Welcome everyone to my first recipe on my brand new blog! Some of you may have visited my original blog and recognise some of the dishes I have been able to bring over. Don’t worry, I have just had a bit of a makeover and a rebrand but you can expect much of the same in terms of the quality of the recipes I will be putting out there. 

I have been working on The Rosemary Thymes for a little while now. I had spent a long time figuring out what I wanted to move towards as my original blog had just been started for a bit of fun. I hope to use The Rosemary Thymes to showcase my recipes and my love for food and ultimately turn this into a full time career! So if you haven’t had a snoop around the new blog, please do! You will see that I am now offering Online Cooking Classes and if you want to try something a little different, there are also Virtual Dinner Parties available. I then hope to start organising some more intimate private in-house dining experience once the world calms down! So please keep your eyes peel for more information here!

Now, back to today’s recipe! GREEK KEBABS! You might have seen on my Instagram feed a few weeks ago that I had been craving a Greek barbecue blowout. Having grown up in North London, a lot of my friends were (and still are) Greek/Cypriot, so I have often been invited to a family barbecue and feasted on some of the many delicious meat dishes available. One of which is Souvlaki, which simply means meat on a spit i.e. a kebab. I loved to keep mine chicken marinade simple but full of flavour, and I use chicken thighs to keep the kebabs super juicy! The combination of the oregano, garlic and lemon is just something else and you will 100% be going back for more and more kebabs. 

Pair the chicken kebabs with a basic cucumber and tomato salad and some easy homemade tzatziki, throw it into a warm pita with a final extra squeeze of lemon and trust me you will be in HEAVEN! I actually made my own pita breads on this occasion, but they were quite perfect. As soon as I have the technique down, I will be sure to share it with you, but trust me, having given it a go already once, I don’t ever want to buy them again! Nothing beats a homemade chicken kebab in a freshly baked homemade pita! 

Juicy Greek Kebabs

Juicy Greek Kebabs

Delicious greek kebabs using the juiciest chicken, topped with a homemade tzatziki and quick salad – this kebab is perfect for your summer barbecue!

Recipe by Francesca Bragoli
0 from 0 votes
Course: MainsCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

1

hour 

30

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

50

minutes

Ingredients

  • Kebabs
  • 600 g Chicken thighs, skinless & boneless

  • 2 Tbsp Oregano

  • 3 Garlic cloves

  • 1 Lemon, juice

  • 1 Tsp Salt

  • 1/4 Tsp Pepper

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

  • 8-10 Wooden Skewers, soaked in water for minimum 1 hour before use

  • Cucumber & Tomato Salad
  • Cucumber, diced

  • 2 Salad tomatoes, deseeded & diced

  • 1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 Lemon, juice

  • 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

  • Small handful fresh parsley

  • 1 Tsp Salt

  • 1/4 Tsp Black pepper

  • 50 g Feta

  • Tzatziki
  • 2 Tbsp Natural skyr or greek yoghurt

  • 2 Garlic cloves, grated

  • 25 g Cucumber, grated

  • Small handful fresh Dill, finely chopped

  • 1/4 Lemon, juice

  • 1/4 Tsp Salt

  • To serve
  • 4 Pita breads (store bought or homemade)

Directions

  • Kebabs
  • Cut the chicken thighs into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add the oregano, minced garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil to the bowl and use your hands to ensure every piece is coated. Cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or unto 24 hours.
  • When you’re ready to grill, carefully feed the skewers through the middle of each piece of chicken. Don’t overcrowd the skewers, usually put around 5-6 pieces on each one. This should mean you get roughly 8 skewers.
  • Heat a griddle pan on high heat for a few minutes then reduce to medium and spread out the skewers. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Leave to cook for around 7-10 minutes per side, you should get a lovely char on both sides. Carefully check the chicken is cooked through and then set aside. I cover mine with foil whilst I get everything else prepped.
  • Either toast or griddle you pitta breads depending on how much space and patience you have! You can also warm them through in the oven. Cut the open, add the chicken from 2 skewers, top with cucumber & tomato salad and a good drizzle of tzatziki. Squeeze over some extra fresh lemon if you fancy and eat it all up!
  • Cucumber & Tomato Salad
  • Whilst the chicken is marinating, combine the cucumber, tomato and red onions in a medium bowl.
  • Pour over the lemon juice, EVOO and season with half the salt and all the pepper at this stage. Stir well and check the seasoning. Add more salt if needed before sprinkling on the fresh parsley.
  • If using, crumble in the feta, stir once more, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
  • Tzatziki
  • In a small bowl, combine the skyr/greek yoghurt and grate in the garlic using a micro grater.
  • Add the grated cucumber and fresh dill along with a pinch of salt only at this stage and the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt if required. If you like more dill or lemon in yours go wild!
  • Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.