Chicken Souvlaki

diner524's Note:

I found this recipe in "The Barbecue Bible" by Steven Raichlen. I adapted it to be used with chicken, but he used it with swordfish or tuna steaks, but said it would be good with even shrimp or scallops.

• Total Time: 42 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

For the Chicken and Marinade

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Kebabs

• 24 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, quartered

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken into 1 1/2 inch cubes and set aside while you prepare the marinade.
2. Combine the oil, lemon juice, wine, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a large nonreactive bowl and whisk until blended and the salt is dissolved. Taste for seasoning, adding salt as necessary; the mixture should be highly seasoned. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate, at room temperature, for 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Soak the bay leaves in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill to high.
4. When ready to cook, break the onion quarters into individual layers. Drain the bay leaves. Remove the chicken cubes from the bowl, reserving whatever marinade is left, and thread onto the skewers, placing a piece of onion and bay leaf between each and dividing evenly. Oil the grill grate, then arrange the kebabs on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until chicken cubes are nicely browned on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes per side, (8 to 12 minutes in all). As the kebabs cook, baste with any remaining marinade, but not during the last two minutes.
5. Transfer the kebabs to serving plates and serve immediately, accompanied by lemon wedges.
6. This can be served as a main dish or with pita's and tzatziki sauce.

Reviews

[Scoutie]

VERY good! I made half of them chicken, the other half shrimp. Also added chunks of zucchini that needed to be used up. Next time, I may add some shrooms as well. The Bay Leaves and lemon fused this together perfectly! Thanks for posting, Diner. Made for ZWT 6.

[littlemafia]

Loved it! I liked the addition of lemon zest.Made for zwt6.

[Katanashrp]

Fantastic. I wish all healthy food would taste like this. Thank you.