Home - Dinner - Chicken - Baked Chicken Souvlaki (No Skewers!)

Baked Chicken Souvlaki (No Skewers!)

No ratings yet

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

I’m so excited to share this shortcut chicken souvlaki recipe! You’ll taste all the big, zesty flavors of the classic Greek dish, and the best part is you don’t need to futz around threading skewers or lighting a grill. Start by seasoning boneless chicken with a blend of lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and spices. Bake them in the oven, along with cherry tomatoes about 25 minutes, until deliciously browned.

Chicken souvlaki-style, on a platter over rice with tzatziki sauce and roasted tomatoes.
Juicy chicken souvlaki served with rice, roasted tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and creamy tzatziki sauce.

I can’t think of times when I’m not craving the seriously delicious Mediterranean flavors that go into chicken souvlaki — tender pieces of chicken saturated with a bright blast of lemon, garlic and spices, along with fresh vegetables and a thick tzatziki sauce.

But, it comes down to time. I set out to create a chicken souvlaki recipe that’s easier to cook on a weeknight, or as a low-stress dinner for company. It’s worth minimizing the effort it takes to thread cubes of chicken onto skewers. Instead, I roast the seasoned chicken pieces on a roasting rack at high heat.

Why this recipe rocks!

  • Easy: Combine the seasonings and bake the chicken at 450 degrees about 25 minutes.
  • Flavorful marinade and sauce: Marinate the chicken in the fridge up to a day. Reserve the flavorful pan sauces for serving.
  • One-dish dinner: Round out the platter with cooked rice, warm pita or salad greens.

Ingredient rundown

Cucumbers, a fresh dill bunch and raw chicken thighs in a shallow baking dish, surrounded by dishes holding spices, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, crushed garlic and feta cheese.
  • Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. They cook quickly at 450 degrees and stay juicy.
  • Marinade: It’s amazingly simple, but so, so flavorful. You’ll need squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, fresh garlic, and a spice blend of dried oregano, paprika and red pepper. Bonus — it makes the best pan sauce to moisten the chicken.
  • Feta cheese: Creamy, salty and tangy. What’s better than that?
  • Herbs: I focused on a trio of key herbs traditionally used in Greek cooking: Oregano, dill, and parsley.
  • Tzatziki: This tangy, creamy mixture of yogurt, cucumber, and dill ties the dish together. Dollop it generously!

Chicken souvlaki cooking steps

Chicken souvlaki-style, on a platter over rice with tzatziki sauce and roasted tomatoes.

Baked Chicken Souvlaki (No Skewers!)

Karen Tedesco
I'm so excited to share this shortcut chicken souvlaki recipe! You'll taste all the big, zesty flavors of the classic Greek dish, and the best part is you don't need to futz around threading skewers or lighting a grill. Start by seasoning boneless chicken with a blend of lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and spices. Bake the chicken with cherry tomatoes about 25 minutes, until it's deliciously browned.
Print
No ratings yet
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1½ pounds
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Souvlaki marinade

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated garlic, about 3 cloves
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt

For serving

  • Cooked rice, optional, or warm pita bread
  • ½ cup feta cheese
  • ½ cup chopped fresh dill and parsley, (combined)
  • Tzatziki sauce, prepared or homemade (see recipe notes)
  • Sliced cucumbers

Instructions 

Mix the marinade

  • Combine ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon grated garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper and 1½ teaspoons salt in a small bowl.

Assemble and bake the chicken

  • Preheat the oven to 450 (230C) degrees, with an oven rack positioned in the upper third.
  • Put the 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a large bowl or baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, and turn the pieces to coat. You can bake the chicken immediately, or cover and refrigerate in the marinade up to 24 hours ahead.
  • Put the chicken pieces on a roasting rack fitted into a rimmed sheet pan (I used a quarter-size pan, which is 13×9-inches), or a broiler pan. Arrange the 1 cup cherry tomatoes in and around the chicken. Pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken and tomatoes.
  • Bake 15 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue baking another 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the tomatoes are soft and bursting out their skin. If you'd like more of a char on top the chicken, turn on the broiler and cook just until the chicken is browned.
  • Transfer the chicken and tomatoes to a platter, over a bed of rice if using. Pour most of the pan juices over the top (reserve some of it to serve over each portion). Crumble ½ cup feta cheese over the chicken and sprinkle with ½ cup chopped fresh dill and parsley Serve with the tzatziki sauce, sliced cucumbers and/or warm pita on the side.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

  • Make homemade tzatziki: Mix 1 1/4 cups plain thick yogurt (Greek-style is perfect) with 3/4 cup chopped seedless cucumber and 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill. Add salt, lemon juice and minced garlic to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 377mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 886IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.

Leave a comment and star rating

Do you have a cooking question? Leave your comment below and let me know how I can help.

Did you love this recipe? Just click on the stars to leave a rating!

Recipe rating




Share your photo!Inspire others by uploading an image of your creation along with your review. The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

You may want to read my commenting policy before joining the conversation.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.