Baked Chicken Souvlaki (No Skewers!)
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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.
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.
- When you have more prep time, save my recipe for these yogurt-marinated chicken skewers that cook on the grill or bake in the oven.
Ingredient rundown
- 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
1. Mix lemon juice, olive oil and spices to make the marinade. 2. Combine the chicken with the marinade, turning to coat the pieces on both sides. Cook right away, or marinate up to one day.
3. Arrange the chicken on a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter the tomatoes around the chicken pieces. 4. Bake at 450F about 25 minutes, flipping the chicken once. The tomatoes will be soft and bursting. Be sure to pour out the pan juices for serving! 5. Serve the chicken on a bed of rice, and pour pan juices over. Garnish with feta, herbs, cucumber, and tzatziki sauce.
Baked Chicken Souvlaki (No Skewers!)
Equipment
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
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
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.