Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs with Simple Tzatziki Sauce
Yield: 6servings
Prep Time: 1 hourhr25 minutesmins
Cook Time: 6 minutesmins
Total Time: 1 hourhr31 minutesmins
Ingredients
Tzatziki Sauce:
2cupsplain Greek yogurt
1English cucumber, shredded
1clovegarlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1teaspoonred wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Marinade:
4clovesgarlic, finely minced
2tablespoonsfresh lemon juice, from about 1 large lemon
1tablespoonred wine vinegar
2tablespoonsolive oil
2tablespoonsplain yogurt
1teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoondried basil
½teaspoondried thyme
½teaspoondried coriander
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonpepper
Chicken and Vegetables:
2poundsboneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3small to medium zucchini, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1-2red peppers, cut into squares
1red onion, cut into squares
Instructions
For the tzatziki sauce, wrap the shredded cucumber in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
For the marinade, in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients.
Place the chicken in a resealable gallon-size ziploc bag (or in a shallow dish) and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag (or cover the dish) and let marinade for 1-2 hours.
If using wooden skewers, soak them for 15-20 minutes prior to assembling.
Thread the chicken, zucchini, peppers and onion onto skewers. Give the kebabs a little sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
Grill over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Serve immediately with tzatziki sauce for dipping.
Notes
Chicken + Vegetables: assembling the kebabs the way pictured in the post will yield tender chicken and crisp-tender (read: slightly crunchy) veggies, which I like. If you want the vegetables more tender, they'll need to cook longer but in order not to overcook the chicken, consider skewering the veggies on their own sticks to cook separately from the chicken.Tzatziki Sauce: keep in mind the tzatziki sauce does better if made ahead of time and refrigerated at least 30 minutes (or up to 1-2 days). If you don't have Greek yogurt, regular, plain yogurt can be used - but it needs to be strained through cheesecloth or a coffee filter for several hours to get rid of excess moisture so it is really thick and creamy.