Summer has an iron grip here in Oklahoma with temperatures well above 100° F daily. Cooking is no longer an enjoyment, it’s a chore. So, I’m pulling everything out of my arsenal that requires minimal time in the kitchen. This chicken souvlaki is one of the most flavorful.

Chicken Souvlaki

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
juice of 3 lemons
2 cloves garlic, minced (the bottled stuff works great!)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil. Pour over the chicken pieces in a zipper storage bag to marinate for at most 30 minutes. Any longer than that, and the lemon juice will start to “cook” the chicken and make it kinda slimy. You don’t want that!

Preheat your broiler while you pat the excess marinade from the chicken with paper towels. Place the chicken pieces on a baking sheet with a little space between each piece. It doesn’t have to be a lot of space, just enough so that the pieces aren’t touching.

Broil the chicken until browned and done through. Serve with warm pita bread, sauteed or raw red onion, tomato slices and tzatziki sauce.

You definitely want to dry off the excess marinade from the chicken pieces. Otherwise, your chicken will steam itself done rather than browning under the broiler. This is what it should look like when it’s done.

This next recipe is super simple but oh so good. It makes a perfect summer complement to the chicken.

Tzatziki Sauce

1/2 to 1 cup yogurt, plain (I used the Greek style this week. It’s slightly thicker than the usual yogurt)
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp dried mint
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon juice

Mix the ingredients and allow to sit in the fridge while the chicken marinates and cooks. Spoon this over the chicken in the pitas. DELICIOUS!