Quick BBQ Greek gyros kebabs

Here is my recipe on how to cook BBQ Greek gyros kebabs with a souvlaki seasoning rub on chicken. Best served with flatbreads or pitta, this dish is an excellent summer BBQ meal.

This is a recipe for souvlaki infused quick BBQ gyros kebabs which can be cooked on the BBQ or a kitchen griddle.

Contents

• Introduction to BBQ kebabs
• Ingredients for Souvlaki Gyros Kebabs
• Why I love BBQ Greek Gyros Kebabs
• BBQ Chicken Gyros Equipment
• The Recipe
• Your Comments

Introduction to BBQ kebabs

BBQ kebabs are a popular dish during the summer with my family. I enjoy cooking these BBQ Greek gyros kebabs as it is quick, easy and more importantly - tasty.

The urge to cook these came from a trip to the Greek island of Kos where souvlaki seasoning was quite new to me. However when I tried it I knew I had to bring this back home and give it a go.

Ingredients for Souvlaki Gyros Kebabs

The recipe for this dish can be quite flexible providing that you have the basic staple ingredients available to you.

• Chicken - When preparing chicken I find that chicken breast is the easiest cut of meat to use as it offers a large surface area to spike with the kebab skewer and be able to cover in the marinade. However for a fuller flavour cut of meat, try using chicken thighs with the bones removed. The meat by the bone tends to be much tastier.
• Red Onion - A red onion chopped into quarters and then those halved (so 8 pieces out of a full onion). This will give enough space to get on the skewer.
• Bell peppers - Again, cutting into a total of 8 pieces will give the right size and amount of pepper to go on a kebab skewer. For other onion cutting tips check out my slicing and dicing post.
• Souvlaki mix - This is mixed with the maple syrup and then brushed on to the chicken to marinade for at least an hour - ideally this should be left overnight to penetrate the flavours into the meat.
• Maple syrup - The syrup will offer a good sticky coating to make it stick on the meat. To reduce the sweetness (if needed) add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.

Souvlaki Mix Ingredients

You can make your own mix of souvlaki ingredients by adding together a teaspoon of each of the following ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon oregano
• 2 tablespoon paprika.
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme.
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin.
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• 1 teaspoon salt.
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.

Collate all these ingredients into a bowl and then mix them together. If you have a spare jar or air tight box, store them in there for 6 months.

If you have an old spice jar (the Schwartz herbs and spice type) then you can use a clean empty one to store pre-made spice mixes in such as this souvlaki mix or even the KFC secret spices mix. Mark them up with a masking tape label and write on what is inside.

Why I love BBQ Greek Gyros Kebabs

The versatility of this dish makes it a go to choice for a simple and quick meal. The more time the chicken can get to marinade the better and makes for a tastier dish. The absolute minimum is 30 minutes marinade time, but look to do an hour or two in the fridge for best effect.

BBQ Chicken Gyros Equipment

The main piece of equipment you need for a good BBQ skewer is metal kebab skewers. These are great for plenty of reasons:

• They are easy to clean - Just a simple soapy water wash will have them ready for use again next time. Or you can put them in the dishwasher.
• They don't burn and cook the food from the middle outwards - As the kebab skewers are made of metal, they heat up and therefore the meat also cooks with the heat from the kebab skewer. This means that there is less chance of underdone chicken in the middle of the thicker pieces.
• They are reusable and you don't need to throw them away like you would with wooden skewers.

Be careful! - Skewers get hot.

Once you have cooked the meats on the skewers then I'd recommend taking it off the metal skewer so you don't risk your guests burning themselves on the metal. You could always transfer the kebabs to a plate or a pitta bread or flat bread for serving. Otherwise serve as they are but allow them to cool.

What should I serve BBQ Greek Gyros Kebabs with?

In my mind, the one bread which is the winner here is the pitta bread. A simple bread recipe to make and only take 4-5 minutes in the oven to cook. These breads are best cooked on a pizza stone for ultimate puff and rise.

The Recipe