Low-Fat Chicken Souvlaki (Grill, BBQ or Air Fryer)
This easy chicken souvlaki recipe combines lean chicken breast with lemon, garlic and oregano for a fresh, Greek-inspired family meal. You can cook the chicken skewers under the grill, on the barbecue or in an air fryer, so there’s no need to fry them.
To make the original recipe more suitable for a lower-fat diet, I recommend reducing the olive oil from 50ml to 1 tablespoon (15ml). The lemon juice keeps the marinade loose and helps spread the herbs and garlic over the chicken.
Serve the souvlaki with rice, flatbread, salad or roasted vegetables, along with a low-fat yoghurt sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Souvlaki
Made with lean, skinless chicken breast
Uses only one tablespoon of olive oil
Can be grilled, barbecued or air-fried
Easy lemon, garlic and oregano marinade
Naturally high in protein
Suitable for family dinners and summer barbecues
Ready in approximately 30 minutes, plus marinating time
What Is Chicken Souvlaki?
Chicken souvlaki is a popular Greek dish made with marinated chicken pieces threaded onto skewers and cooked over high heat. The marinade commonly includes olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano.
Cooking the chicken quickly under a grill or over a barbecue gives it lightly charred edges while keeping the centre tender. An air fryer is another convenient option when you’d rather not light the barbecue.
Recipe at a Glance
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 30 minutes to 2 hours
Cooking time: Approximately 12 minutes
Servings: 4
Cooking methods: Grill, barbecue or air fryer
Recommended portion: 1 to 2 chicken skewer per person
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
2 teaspoons dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
650g skinless chicken breast, cut into approximately 2cm chunks
You will also need
4 – 8 flat metal skewers; or
4 – 8 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30–60 minutes
Recipe note: The original recipe used 50ml of olive oil. I reduced this to 1 tablespoon to lower the overall fat content.
How to Make Chicken Souvlaki
1. Prepare the marinade
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, dried oregano, salt and black pepper to a large non-metallic bowl. Whisk until everything is combined.
2. Marinate the chicken
Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and turn them through the marinade until each piece is evenly coated.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If you have more time, leave the chicken to marinate for up to 2 hours.
Don’t leave it much longer, as the acidic lemon juice can begin to affect the chicken’s texture.
3. Assemble the skewers
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Divide the pieces evenly between four skewers, placing them close together without packing them so tightly that they cook unevenly.
Discard any marinade that has touched the raw chicken.
How to Grill Chicken Souvlaki
Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
Arrange the skewers on a grill tray lined with foil or baking paper suitable for use under a grill.
If using wooden skewers wrap tin foil around the handle part to prevent burning.
Position the tray close to the heat, but make sure the chicken or skewers don’t touch the heating element.
Grill for approximately 6 minutes.
Carefully turn the skewers and cook for another 6 minutes.
Check that the chicken is completely cooked before serving. It should be no less that 74c on your meat probe.
The exact cooking time depends on the size of the chicken pieces and the strength of your grill.
How to Air Fry Chicken Souvlaki
Check that the skewers fit inside your air-fryer basket. Short wooden skewers may work better in smaller models.
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/390°F, if your appliance requires it.
Arrange the skewers in a single layer, leaving room for the hot air to circulate. You may need to cook them in batches.
Air-fry for approximately 12 minutes, turning halfway through.
Check that the largest pieces of chicken are thoroughly cooked before serving.
Air fryers vary, so adjust the cooking time to suit your particular model.
How to Barbecue Chicken Souvlaki
Preheat the barbecue to a medium-high heat.
Lightly oil the barbecue bars, or use a suitable non-stick barbecue mat to stop the chicken from sticking.
Place the skewers over direct heat and cook for approximately 10–14 minutes.
Turn them every few minutes so the chicken browns evenly without burning.
Remove the skewers when the chicken is lightly charred and cooked all the way through.
Don’t place cooked chicken back onto a plate or tray that held the raw chicken.
How to Tell When Chicken Souvlaki Is Cooked
The chicken should be steaming hot throughout, with no pink meat left in the centre. Its juices should run clear when you cut open the thickest piece.
For the most reliable check, insert a clean food thermometer into the centre of the largest piece. The chicken should reach 74°C/167°F.
Let the skewers rest for two or three minutes before serving.
What to Serve With Chicken Souvlaki
Complete the meal with one or two lighter side dishes, such as:
Boiled rice or lemon rice
Warm pitta or flatbread
Greek-style salad
Tomato and cucumber salad
Roasted vegetables
Couscous with fresh herbs
Boiled or air-fried potatoes
Fat-free Greek yoghurt mixed with cucumber and mint (Tzatziki)
A low-fat yoghurt and garlic sauce
If you’re managing gallbladder symptoms, choose accompaniments you already tolerate and keep an eye on the total fat in the complete meal.
Tips for Tender Chicken Souvlaki
Cut the chicken evenly
Try to make all the chicken pieces roughly the same size. Uneven pieces can leave the smaller ones dry by the time the larger pieces are safely cooked.
Do not marinate it for too long
Thirty minutes to two hours is enough. Lemon juice adds flavour, but prolonged exposure can change the texture of the chicken’s outer surface.
Use flat metal skewers when possible
Flat skewers help stop the pieces from spinning when you turn them. If you use wooden skewers, soak them first to reduce scorching or wrap the handles in tin foil.
Cook over a high heat
A hot grill, barbecue or air fryer encourages the lightly charred edges associated with souvlaki. Keep an eye on the chicken, though, because the garlic in the marinade can burn.
Avoid overcrowding the air fryer
Air needs to circulate around the skewers. Cook them in batches if they don’t fit comfortably in one layer.
Is Chicken Souvlaki Low in Fat?
Chicken breast is naturally lean and high in protein, but the amount of fat in chicken souvlaki depends mainly on how much oil goes into the marinade and what you serve alongside it.
This version uses one tablespoon of olive oil across four servings and cooks the chicken on a grill, barbecue or air fryer instead of shallow-frying it. To keep the complete meal lower in fat, avoid adding large amounts of oil, full-fat sauces or fried side dishes.
You won’t necessarily eat all of the marinade, so nutritional calculations based on the full quantity may differ from the amount actually consumed.
Is Chicken Souvlaki Suitable for People With Gallstones?
This lower-fat chicken souvlaki may suit some people managing gallstones because it uses lean chicken breast and only a small amount of added oil. Individual food triggers vary, however.
Garlic, citrus fruit, herbs or larger portions can cause symptoms for some people, even when a meal is low in fat. Begin with a modest portion and adjust the ingredients according to your personal tolerance and any advice from your doctor or dietitian.
For help planning meals after gallbladder problems or surgery, see my complete Gallbladder Meal Plan in the shop.
Low-Fat Chicken Souvlaki (Grill, BBQ or Air Fryer)
Ingredients
Method
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, dried oregano, salt and black pepper to a large non-metallic bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are combined.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and turn them through the marinade until every piece is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If you have more time, leave the chicken to marinate for up to 2 hours.
- Avoid leaving it much longer because the acidic lemon juice can begin to affect the chicken’s texture.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Divide the pieces evenly between four skewers, placing them close together without packing them so tightly that they cook unevenly.
- Discard any marinade that has been in contact with the raw chicken. Do not use it as a serving sauce unless it has been thoroughly boiled first.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Prepare the marinade and add the chicken up to two hours before cooking. Keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble and cook the skewers.
For food-safety and texture reasons, don’t leave the raw chicken at room temperature or in the lemon marinade overnight.
Yes. Marinate the chicken as instructed, then arrange the pieces directly on a lined grill tray or in the air-fryer basket. Leave a little space between them and turn them during cooking.
You can leave out the oil and add one or two tablespoons of water to loosen the marinade. However, the chicken may not brown quite as evenly and could stick more easily to the cooking surface.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used, but they contain more fat than chicken breast. They may also need a slightly longer cooking time. Chicken breast is the better choice when reducing fat is your priority.
Cool any leftovers promptly, remove the chicken from the skewers and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Use within two days and reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout.
Yes. Once completely cool, remove the chicken from the skewers and place it in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months, defrost safely in the refrigerator and reheat until steaming hot.
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