Air Fryer Chicken Souvlaki

Chicken souvlaki is in my DNA and I have certainly passed this love onto my family. I mean who doesn’t love this delicious Greek street snack, especially when you can make it so easily yourself at home.

Follow my easy Air Fryer Souvlaki recipe to make delicious chicken skewers without having to turn on the oven or BBQ.

What Does Souvlaki Mean?

Souvlaki means little skewer in Greek and it refers to meat (or less typically, vegetables) that is cooked threaded on sticks / skewers.

Greek Souvlaki is usually made with chicken, pork or lamb that’s marinated first then grilled and served with pita bread, tzatziki sauce, tomato, onions and sometimes fries.

Gyros is another popular Greek delicacy that contains almost the same ingredients but is cooked stacked on a rotating vertical rotisserie.

Air Fyer Souvlaki Ingredients

The secret to authentic Greek Chicken Souvlaki (Kotopoulo Souvlaki) lies in the simple marinade which adds tons of flavour and makes the chicken succulent and delicious.

You simply need olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon zest, dried oregano, garlic seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper. I used chicken thighs in this recipe but you can use chicken breasts if preferred.

I used a rack and skewer set that came as part of an Air Fryer accessory bundle and my Cosori Air Fryer for this recipe.

How to Make Air Fryer Souvlaki

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Marinate the Meat

1. Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces, removing any large pieces of fat. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Add the diced meat, mix to combine, cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Make the Souvlaki

1. Thread the chicken on the skewers, you should be able to make at least eight, and preheat the Air Fryer for 3 minutes at 190°C (375°F).

1. Place the skewers on a rack and air fry for 10 minutes, flipping over halfway through. To make sure the chicken is cooked through, check the temperature with a meat thermometer – it should be a minimum of 75°C / 167°F.

Serving Suggestions

Mix the sliced onion with the chopped parsley and prep the souvlaki fixings while the meat marinates. I have include my recipe for Tzatziki sauce in the recipe card below.

Briefly pan fry the pita bread to warm up then add a little onion, tzatziki and sliced tomatoes. Take the chicken off the skewers, add to the pita, wrap tightly and enjoy! You can also serve the chicken with my Greek Potato Salad, Lemon Potatoes, Orzo Pasta Salad, over Spanakorizo or simply with a Horiatiki salad.

Recipe Tips

• Cook the marinated chicken pieces directly in the air fryer basket, without threading them onto skewers, shaking occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
• To make the recipe suitable for Slimming World, use a cooking spray instead of the olive oil and serve with a green salad instead of in a wrap.

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