This Chicken Souvlaki with Greek Quinoa Salad, Caramelized Lemons and Tzatziki is a healthy, fresh-tasting and mouthwatering gluten-free meal. It’s ready super fast but tastes like you’ve been cooking all day!
Greek food is one of my favorite cuisines. I regularly crave the saltiness of the feta and olives, the tart fresh taste of the lemon juice and the fantastic herbs that make every bite absolutely delicious.
Order Greek food or go pick it up at a restaurant and you can usually get healthy options like chicken skewers and Greek salad. The main issue is the fast carbs it comes with: too much white rice or potatoes and white pita bread. These items can take what was a healthy meal and make the calories (and your blood sugar) go up fast!
That’s why I love to pair my chicken souvlaki with a slow carb on the side: quinoa! It’s perfect with all the ingredients of a Greek salad mixed right in. It’s high in fiber so it gives you staying power and can help you manage your weight.
If it’s too cold to barbecue your chicken, not to worry. This recipe is perfect on the stovetop so you’re not shivering outside or splitting your time between the backyard BBQ and your kitchen stove to grab the quinoa.
Another bonus (and it’s a big one), this meal is good to go in 20 minutes! That’s faster than you can order and get delivery or pick up. Swoon!
Also, can we talk about how yogurt makes everything better?
Growing up in Canada yogurt was always more of a breakfast food and something you’d sweeten up with fruit or even honey. When I first tried Middle Eastern, Greek, South Asian/Indian and other cuisines where yogurt is savory and served as a sauce or condiment at dinner, I was floored. How had I been denied so much deliciousness all these years?
The great news is yogurt really does add cool, calm and collectedness to any warm, savory and especially, spicy food. And don’t bother picking up store bought tzatziki, okay? You can make it yourself in 30 seconds and the freshness and yum factor will blow you away!
Chicken Souvlaki with Greek Quinoa Salad, Caramelized Lemons and Tzatziki
Ready for your new favorite dinner recipe? I guarantee you and everyone you know will love it!
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15 minutes |
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- 1 tbsp light olive oil
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" cubes
- 4 lemons (3 cut in half, 1 zested and juiced)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon each rosemary, thyme and oregano
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa rinsed
- 1 tbsp Oregano
- 1/2 cucumber chopped into half moons (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped into chunks
- 1/4 cup Red onion minced
- 1/4 cup light feta cheese crumbled or cut into small cubes
- 4 Black olives pitted and chopped fine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic grated fine
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup cucumber grated fine
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- In a medium bowl or Ziploc bag, mix the chicken with the juice and zest of 1 lemon and the minced garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme and oregano.
- In a medium saucepan, add the quinoa and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover, simmering for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and lemons cut-side down. Resist the urge to stir the chicken until it develops some color on all sides (like grilled chicken). When the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken and lemons from heat and put in a bowl. Cover with a plate to keep warm and set aside.
- Prepare the Tzatziki Sauce. In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and put in the fridge.
- When the quinoa is ready, put it in a large bowl and add the remaining salad ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Portion the chicken and quinoa salad into 6 servings. Serve with 1/2 a lemon and tzatziki sauce. Squeeze the lemon over your meal, dip in the tzatziki and enjoy!
One of the best recipes I found all day. I was looking to make something simple but complex in the sametime. My father in low is coming next week and I needed something fresh to cook.
Thank you