- April 4, 2020
- Chicken
Easy Grilled Greek Chicken Platter
These grilled Greek chicken kebabs are an easy anytime dinner, great for meal prepping, and can fit a keto and low carb lifestyle. Light up the grill and your taste buds with these classic Mediterranean flavors like fresh dill, olive oil, lemon juice, and tzatziki sauce that are sure to be a family favorite.
I’m always down for some grilled chicken. Whether it’s a crispy chicken quarters, wings, or a whole rotisserie style bird, I’m down to make it happen. Grilling is not only fun but just adds so much flavor don’t you think?
Besides the recipes listed above, these Greek chicken Kebabs are one of my favorite staple recipes because it’s easy to prep and makes a beautiful spread that honestly is effortless. Whether it’s a hot summer night or a cool winter day this meal always feels “stick to your ribs” good but is fairly low carb overall (and serving family style makes it easy for everyone to find something they like).
The trick to this recipe is all in the prep! Keto Greek chicken, marinated in a variety of classic Mediterranean flavors, popped on a wooden skewer and grilled to tender perfection. Pair with all your favorite toppings and you have an easy 30 minute meal that you will make over and over!
Get all the details below for grilling the perfect Greek chicken kabobs below and get all the helpful tips and tricks for cooking this meal!
“School” Supplies:
- Knife & Cutting Board
- Container/ Plastic Bag Etc.
- Wooden Skewers
- Tongs
- Baking Sheet & Rack (optional for indirect grilling)
“Class” Notes:
I think Mediterranean food is probably one of the styles of cuisine I could eat over and over every day and never get tired of it. It’s refreshing and comforting at the same time and just always hits the spot for me. I also really love how versatile it is and this recipe fits the bill on all of those things!
Because I eat a lower carb diet, I wanted to create a Greek chicken marinade recipe that would be lower in carbs, but didn’t take away the flavor profile I wanted to create. I also wanted to keep in mind that many of you are looking for dairy free, whole 30 or paleo recipes as well, so I’ve listed some substitution ideas to help.
Is Greek yogurt keto friendly?
Greek yogurt, and any yogurt is typically higher in carbs naturally based on how yogurt is made. Depending on how your track and what type of diet you’re on, a standard Greek yogurt based marinade could throw you out of ketosis (remember ketosis is a metabolic state and not a food).
That being said, the marinade is 100% what makes this recipe tender and flavorful on the grill and should NOT be skipped. Chicken in general has a low fat content and is really lean (even when cooking with darker meat), so keeping the chicken pieces tender while grilling is the goal.
A marinade imparts a lot of flavor and helps tenderize the meat. For this recipe, I went with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Slice them into equal size pieces (keep thickness in mind as well for even cooking).
So if this is a keto friendly recipe, then what did I use to substitute for Greek yogurt? Sour cream!
Not to say that sour cream doesn’t have carbs too (because it does), but it can be less than some Greek yogurts on the market and helps tenderize the meat for this cook. The cool thing about a low carb diet being a more popular way of eating is that there are newer yogurt brands on the market as well that are much lower in carbs. Check your local grocery store for this as well if you prefer.
What are some dairy free Greek yogurt substitutes?
If you are dairy free, paleo, and whole 30 then this recipe is still doable! Try using a coconut milk based yogurt instead. This may be higher in carbs but you’re not eating the entire serving of marinade in one sitting so it’s a give and take here. You could also use canned coconut milk as well.
Steps for making this recipe-
Marinade-
Well the marinade has to be the first step! Whip this up the night before or the morning of to make dinner time easier. I just get a large bowl and whip together the sour cream, fresh lemon juice (if you’re feeling fancy use charred lemons here for a better flavor), fresh lemon zest, garlic, and fresh dill.
Do you have to use fresh herbs and spices? No, but it is 100% better if you do! Fresh dill and and fresh squeezed lemon and minced garlic impart a better flavor overall. Use what you have however and do what is convenient and accessible for you.
Cut the chicken into even size pieces, about an inch thick. Even cutting helps for even cooking, so keep that in mind! Mix everything well with your hands, cover, and store for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
Skewering-
If you plan on using wooden skewers for this recipe, be sure to soak them at least 30 minutes prior to using them in water to prevent them from burring. The trick to evenly cooking kebabs is all in threading the chicken.
Chicken that is packed to tightly together on the skewer will lead to overcooking the outside and under cooked in the center. Chicken is cooked when it reaches a final temperature of 165 F. according to USDA food safety guidelines. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
Grilling-
You can cook the chicken over direct or indirect heat on the grill. But, I prefer indirect whenever I have a heavier marinade (sour cream dripping all over my grill just doesn’t sound like fun to clean up) and I prefer that the marinade really sticks and adds flavor.
Cooking indirectly first on an elevated rack helps keep the marinade on the chicken and helps prevent them from over cooking (which is easily done if your grill is blaring on medium high heat).
When the kebabs are around the 145-150 F mark, I remove from the cooler side of the grill and switch to a quick direct heat method to impart some grill marks and a little char. If you have a charcoal grill, adding some smoke flavor would also punch up the flavor too!
Serving “family” style-
Serving any meal on a giant platter like this is literally my favorite thing. First, it looks amazing and secondly it lends to literally just dumping things in piles across a platter and it looks effortless. Win, win!
For this recipe, I served it with sliced red onion, sliced cucumber, some tomatoes, red bell peppers, and marinaded olives. I HAVE to have a little tzatziki sauce to go with it (I usually just buy mine but it’s easy to make). Eat your grilled chicken and toppings as is, over lettuce or pair with this delicious Greek Cauliflower rice.
Looking to make a low carb style gyro? I sometimes use a 1 net carb my low carb naan bread recipe or will buy these pita breads pictured (Amazon affiliate link) if I’m really craving it. Store the leftovers in a container and eat cold with a salad the next day!
Get the recipe below and be sure to save or pin for later on Pinterest or share your final product with me over on Instagram so I can be a part of your cook. Happy grilling!
Looking for other delicious Greek inspired recipes? Try these!
Bon Appeteach,
-L
Easy Grilled Greek Chicken Platter
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts diced evenly into 1″ pieces
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1/2 Lemon Juiced
- 1/2 Lemon Zested
- 2 tbsp. Fresh Dill minced
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- Serve with- Low carb pita olives, cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce.
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl combine the sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, fresh dill, minced garlic, and salt and pepper.
- 2. Add in the diced chicken and use your hands to mix everything very well and then cover and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- 3. Before grilling, soak wooden skewers at least 30 min ahead of time. Prep the grill for two zone cooking (direct and indirect heat) and heat to 425 F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place a rack over top.
- 4. Skewer the chicken so there is a little space between each piece for even cooking. Place on the elevated rack and repeat.
- 5. Place the baking sheet with the chicken skewers onto the cooler side (indirect) of the grill. Cook until the internal temperature is around 145-150 F. This could take around 15-20 minutes depending on how cold the chicken was before grilling. Grilling indirect first allows the marinade to stay on the chicken and not end up all over your grill!
- 6. Move the chicken to the direct side of the grill and rotate every minute to get a nice even char. Cook at this stage until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
- 7. Remove from the grill and serve with your favorite Mediterranean style veggies, tzatziki sauce, and low carb pitas or with Greek cauliflower rice.