Years ago we lived in Winston-Salem, NC and frequented a small, local Greek owned restaurant where we enjoyed souvlaki on a regular basis. It became a regular craving for us. What was always surprising was how the simple tzatziki sauce impressed the taste buds. Fresh and tangy. It never failed to hit the spot.
While perusing Tasty Kitchen recipes a few weeks back, I was excited to find a recipe for Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki from Tasty Kitchen member Birdie. I didn’t hesitate to print it out and give it a go. Birdie’s recipe didn’t disappoint. The chicken was as tasty as it gets and the tzatziki was perfect.
Wanna make some too? Well then, let’s get started.
Get your ingredients prepped. You’ll need chicken, olive oil, yogurt (I used Greek yogurt), cucumber, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. (The link to the full recipe in its printable form is at the end of this post.)
You’ll also need some of this: Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning. See where it says “Tantalizing.” They’re not kidding. Good stuff y’all. Get you some. I found it at my local grocer.
Pita or flat bread can be used to hold all the goodness. I used basic flatbread.
You’ll begin by marinating the chicken. I like to use zip top plastic bags for marinating. It makes for easy clean up. Pour in the olive oil, then the Cavender’s seasoning.
Squish it all around to coat the chicken well. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.
While the chicken is marinating, you can go ahead and get the tzatziki sauce ready. Please note, I used Greek yogurt, but if you use plain yogurt, you’ll need to follow Birdie’s directions and let the yogurt drain. Tzatziki sauce is simple stuff. Combine the yogurt, chopped onion, cucumber, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the tzatziki until ready to use.
When ready to eat, grill chicken over medium heat until done. Let rest a few minutes, then slice into strips.
Build your souvlaki in a pita bread or flat bread, with the grilled chicken and tzatziki. I began with a layer of tzatziki, then the sliced chicken.
Then another layer of tzatziki. You can never have too much tzatziki.
Fold in half and enjoy! Pretty simple, huh? And mighty tasty folks. Mighty tasty indeed.
Enjoy! A big high five to Birdie for bringing Souvlaki back into my life.
Printable Recipe
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Description
Yummy, dinner size, pita sandwiches with a homemade thick tzatziki. Family favorite and a weekday go to meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 4 teaspoons Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 12 ounces, weight Drained, Non-fat Plain Yogurt
- 1 whole Cucumber, Chopped
- ½ whole Yellow Onion, Chopped
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation Instructions
Most of this recipe is in the prep. You marinate the chicken for several hours before you grill. I do it before I leave the house in the morning.
Pound out the chicken breast until they are about 1/2 inch thick.
Rub down with olive oil then season both sides generously with the Cavender’s Greek Seasoning Salt. I live on the East Coast and have found it in most big grocery chains.
Wrap the chicken in cling wrap and refrigerate for several hours.
Grill on a counter top grill or outside grill for that matter about 3 minutes. Let sit for a minute or two then slice into strips.
The night before, place 12 oz of plain non-fat yogurt in a coffee filter then set in a mesh colander set over a bowl and drain it in the fridge overnight. I do this because I like the Tzatziki thicker so it stays on the sandwich. But if you forgot to drain the yogurt the night before you can use Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is just a tad more expensive than regular yogurt.
While chicken is grilling, chop up the cucumber and the onion. Mix the cucumber, onion with the drained yogurt, add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
I also chop these up before I leave for work in the morning and stow them in the fridge. Just one less step in the evenings when my boys are melting from hunger and I need to feed them within the first 30 minutes of hitting the door.
Place grilled chicken strips and tzatziki into warmed pitas folded in half and enjoy.
I serve it with roasted potatoes. My kids dip the potatoes in the tzatziki.
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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.
53 Comments
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delynn on 4.22.2011
We loved this! The chicken is amazing—I made it this week again just by itself. Delicious!
dixielibrarian on 4.21.2011
This looks amazing! I love Greek food! May have to try it.
Wendy on 4.10.2011
Oh I miss this, I had it overseas when I was in the military and haven’t had it since I returned, 22 years ago. I can’t wait to try it.
Shannon on 4.8.2011
To: martyfrancesellison…just wanted to let you know (as a fellow Canuck) that I saw Cavender’s seasoning at Sobey’s.
To: Conna…I tried your authentic tzatziki recipe and it was OUTSTANDING!!! Thanks so much for sharing! It’s just like the yummy tzatziki I buy at the Farmer’s Market from the Greek Sisters.
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles on 4.8.2011
This looks fabulous. My husband & I really like this type of meal, and are always looking for a fresh grilled chicken recipe.
Amber on 4.8.2011
We actually used to live in Winston Salem also and I’m pretty sure I know the restaurant you are talking about! We moved to South Carolina last year and I have been CRAVING some of this!!!
Cindy Auler on 4.7.2011
I made this tonight and it was awesome! I’m so glad there was too much-now I get to have it again tomorrow!
Anna on 4.7.2011
Love George’s Grecian Corner in Winston-Salem! I live a few block away and get take-out from there all the time. I’ll have to try out this recipe and compare
on 4.7.2011
Add a dash of red wine vinegar
A greek waiter gave me this tip.
Anna on 4.6.2011
Love it. Had it for dinner tonight. Grilled the pita with olive oil sea salt and garlic powder. All so tasty. YUM!
Meg on 4.6.2011
Made this for my husband tonight who is a big Gyro fan. He loved it!
(So did I) 
Melissa on 4.6.2011
wow! Great comments! I can’t wait to try this one…but I can’t decide how to make it now lol. I’ll have to try them all I guess :-). Thx to the poster who listed the ingredients in the spice mix, so I can make it salt/MSG free!
mary beth lynn on 4.6.2011
hmmmmmmmmmmm – have never used the Greek Seasoning but it sure sounds like I have been missing out. Have never had a Tzatziki without a clove or two of garlic in it . . . . but I will give this one a shot to see if it is really needed. Come to think of it – I have a nice piece of flank steak that might work very well with this . . . .Thansk for the idea
DessertForTwo on 4.6.2011
Something about yogurt in dinner makes me feel like summer! Can’t wait to make this!
mamahut5 on 4.5.2011
Wow…awesome dinner…….easy on the budget, easy and best of all, pretty healthy and tasty!
Debbie on 4.5.2011
Just had this for dinner. It was great! And so quick and easy.
Ann from Montana on 4.5.2011
I was thrilled to find Cavender’s at my local grocery…but, got it home and discovered it has MSG in it. I googled and there are various “souvlaki” seasoning recipes for anyone else who either can’t find Cavender’s or who can’t tolerate MSG.
Thanks for the recipe and step-by-step – looks great!
Katrina on 4.5.2011
Amazing! I love a wrap in any way
Frances on 4.5.2011
I use a different recipe for tzatziki Here it is in case anyone else is interested
You can use greek yogurt of 2% organic. If I use the organic I always add a couple tbsp. of sour cream as well.
Grate one small cucumber, squeeze out the juice, add to yogurt. Finely chop fresh dill, about 2 tbsp. add 4 crushed garlic cloves, squeeze juice from half a lemon, black pepper and if you like a tiny shake of greek seasoning. We love garlic so we add more!
JulesInDC on 4.5.2011
I’m lucky enough to work close to the AMAZING Greek Deli here in DC, and I get their pita sandwiches all the time. To jazz this up even further, I might recommend a couple of their finishing touches–adding fresh dill to the tzatziki, and maybe some chopped tomoato and green onion on top of the whole shebang.
I think I know were I’m heading for lunch today…
CATHERINE GEIGER on 4.5.2011
I make this but with pork. My whole family loves it, I buy a pork loin and have the butcher slice it with each slice about an inch thick then i cut it up into cubes when I get ready to make it. I will try the chicken this week it looks wonderful!!!
Rebecca on 4.4.2011
Love the shout-out to Winston-Salem! We love Athena on Stratford Road.
Dishes of Mrs. Fish on 4.4.2011
This looks great! I can’t wait to make this at our new place with a grill.
LeAnnWoo on 4.4.2011
Absofreakinglutly drooling over here! YUMMMMM!
midRae on 4.4.2011
My daughter-in-law is from Albania, which is located just above Greece, and she makes this with a twist and it’s amazing. We add beef, pork, and chicken and then you add French Fries, lettuce and tomatos. Amazing!! This is a new family favorite. When my son was in Albania he would eat these each day for lunch from a street vendor for about $1.00. So worth it. Everyone try these, so yummy!!!!
Sherri at FoodBasics101 on 4.4.2011
This recipe reminds me of the Gyro sandwiches I get at my local sub shop. They are made with ground lamb and the wonderful tzatziki sauce. The cool flavor of the yogurt mixed with the fresh-tasting cucumber…yum. I’ll bet it’s just as good with chicken!
Jenny on 4.4.2011
I am married to a Greek and have been well instructed in cooking Greek food. The recipe does look great, but the comment by Conna is right on. Try the tzatziki that way!!!! It is much more authentic and you will enjoy the consistency.
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is on 4.4.2011
This is so different from anything I make. I need to try it!
pinelopakee on 4.4.2011
Hello everyone. I’m Greek and i live in Greece so if you don’t mind I have a few tips for the tzatziki.
The tzatziki we make here has no onion. At all. It has garlic in it. And the cucumber is grated and salted and left in the strainer to drain all the fluids. And even after that you have to sqeeze it really hard so there is no water in it. Then you mix it with the yogurt and the grated garlic (the more the stronger) and add olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.
And don’t forget to add sliced tomato and onion and fries in your pita so you can have the best Greek souvlaki experience.
Amy from She Wears Many Hats on 4.4.2011
Ro and Kristen Pruett –
Hey y’all! The Greek restaurant is the one Kristen mentioned under 1-40, at the big curve. Don’t remember the name but so glad to hear that it’s still there! One of a king place.
Happy Cooking!
And eating.
~ Amy
Conna on 4.4.2011
Hello, since I’m Greek, would like to let you know some things (hope not to offend anyone).
The authentic tzatziki sauce has no onions in it and has garlic instead. 3-4 cloves for 500 gr greek yoghurt, 1 tsp salt, 1tsp vinegar, 1 big cucumber and ¾ cup olive oil. What we usually do is to make garlic cloves a paste in the mortar and add the salt till homogenized. We grate the cucumber with a grater and squeeze to get rid of excess water. In a bowl we put garlic paste, strained cucumber and the rest of ingredient and stir very well.
Now, for the assembly of souvlaki, we have the pitta bread, we add the meat (whatever we prefer, usually done with cubes of pork, I prefer though the chicken version), we add onion rings, rounds of fresh tomato, some lettuce, french fries and we top with tzatziki sauce. We fold and enjoy !!!!
Meredith on 4.4.2011
Looks great! I normally put minced garlic in my tzatziki sauce as well. Keep in mind though, if you plan to add garlic, that the flavor will strengthen the longer it sits in the fridge. So if you add garlic to taste, but then save the sauce for the next day, it’ll be a lot more potent 24 hours later, haha! Learned that one the hard way, although you can never have too much garlic IMHO.
Sometimes, cucumber can make the tzatziki sauce a little watery, so here is a simple trick I use when making mine: use your garlic mincer to mince your cucumber before adding it to the yogurt. It squeezes the extra water out AND gives you nice little bits of cucumber!
Larisa P on 4.4.2011
Looks awesome! The next questions is: what do you serve with it? Ouzo??
Colleen P. on 4.4.2011
Oh my hubby will be so pleased-his job a few years ago took him to Crete twice a year (yes, he leads a miserable existence, I know)-he ADORES souvlaki, and I am crazy for tzatziki on…well anything! Can’t wait to try this!
Fran on 4.4.2011
Love tzatziki and it is soooooo simple to make. I like to eat it on all kinds of things. Cavender’s seasoning is right up there next to Tony Chachere’s in my cabinet. Use them on EVERYTHING!
kristi on 4.4.2011
Oh my gosh thank you for this recipe!!! I am from Winston, and since we moved away I have not been able to have this wonderful Greek food!!!! Now we can fix it here in South Georgia. You have made my day.
Kristen Pruett on 4.4.2011
Just curious over which Greek restaurant. I work at WFU and go to the one just under the I-40 bridge alot. It is so good and the tzatziki sauce is my favorite!!
maryfrancesellison on 4.4.2011
I’m lucky enough to live one block away from “Greektown on the Danforth” here in Toronto, so I can get some rockin’ souvlaki anytime the craving hits (and the butchers and grocery stores all carry marinated skewers of souvlaki – lamb, chicken or beef – and fresh tzatziki that you can buy by the container in case you want to do the grilling at home). In fact, that’s how we celebrate the beginning of grilling season here … but this would be a great version to do on the grill pan in the winter! I’ve never seen the Cavender’s Greek Seasoning here in Canada, so I Googled it and found a “recipe” that approximates the mix:
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
(obviously leaving out the salt for those that want the “salt-free” version).
Now it’s time to get out the DVD of “My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding” and have some souvlaki … OPA!
Diane on 4.4.2011
Thanks for this one… sure looks good!
Susan C. on 4.4.2011
i CRAVE Greek food….LIVE for it! i will be adding this one to my recipe box to definate try! my kids LOVE the cucumber sauce so why not? THANKS for the GREAT review!
SeattleDee on 4.4.2011
Yummmmmmm! It’s time to put this on the monthly menu, and add some sumac or za-atar to the tzatziki… or maybe a handful of the mint that’s leaping out of the garden this week.
dliff on 4.4.2011
Ah sold, I’m making this for dinner tonight! Looks delicious!
Birdie on 4.4.2011
My first reaction was, “Hey someone stole my recipe!”. My second reaction was peeing in my pants because it was my recipe. Thanks for the great review. It is definately a keeper. Yummy with oven fries.
Heather @ Heather's Dish on 4.4.2011
Cavender’s Greek seasoning is amazing…I use it on almost everything!
Trish on 4.4.2011
Yummy! Cavender’s does make a salt-free seasoning…look for the blue label!
Aggie's Kitchen on 4.4.2011
I am in love with tzaziki and have not made it at home yet. I don’t know why. This looks like the perfect dinner. My family would go nuts for this Amy!!
PS…love that Greek seasoning!
Lesa @Edesia's Notebook on 4.4.2011
Looks awesome; it’s going on my meal plan for April. But I am a huge Penzey’s fan, so I will be using Penzey’s Greek seasoning instead of the Cavender’s. Thanks for posting.
Ro on 4.4.2011
Oh my this looks yummy! I live very near Winston-Salem. What’s the name of the Greek restaurant you frequented?
Melissa H from So. Fla. on 4.4.2011
I can not wait to try this out. It’s so simple.
AND…I love all things Greek
twinsmom on 4.4.2011
I agree Lizzie! This looks delicious and could only be made better with a few onions and feta, maybe some fresh tomatoes (if tomato season ever gets here)!
Thanks for agreat recipe.