The cumin is an addition, but feel free to omit it if you prefer. As for the salt, most of my cooking (not baking) recipes I generally suggest people season to their tastes as everyone is different. However, I would suggest using about 1 – 1 1/4 teaspoons for 1 1/2 pounds of chicken. Happy to hear you love the skewers!
DING DING DING Duuuuuude! Made these Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers tonight for supper. Couldn’t grill them cause it was raining, but browned them up in a frying pan. Also skipped the coriander in the recipe cause I’m not a fan, but subbed some Thyme. OMG Becky!!!! They are soooo good! Couldn’t stop eating it! And soooo looking forward to having a salad with the chicken. Didn’t make the Tzatziki sauce yet, but gonna have to try it too next time too. Will definitely be making this again and again!
I’m so glad you like the chicken skewers Tina! Thanks for trying them out.
I’ve been coming back to this for years now. I love this recipe. I think might dust off the ol printer and actually print this and start a recipe booklet.
I’m so glad hear the chicken skewer recipe has reached printable status Sid! It’s one of my go-to’s when I don’t know what to make for dinner.
A family favorite, easy to make. Thank you!
Glad to hear you and the family like it Michelle, one of our favorites as well!
Hi Danea great recipe always works out I would nonetheless recommend when marinading the chicken plain yogurt is also used for these dishes although the lemon helps break down and soften the meat the yogurt also does it in a slightly different way , let me know how you like it.
wowwww… too yummy. Today I am going to make this for my hubby because he is too foodie and i also love to make different dishes for him, thanks for sharing this lovely dish.
I love this recipe! I don’t like recipes with a lot of herbs/spices or strange combinations of them that seem to overpower the flavor of the food. This one gets it just right. The herbs in the marinade compliment the chicken but don’t overpower it. I love tzatziki and serving this perfectly marinated chicken with the tzatziki sauce is like serving summer on a plate. It’s definitely one of my go-to recipes now.
I’m so happy you loved the chicken skewers Suzeq! Thanks for giving them a try.
I made the chicken with the tzakziki sauce and the Greek orzo salad. All were AMAZING!! I used the best, most delicious feta cheese and it made all the difference. Flavors were light and refreshing. My family is Middle Eastern and they would all approve of these recipes. Can’t wait to make them all again!!! Definitely need Baklava to complete!
I’m so happy to hear everyone enjoyed it Donna! Baklava for sure next time. ;-)
I LOVE Greek food. I just made this last night for my family, (who are quite hard to please) and they love, love, loved it!! It was such a simple but delicious recipe. Thank you! This is definitely on my keeper list.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it Alecia! Thanks for trying the recipe.
Do you have nutritional information for one serving? And how much is one serving?
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous! So easy to make and the tzakziki sauce was spot on. I paired it with a Greek salad. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Suzanne, one of my favorites!
Delicious! Served with Mediterranean pasta salad.
Wonderful side to serve with them! Thanks for trying the recipe.
Made these recipes last night. So tasty! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you liked the chicken skewers Jen! Thanks for trying them out.
It may be hard to get in the US,but to get a real authentic flavour to the tzatziki you MUST use full fat SHEEP yogurt..The taste difference is outstanding ! It’s easy for me to recommend this yogurt as I live in Greece. But if you can get it BUY it! DO NOT use commercially produced full fat yogurt, the taste is not the same.
Excellent marinade! My family loved it. We had a prepared tatziki & pita bread from the Farmers Market so I’ll have to try making that part next time. The chicken was incredibly flavorful. I marinated for 3 hours but I could tell what you meant about the texture starting to change. It was helpful that your recipe said no more than 3 hours. We stuffed the chicken with toppings into pitas & made gyros but this would be great on a salad as well. Thank you for the delicious recipe. This is a keeper! :)
I’m happy to hear you and your family liked the chicken skewers Jennifer! It’s by far one of my favorite recipes. Love that you made gyros with the meat and I’m so jealous you have fresh pita bread at your farmers market!
Made this tonight for my family! Everyone agreed we would eat it once a week! Delicious!
Thanks so much Karen! Glad to hear it was a hit!
Hello! I really want to try this but I don’t have a grill because I live in a tiny apartment building. Could I make this stove-top on a cast iron grill pan just the same? Thanks! So excited to try these!
Hi Rebecca,
You can absolutely make these in a cast iron grill pan. My only suggestion is to make sure the skewers fit in the pan properly before you put the meat on them. I’ve made the mistake of not checking first and having to take all the meat off and cook it “unskewered” in the pan, which totally works too. Enjoy!
I just made the skewers tonight! What a simple marinade that gives the chicken amazing flavor! We all loved this recipe and I could just eat the tzitziki sauce with a spoon!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed the skewers and sauce Sherrye! Thanks for giving it a try!
Just made this, so good!!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for trying out the skewers Whitney and I’m glad you liked them!
Oh man… this recipe is my new pride and joy. What makes this recipe so great is the sauce. The sauce is a MUST. I have had plenty of tzatziki sauce at our favorite Greek restaurant, and I can tell you, this isn’t exactly a traditional tzatziki sauce, but a really close cousin and it is SOOOO good! I was looking for a recipe that my kids and hubby would all be happy with. Since my husband and I love Greek food, that was easy. Now the kids. They love food a stick, so long as it doesn’t involve vegetables like peppers and mushrooms and other traditional kabob veggies. They didn’t care for the sauce (silly kids…) but they loved the chicken. So this really was a win for everyone. My husband and I were glad to not share the sauce! Trust me, you must have the sauce with this recipe! I’m certain the hubster is gonna ask me to make this again soon.
This was so delicious the first time I made it, I’m doing a double batch today!
Happy to hear you liked the chicken LuAnn, thanks for trying the recipe!
I made this for lunch this week and it is amazing. The flavor in the chicken and the tzatziki sauce is perfect!
Thanks Jennifer! I’m happy to hear you like it! :-)
I marinaded these as directed but added a little plain Greek yogurt and then pan seared. Turned out delicious. Served on a Greek salad with some hummus dressing. Tasty! Thanks for the marinade it will be my go to.
Thanks for trying the skewers Vanessa and for the great tip about adding Greek yogurt to the marinade!
Has anyone tried baking this instead of grilling?
I baked it and it turned out delicious! I did the skewers on a foil-lined pan at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done.
Thanks for sharing Megan and I’m glad the oven baked method turned out!
Loved this recipe soooo much! I’ve made it twice already and I’m making it again tonight for company.
One of my favorites Rachel! Thanks so much for trying the chicken and I’m glad to hear you like it so much!
My husband and I made this tonight and it was DELISH! Literally, one of the best meals that we had in a long long time. Thank you for this awesome receive! We also made red and green bell peppers and onions on the grill along side it (with oregano, garlic powder, salt & pepper) and we just loved the meal! I am gluten free, so there was such great flavor for me and it literally tasted like a gyros in a chicken way (which I haven’t had in a few years).
Hi Rae. Your sweet comment just made my day! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the chicken skewers and I love that you made grilled peppers and onions alongside them. Thanks for trying the recipe!
These were fantastic! Followed chicken recipe exactly, but had an already prepared tsatki sauce. Served with pita, feta & cucumbers. Even my 14 yo son loved it! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear you and your son loved the skewers Chris! Thank you for trying the recipe!
I have tried many grilled chicken souvlaki recipes looking for the best. Finally, thank you Danae! Made this tonight and it was excellent. Must admit I had to substitute a few dried herbs because I didn’t have fresh on hand. Can’t wait to make if again.
Thanks so much for sharing Nancy and I’m happy to hear you liked the recipe! It’s one of my favorites to make!
These look awesome! My boyfriend and I love using his grill on the weekends. Especially summer but we’d be out there after dark on cold winter nights even. I think nearly everything tastes better cooked on the grill. And when your food comes on a stick it’s just more fun. Totally pinning this to try this summer! I’ve made my own tzatziki sauce before and it’s super easy. Also I went to the Greek Islands last summer and now I’m craving all the Greek food again!
Thanks Ashley! I couldn’t agree more about everything tasting better when it’s grilled and we have definitely stood outside in the freezing cold on several occasions so we could get our grilled food fix in the winter. I hope you like the chicken skewers, I’m totally jealous of your trip to the Greek Islands, how fantastic!
That Greek guy I married would LOVE these. I have to say, I’m not a huge oregano fan (which is like sacrilegious to my inlaws) but these look so good I feel like I need to give it another shot!
I think oregano is like cilantro, people either love it or hate it. I bet if you slather enough of the tzatziki sauce on you won’t even notice the oregano! ;-)
I adore kabob! You have no idea! Every time my friends ask me to go to lunch I always say… UM… I WANT KABOB! lol!
Thanks GiGi! Eating kabobs always makes me happy!
Can these be cooked in the oven?
Yes! I would recommend cooking at about 400-425 degrees F. for 8-12 minutes depending on how big the chunks of chicken are. You also don’t need skewer them if you don’t want to. Just make sure the chicken isn’t too crowded and in a single layer.
First of all, these photos are stunning! And secondly I love the heck out of these chicken skewers or kebabs or souvlaki. Whatever you call them, I am all over this recipe!
Thank you Katie! Have a great weekend!
Hi I think your recipe is pretty good but as a greek i would like to recommend you some changes. In the sauce you dont put lemon juice but red wine vinegar and also you forgot the olive oil it is essential for the texture. The skewers dont have to be marinated and i recommend you try it with pork.
This is like my dream meal! Love all the fresh flavors and I am totally addicted to tzatziki sauce! Pinned!
Thanks girly! I’m all about fresh flavorful meals and sauces I can eat by the bowlful!