Chicken Souvlaki

Posted in Dinner, Greek, Poultry

This is the best souvlaki we have ever eaten…..and we don’t put it on skewers. The secret is the brining of the chicken which makes it tender and juicy. Although you can put these on skewers we just toss them in a stainless steel barbeque grill basket, cooking the chicken first and cooking the vegetables last. We have found that this cooks everything evenly. We serve it on a platter with the chicken over the vegetables. It is less of a chore to cook and also easier to eat. We serve this with brown rice and tzatziki on the side.

Chicken

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 tbls pickling salt or kosher salt
1 quart cold water
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbls fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teas lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbls fresh oregano, finely chopped or 1 teas dried
1 teas honey
1/2 teas fresh ground black pepper

Vegetables

1 red bell pepper, 1″ chunks
1 green bell pepper, 1″ chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, 1″ chunks
1 spanish or red onion
8 oz small mushrooms

Directions

Cut the chicken in 1″ chunks. Mix the salt and water together and add the chicken. Leave in the brine 30 minutes. Drain and dry on paper towel.
Light the charcoal grill.
While the chicken is brining mix together the olive oil, parsley, lemon zest and juice, oregano, honey and pepper in a bowl. Measure 1/4 cup of this sauce and reserve for serving.
Cut onion into 1″ slices including a piece of the root end in each slice. This will help keep the onion in larger pieces to keep them in the grill basket. Put in another bowl along with the peppers and mushrooms and add 2 tbls of the sauce. Toss to coat.
Add the chicken to the remainder of the sauce and toss to coat.
When the barbeque is ready add the chicken to the grill basket and stir fry on the barbeque. Remove to a plate and cover with foil. Be careful to not overcook.
Add the vegetables to the grill basket and stir fry on the barbeque. Be careful to not overcook. Remove to a “pretty” platter, top with the chicken and drizzle the reserved 1/4 cup of sauce.
Serve with tzatziki and brown rice.