Chicken Skewers With Cilantro Mint Sauce

I'm gearing up for a ton of Greece inspired recipes here on WGC and first up... Chicken Skewers with Cilantro Mint Sauce (and some tzatziki on the side because duh!)

Why I Love This Recipe

The food in Greece is exactly my style. It's simple but flavorful, nothing is overly complicated, the sauces and dips are everything and it's mostly healthy. Sums up the recipes here on What's Gaby Cooking am I right? There was tons of fresh fish, octopus, tzatziki and souvlaki. I was in heaven. I've been a recipe that is very similar to souvlaki here, but today it's a new rendition with this cilantro mint sauce that screams summer.

The chicken is marinated in a greek yogurt mixture that you could probably whip up right this second - it's super easy ingredients that are most likely already in your fridge and then grilled until just slightly charred on the outside. Dunk it in the cilantro mint sauce and/or the tzatziki! I'm all about the sauce, so the more dips the better! You could eat these as is at that point, or wrap them up in a pita wrap and squeeze a little lemon or lime juice on top and call it a day.

Whip them up this week and I promise they'll be in regular rotation forever and ever!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Mise en place of all ingredients to make chicken skewers with cilantro mint sauce.

For the Chicken Skewers

Lemon Juice
Vegetable Oil
Greek Yogurt
Garlic
Tomato Paste
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt
Oregano
Paprika
Black Pepper
Allspice
Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts

For the Cilantro Mint Sauce

Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Mint
Shallot
Water
Fresh Lime Juice
Serrano Pepper
Sugar
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper freshly cracked

Extras:

Pita Wedges
Tzatziki

*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.

How to Make Chicken Skewers

A large glass mixing bowl with ingredients for the chicken marinade, lemon juice, vegetable oil, plain yogurt, garlic, tomato paste, salt, oregano, paprika, pepper and allspice.

Step 1: Whisk together the lemon juice, vegetable oil, plain yogurt, garlic, tomato paste, salt, oregano, paprika, pepper and allspice in a large bowl.

A large glass mixing bowl with a marinade, and chicken breasts cut into chunks added to it.

Step 2: Add the chicken and toss to coat.

Step 3: Transfer the chicken mixture into a large plastic bag; refrigerate at least 4 hours. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.

A baking sheet with chicken skewers, made with wooden skewers that have marinated chunks of chicken threaded through them, ready to be cooked.

Step 4: Thread the chicken onto metal or wooden skewers. Cook on preheated grill until the chicken is golden and no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes each side.

An overhead shot of a blender jar with all ingredients for cilantro mint sauce.

Step 5: Combine the ingredients for the mint cilantro sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

A baking sheet with chicken skewers, a bowl of tzatziki, a bowl of cilantro mint sauce and some pitas on the side.

Step 6: Serve the chicken skewers with the cilantro and mint sauce and pita and a raita.

How to Store Chicken Skewers

You can store the cilantro mint sauce and the chicken skewers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure you warm the chicken through and to a safe temperature when eating.

How to Freeze Chicken Skewers

You can freeze cooked chicken for about 3 months. When it is time to eat, thaw it in the fridge overnight and make sure you warm it through. The cilantro mint sauce also freezes beautifully and is great to have on hand since it goes well with so many dishes!

Tips & Tricks

The cilantro mint sauce would also be great on steak or salmon.

FAQs

Is chicken thigh or chicken breast better for skewers?

While either work well, I normally use chicken thighs when making skewers. Chicken thighs are higher in fat, so the meat will be more tender and juicy after grilling.

What goes well with chicken skewers?

You can pair these up with a pita or a naan. You can also throw in a nice salad, like a Butter Lettuce Salad or Cabbage Salad. Feel free to add another dip along with the cilantro mint sauce- some tzatziki, and top with pickled onions, chopped tomatoes and/or lemon.