Grilled chicken breast skewers marinated in a yogurt-lemon marinade, grilled with lemon slices, served with cucumber-yogurt tzatziki sauce
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I love grilled chicken, but chicken breasts can be a little problematic. They can easily become dry and overcooked, especially on the grill.
Chicken breast skewers!
When grilling chicken breasts that have been cut into chunks and placed on skewers, more surface area is exposed to the heat of the grill.
As long as you grill them quickly over high direct heat, if the outside shows nice grill marks, the inside is done.
It also helps to marinate the chicken pieces first. A little salt in the marinade will help the chicken retain moisture, and acid from yogurt or lemon juice will tenderize the meat.
This is a Greek-inspired lemon chicken skewer recipe with a lemon garlic yogurt oregano marinade and thin slices of lemon threaded between the chicken pieces.
Serve with a simple cucumber yogurt tzatziki dip. So good!
Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce
ingredients
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1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, freed from excess fat
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1 teaspoon Salt
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2 tablespoon Natural yoghurt
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2 cloves Garlic, chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
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1 tablespoon chopped Fresh oregano (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano)
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1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon lemon juice
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1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil plus more for the grill
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2 Lemonsthinly sliced
Tzatziki:
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1 Cup Natural yoghurt
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2 cloves garlicchopped (about 2 teaspoons)
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/8 teaspoon black pepper
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
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1 cucumber, peeled off
method
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Soak the skewers:
If using bamboo or wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the recipe. You will need either 4 flat skewers or 8 regular round skewers.
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Cut chicken breast, marinate:
Cut the chicken breasts into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Add the yogurt, minced garlic, oregano, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil to the bowl with the chicken and stir. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
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Prepare Yoghurt Tzatziki Sauce:
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the tzatziki. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Grate the cucumber with the large holes of a box grater. Place in a colander and squeeze with your hands to squeeze out excess moisture. Add the grated cucumber to the yoghurt mixture.
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Yarn skewers with chicken and lemon slices:
Prepare your grill for direct high heat. While the grill is heating up, prepare the skewers. Use either flat bamboo or metal skewers, or double up on regular bamboo skewers to make the chicken easier to turn on the grill. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, folding a lemon wedge between each chicken piece like a taco.
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Grill:
When the grill is done, brush the grill grates with some olive oil (use a paper towel folded several times and dipped in olive oil, hold with tongs). Brush the chicken skewers with some olive oil. Place the chicken skewers directly over the hottest part of the grill and cover the grill.
Sear on one side (about 2 to 3 minutes), then flip the chicken skewers to the other side, cover and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken is browned and just cooked through.
Remove from the grill and serve immediately with tzatziki sauce.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 414 | calories |
| 10g | Fat |
| 35g | carbohydrates |
| 50g | protein |
