Recipe by Julia Joliff, Food Blogger, A Cedar Spoon
Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Serves: 4-6
You will love how tender the chicken thigh meat gets from the lemony Mediterranean marinade. The chicken is served with tzatziki and served on a pita with your favorite Greek ingredients
Ingredients
2 pounds Smart Chicken Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
For the Marinade
2 Lemons, juiced
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Tzatziki Sauce
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 2% or whole milk yogurt works best
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh dill
2 cups of grated cucumber, about 1 small cucumber, squeeze out the excess juice from the cucumber
Dash of salt and pepper
For the Greek Salad
1/2 of an english cucumber, diced
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of feta cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and put them in a large Ziploc bag or glass tupperware container and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag or close the container and toss to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate the chicken for up to two hours but at least for a 1/2 of an hour.
Before grilling, soak wooden or bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes unless you are using metal skewers. When you are ready to grill the chicken, heat the grill to medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the fridge and take the chicken from the container or bag and discard the marinade. Set out a large platter or wooden cutting board. Thread the chicken onto the wood or metal skewers. While the grill is heating, make the Tzatziki sauce by combining the Greek yogurt, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Put in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To make the Greek salad combine the cucumber, tomato, olives, parsley, oregano and feta cheese in a medium mixing bowl. In a mason jar or salad dressing container combine the lemon juice and olive oil and then pour on the salad and stir to combine. Refrigerate the salad until ready to use.
Brush the grates with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Add the chicken to the grill and cook for about 7-8 minutes, turning once. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the grill. Serve the chicken skewers with pita, Greek salad and tzatziki.