This meal is healthy, hearty, and bursting with Greek flavor. The chicken is marinated in a delicious, yogurt-based dressing and then baked to juicy perfection on skewers. Even better, grill these! (Ah, to have a grill and a yard… someday.)
The last time I used yogurt as a marinade for chicken was for curried chicken salad. The coolness of the yogurt paired so well with the spiciness of the curry. While this Greek chicken isn’t spicy, it is acidic from the lemon, and the yogurt does an excellent job of balancing this acidity out. In addition, the yogurt helps the chicken stay moist and juicy and makes a nice thick, flavorful coating, as well as a thick and creamy dressing for the salad. To make this dinner extra easy, the same dressing is used for a Greek salad with feta, olives, cucumber, and red onion. You will want to eat this dressing with a spoon. Yum times a million times infinity. Squared. Next time I make this, I’m going to whip up at LEAST a double batch of dressing to have on hand for the rest of the week.
Don’t know what souvlaki is? That’s OK! It’s just meat (and sometimes vegetables) on a skewer, often served as street food in Greece. You’ve probably had it (or something like it) if you’ve ever been to a Greek festival or restaurant. And even though it sounds fancy, its one of the most simple Greek foods you can make! Now. If you are the type of person who is looking at these pictures saying, “Please. Like I have the time/patience/energy to skewer chicken,” have no fear. You can easily bake this chicken in the usual way. You don’t even have to cut it up into small pieces! Just marinate chicken breasts or thighs in the dressing and bake in a greased baking dish for a slightly longer time. Super easy. But I warn you… it’s not as fun as skewers :-)
Normally after finishing a delicious meal like this I get a little sad when it’s over. Not today! We have leftovers of both the chicken and the salad, which is going to make an excellent sandwich in a whole wheat pita pocket tomorrow for lunch. SCORE! I’ll probably add more feta because feta is the nectar of the gods and the best cheese in the world. Also, for a half-Greek, I don’t think I post enough about Greek recipes. Or about feta. I think it’s time to change that. What is your favorite Greek dish you’ve had? Or, your favorite use for feta (besides eating plain it by the block, which is what I like to do…)? Leave it in the comments below :-) Next time you need a fun, healthy chicken dish, you should try this. You won’t be sorry!
