Easy Gluten Free Chicken Souvlaki is not only easy and delicious, it can ALL be made on the grill, including the gluten free pita bread!
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Do you consider certain foods seasonal? I know we all consider turkey and mashed potatoes as Thanksgiving/fall foods. But what I mean is do you avoid “heavy” foods in the summertime like I do? I don’t know if it’s just a natural occurring phenomenon in my own body, but I always find that I crave fresh, light meals in the summer and tend to save the “comfort” foods, like spaghetti and meatballs, for the colder months.
Chicken souvlaki is all about summer and one of my favorite summer meals of all time. It’s light, fresh, and full of flavor. And it’s so versatile. It can be made with or without the bread and can be packed into meal prep containers with rice or quinoa as a quick lunch. It’s also great cold!
here’s what you’ll need
- Chicken — you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or you can even use pork if you’d rather have pork souvlaki (the original recipe was for pork).
- Lemon — fresh lemon juice and zest is essential.
- Oregano — most of the time dried oregano packs a punch of flavor, but I personally like fresh oregano in this recipe.
- Greek yogurt — for the tahini sauce.
- Tahini — I know it’s traditional to serve souvlaki with tzatziki sauce, but I love, love, love tahini and when I first made this sauce, there was no turning back.
- Flatbread — of course if you’re not gluten free, you can use any flatbread you like. But chances are, you wouldn’t be reading this blog if you weren’t gluten free (although several of my recipes are interchangable). I used to make this recipe years ago (pre celiac) with store bought naan bread. Then I switched to my own recipe for gf naan bread and it was wonderful. Then when I made gluten free pita bread, I loved that, too! Either will work with great results.
- Fresh Greek veggies — these are all personal preference. My favorites are cucumbers, tomatoes, and kalamata olives. Traditional also includes sliced onions, but if you know me you know I loathe onions so I’ll never have them in my veggie line up.
it’s so easy to make chicken souvlaki
- Mix marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Add cubed chicken and toss to coat.
- Pour into ziptop bag and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to four.
- Mix ingredients for sauce together in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Chop any veggies and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When ready to grill, preheat grill over high heat.
- Thread marinated chicken pieces onto metal skewers.
- Grill chicken until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
- Serve souvlaki with tahini sauce, fresh veggies, olives, feta cheese (if desired) and gf pita or naan.
GF chicken souvlaki FAQs
Souvlaki is marinated meat that’s been grilled on a skewer. It’s usually made with either chicken or pork, but sometimes beef and lamb are also commonly used.
Souvlaki is made with pieces of chicken that have been skewered and grilled, whereas gyros are made with meat that’s been stacked on a vertical rotisserie.
No, you can skip the bread entirely (although it’s the perfect way to wrap it up and serve) and serve the meat with veggies and rice or quinoa.
Yes, it’s a perfect make ahead meal. In fact, it can also be served cold as a mezze platter of sorts or in a meal prep container with veggies, rice, and the tahini sauce.
more grilling recipes
For a change of pace from the traditional grilled chicken, try my Easy Gluten Free Chicken Souvlaki. It’s light, fresh, and oh so good!
Easy Gluten Free Chicken Souvlaki
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks (breasts or thighs)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- zest of two lemons
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Tahini Sauce
- 1 cup (240g) plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120g) tahini paste
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- water for thinning sauce, as needed
Pita Fixins
- 1 recipe Gluten Free Pita Bread (can be baked on the grill)
- cucumbers, chopped or sliced
- tomatoes, diced
- kalamata olives
- feta cheese crumbles
- sliced red onions
Instructions
Marinate Chicken
- Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and add chicken. Toss to coat. If desired, place chicken and marinade in large ziptop bag and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to four.
Make Tahini Sauce
- Whisk together yogurt, tahini, and lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth. If desired, add water, a tablespoon at a time, to reach desired drizzling consistency. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Grill Chicken and Heat Pita
- Thread chicken on metal (or soaked wooden) skewers and grill over high heat for 5-6 minutes per side or until cooked through.
- If using pre-baked pita, wrap in a foil packet and place on grill over indirect heat, while cooking the chicken, to warm the pita. If "baking" the pita directly on the grill, place over high heat and close the lid, grilling for 2-3 minutes or until puffed.
Serve
- Arrange warm pita on platter with chicken, tahini sauce, veggies, and feta. To serve, add a few pieces of chicken on pita with olives, veggies, and feta. Drizzle sauce on top and fold over like a taco.