Chicken souvlaki with tzatziki

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

• 700 g chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 3 cm chunks
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons (about 80 ml)
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp dried oregano (Greek if you can find it)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Tzatziki

• 250 g Greek yoghurt (full-fat, strained)
• ½ cucumber, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

To serve

• 4 pita breads
• 1 tomato, diced
• ½ red onion, sliced into thin rings
• 400 g oven chips or frozen fries
• Lemon wedges
• Pinch of dried oregano to finish

Method

1. Marinate. Whisk all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours — overnight is better. The lemon and oregano need time to penetrate the meat; a quick 30-minute marinade will taste flat.
2. Make the tzatziki (do this first if you can). Grate the cucumber on the coarse side of a box grater, then squeeze it firmly in a clean tea towel to remove as much water as possible — this is the most common tzatziki failure and the single biggest difference between a good one and a watery puddle. Mix the drained cucumber with yoghurt, garlic, lemon, olive oil, dill, and a pinch of salt. Rest in the fridge at least 30 minutes for the flavours to settle.
3. Prepare skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes (otherwise they’ll char and burn). Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers — 5–6 pieces per skewer, packed snugly but not crammed. Reserve any leftover marinade for basting.
4. Cook the chips. Bake the oven chips according to the pack instructions — get them done while the chicken rests after grilling.
5. Grill hot and fast. Heat a grill pan, BBQ, or heavy griddle over high heat until properly hot — you want serious sear marks, not grey steamed meat. Cook the skewers 3–4 minutes per side, basting once with the leftover marinade, until charred on the outside and just cooked through (75 °C internal). Don’t walk away — chicken thighs forgive overcooking slightly, but high heat is the whole point.
6. Warm pitas. In a dry pan or briefly over a gas flame, warm the pitas for 20–30 seconds per side until pliable with a few char spots.
7. Build. Open each pita. Spread a thick layer of tzatziki down the middle, then pile on the chicken (slide it off the skewer), tomato, red onion, and a handful of chips. Squeeze over lemon and finish with a pinch of dried oregano.

Tips

• Chicken thighs, not breast. Thighs stay juicy on the high-heat grill and tolerate the lemon acid without going chalky. Breast will toughen up.
• The overnight marinade is non-negotiable for proper depth. Two hours is the floor.
• The single biggest tzatziki mistake is skipping the cucumber squeeze. Grated cucumber holds a shocking amount of water — if you don’t drain it, your sauce will be thin and runny within minutes.
• Use full-fat Greek yoghurt. Low-fat splits and tastes of sadness.
• Serve with chips IN the wrap. That’s the Athens street-food tradition — souvlaki without chips inside is just a kebab.
• A griddle pan gives better char than a frying pan. Get it smoking hot before the chicken goes near it.