I wish I had a great back story or some memory associated with this meal and I could paint a delightful, picturesque setting of a time I enjoyed this meal. Unfortunately, I also can’t claim that my grandmother from the Greek island of Mykonos used to make this for me. Although I love Greek history and hope to visit someday, I have no Greek ancestry. The truth is that I got this recipe from a “middle-class fancy” magazine that my realtor mailed to me. I saw the recipe and thought that it sounded good. This soon became my wife and I’s favorite meal.
In short, why should you make this meal? Because it is amazing and delicious. I have only tried it with Chicken, but I assume you could recreate this same meal with steak or shrimp, or both. Before I get straight into the recipe, first you have to answer a quick question. Are you planning on grilling, or baking?
Grilling Method
Alright, I will admit that this method tastes slightly better, but it is also more time consuming. That being said, I always enjoy grilling more than baking in the oven. Take this time to enjoy the outdoors and sip on a good beer. The key to this method is prepping ahead of time and trying to be as efficient as possible. The good news is that you can even start this recipe the day before. Without further ado, here is the recipe.
Here is how you prepare the tzatziki sauce:
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (robust flavor)
- 2 tsp. dill weed 1/2 tsp. each garlic powder, salt and pepper
Peel cucumber and slice in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds and discard. (I recommend using a small spoon). Finely dice cucumber and place in a medium bowl. Add remaining tzatziki ingredients and mix until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
Here is how you prepare the chicken:
- 2 lbs of chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (robust flavor)
- 2 Tbsp. plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp mint
- 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp pepper
In a large bowl, mix together all marinade ingredients. Add chicken and toss to coat. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Grilling:
When ready to cook, heat grill to medium or around 350F if your grill has numbers. Slide pieces of chicken onto metal skewers, leaving at least 1 inch on the end. Grill for 8-10 minutes. Turn skewers and grill for an additional 8-10 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Serve with tzatziki sauce.
Chef’s Tips:
This meal is even better with some sides. I would recommend cutting up a red bell pepper and onion, putting those on a skewer and grilling along with the chicken. Additionally, I like to make about a cup or so of Jasmine Rice and serve with cherry tomatoes. During the summer I picked fresh Cherry Tomatoes from my garden and it was delightful. Don’t forget to serve with Naan or Pita bread and top with the ingredients to make your own gyros (although Naan bread taste better, in my opinion). Finally, if you want to get fancy, serve with some chopped parsley.
Baking Method
This method is the easier of the two, but that doesn’t mean the flavor is less. If I have the option, I prefer grilling more than baking because it makes me feel like a dad (I usually equip my dad sandals to enhance my abilities). But during the winter months, or if I’m in a rush, I will pivot to backing the chicken. Honestly, it still tastes amazing and it’ll save you a bunch of time. The other nice things is that since the chicken is so quick to prepare, you can spread this meal out over 2 days (if you’re eating for 2) by only baking 1 pound of the chicken the first night. Then for day 2, you just use your left-over sauce and bake the chicken.
Here is how you prepare the tzatziki sauce:
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (robust flavor)
- 2 tsp. dill weed 1/2 tsp. each garlic powder, salt and pepper
Peel cucumber and slice in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds and discard. (I recommend using a small spoon). Finely dice cucumber and place in a medium bowl. Add remaining tzatziki ingredients and mix until fully combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
Here is you prepare the chicken:
- 2 lbs of chicken breasts
- 1 Tsp. extra virgin olive oil (light flavor)
- Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning (as seen below)
Use a meat hammer to flatten the chicken breasts. I would recommend trying to flatten them until they are at most 1-inch at the thickest part. Next, coat the chicken in a small amount of olive oil and cover with the Cavender’s seasoning on both sides.
Baking:
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425F (220C) for standard ovens. Line a baking sheet with foil and place in the oven for 16-20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Chef’s Tips:
This meal is even better with some sides. I would recommend cutting up a red bell pepper into stripes and sautéing it in a pan while the chicken cooks. Additionally, I like to make about a cup or so of Jasmine Rice and serve with cherry tomatoes and sliced red onion. Don’t forget to serve with Naan or Pita bread and top with the ingredients to make your own gyros (although Naan bread taste better, in my opinion). Finally, if you want to get fancy, serve with some chopped parsley.
Final Thoughts
You can download the recipes below to print them out. If you loved this recipe as much as I did, I have two favors to ask. First, make this for your family, or friends and share it with as many people as you can. I don’t get paid by the Greek Chicken Commission (not a real thing). I just feel that food should be enjoyed with friends and family and shared with everyone. Second, I please use my contact form and let me know your thoughts about the recipe. I’d also love to hear any variations that you came up with that were good.
As a final recommendation, I would pair this with the Midas Touch Ancient Ale by Dogfish Head Brewing. It is a fun intersection of wine, mead and beer and it is heavily inspired by an ancient Greek formula. Additionally, you can enjoy this with your favorite white wine or mead. The best mead I’ve stumbled across is Groennfell Meadery. Unless you live in Vermont, you can only order it from their website, but it is absolutely worth it. Thank you and enjoy this food!