Chicken Souvlaki: Live, Love, & Eat in Sayulita

Chicken is the most versatile of meats. You can roast or barbecue it whole, cut it into parts, marinate, bake, or barbecue it. Basically, plain chicken is pretty bland tasting, but it takes on flavors so well that marinating it for Greek Souvlaki is amazing. I have been making this recipe for so long that I know exactly what to do without looking it up! All the ingredients are easily available in or near Sayulita. Make it for dinner this week or take it to your next Sayulita potluck dinner party as an appetizer or main course. So, gather all your ingredients and get started!

INGREDIENTS:

-1 pound chicken breasts or thighs. Remove skin and bones and cut into 1” chunks. I prefer to use the thigh meat. It is juicier and tastier because of fat content. Breasts can dry out faster and tend to be less juicy and tasty.

-1/4 cup olive oil. I always use organic extra virgin*

-1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice*

-1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice*

*If you want to make more than 1 pound of chicken, increase oil, lime, and lemon juice to 1/3 cup.

-1 tsp dried crushed oregano leaves. Crushing the herbs before adding brings out the oils.

-1 tsp dried crushed basil leaves**

**Also increase herbs a bit if you are using more than 1 pound of chicken.

-1 clove garlic - finely minced or squeezed through a garlic press. 

-1/2 T salt

-Wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning.You can use short or long skewers for your entrée or short ones for appetizers.

METHOD:

-Combine all ingredients except chicken and pour into large ziplock bag.

-Add chicken pieces and seal bag well, letting out as much air as possible.

-Massage chicken through the ziplock so that pieces are well coated.

-Let marinate for 30 minutes. If longer, it must be refrigerated. Massage chicken a couple of times while it marinates.

-Thread onto skewers leaving about 1” at each end.

-Barbecue or broil until chicken is cooked though. 10-15 minutes should do it, but please check for doneness by making a thin slice into the middle of a center piece.

This recipe is very nice served with raw vegetables and sautéed green beans with very thinly caramelized onions or roasted hazelnuts. ENJOY! I know you will!

The holiday season is upon us, so I want to tell you how to prepare yummy Coconut Shrimp in my next column. I have a little tip that makes them even better than any restaurant! Stay tuned!

If you’ve had a chance to try this or any of the recipes I have posted, or if you have any questions about the ingredients or method, email me here. I would love to hear from you and would be delighted to reply!

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