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I have the best kind of Monday food for you.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Greek!

Greek food is delicious on pretty much any given day, but it sure helps to get you through a Monday, don’t cha think?

So you remember how last week how I said August was gonna be all about summer foods? And that I really wanted to spend the last full month of summer eating everything and anything that SCREAMS summer? Well, I really wasn’t kidding. I am going crazy with all the farm fresh produce that comes along with the month of August. It really excites me to come up with creative ways to make the most of it all.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Although I may have to throw in a few chocolate recipes here and there that have nothing to do with summer. For some reason over the weekend I could not stop thinking about chocolate. Probably because my chocolate lover mother is coming back for a few days, so I wanted to make something that was all about chocolate. You see, when it comes to my mom and her chocolate (and me too for that matter) the mixing in of fruit is forbidden.

Unless it’s bananas or dates. Banana’s and dates are my only two exceptions.

I also feel I should tell you that if you’ve ever seen any raspberries, cherries or strawberries on top of anything chocolate I’ve posted, you can pretty much guarantee that I put them there for the photos. This also means I probably picked the berries off and ate them separately. I am just not a fruit with my chocolate kind of girl. White chocolate, sure, but not chocolate chocolate.

So, I am taking suggestions. Nothing’s been made yet.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Ok, sorry about my all too common diversion there, but I kind get serious about my chocolate.

FYI – We all should be serious about our chocolate…no matter the season.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

On to Greek food.

I made us Greek Plates! Not bowls because I do bowl food all the time, so I went with plates. You COULD put this all in a bowl, but to me plates seem better with Greek food anyway.

These plates? They have a little bit of everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything good. We are talking Greek chicken, marinated veggies, rice pilaf, Tzatziki, tomatoes, feta and homemade pita.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Have you ever had Greek Souvlaki? I made salmon souvlaki last summer and fell in love with the the flavors. So I used that recipe, but swapped chicken for the salmon. If you wanted to, you could use salmon, beef or even pork or lamb. I think pork is what the Greek’s traditionally use, but I bet lamb would be delicious too!

Instead of skewering the chicken with skewers I used the stems of rosemary. I have seen this all over the internet this summer and have been wanting to try it. The stems are awesome because they work so perfectly as a skewer while the rosemary flavors the meat. And it’s nice because they bend. It makes fitting them on a plate actually do-able. Hooray!

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

I had the chicken souvlaki down but I needed some carbs to go with it. Every meal needs a little carbs. It does.

So I made this really easy rice pilaf. It’s a mix of orzo pasta (I used whole wheat) and basmati rice. It’s super simple and perfect for scooping and eating with a little chicken + summer veggies.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Ah, the yummy grilled summer veggies. I marinated them in a little of the souvlaki marinade. The marinade keeps things quick and simple, but adds nice flavor to the vegetables. To top the dish off – Tzatziki. I do not think any proper Greek meal is complete with out a little Tzatziki sauce and feta cheese. Of course any Greek dish also needs to be paired with fresh homemade pita to be truly complete.

Oh, and tons of fresh herbs. I used a lot of dill, basil and oregano. So good.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w/Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 665 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

Veggies + Chicken Souvlaki

  • 1 pound boneless chicken breast diced into chunks
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or paprika
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 6 sprigs fresh rosemary optional
  • 2 red pepper cut into fourths
  • 1 inch zucchini sliced into 1/4 rounds
  • 1 inch small eggplant sliced 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 batch [Tzatziki | https://fett-weg.today/greek-salmon-souvlaki-gyros-with-tzatziki/%5D%3C/span%3E%3C/li%3E%3Cli class="wprm-recipe-ingredient" style="list-style-type: none;">4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
  • warmed [pita bread | https://fett-weg.today/traditional-greek-pita-bread/%5D%3C/span%3E%20%3Cspan class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes wprm-recipe-ingredient-notes-faded">for serving

Rice Pilaf

Instructions

  • In a medium size bowl or glass measuring cup combine the lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, dill, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the chicken to a gallon size ziplock bag and pour half the marinade over the chicken, toss well, making sure the chicken is completely coated in the seasonings. Place in the fridge. Add the veggies to a bowl and toss with the remaining marinade. Set aside.
  • To make the rice. Heat a 10-12 inch sided skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and orzo pasta. Allow the pasta to get slightly golden and toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and toast the rice another 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer or until the garlic is fragrant. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, pre heat the grill to medium high heat.
  • Grab your rosemary and strip the herbs away from its woody stem. Thread the chicken onto the rosemary stems (or just use skewers), placing them on a plate as you go.
  • Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, gently flipping 2-3 times until chicken is cooked through and has light char marks. While the chicken is grilling grill the zucchini and eggplant slices for about 4 minutes on each side, or until tender. Grill the red peppers for about 5 minutes flipping once or twice during cooking. You may also use a grill pan to do this or even just cook everything on the stove. Remove everything from the grill.
  • Fluff the rice with a fork and then stir in the kalamata olives, pine nuts and fresh herbs.
  • Divide the rice among plates or bowls. Add some grilled veggies + tomatoes to each plate and then 1-2 chicken skewers. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve with warm [pita bread | https://fett-weg.today/traditional-greek-pita-bread/] and [Tzatziki | https://fett-weg.today/greek-salmon-souvlaki-gyros-with-tzatziki/%5D.%3C/div%3E%3C/li%3E%3C/ul%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E

    Notes

    *I always prepare my [Tzatziki | https://fett-weg.today/greek-salmon-souvlaki-gyros-with-tzatziki/] before I start on anything else. That way it has time to sit in the fridge and the flavors can mend together.
    View Recipe Comments

Greek Chicken Souvlaki and Rice Pilaf Plates w-Marinated Veggies + Feta Tzatziki | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Now how healthy (and good) does that look? Told you, the perfect food for a Monday.

This post was originally published on August 4, 2014
4.57 from 48 votes (39 ratings without comment)

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Comments

    1. Yes that sounds good. Just make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through before you enjoy!! Let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks Sherry!

      Reply

  4. Made this (finally!) tonight and I absolutely loooove the marinade! Flavors worked superbly with the veggies and the chicken. And naturally the tzatziki goes well with all of it. A must with a recipe like this. I added a sprinkle of torn mint leaves on top of it all. Disclaimer, this time I used store-bought pita and orzo pilaf, but I will definitely be making this again and try the homemade versions.

    Reply

    1. YAY! Mint leaves are perfect touch!!
      The homemade will hopefully outdo the store bought! (:
      Thanks for making and commenting Sarah(:

      Reply

  5. Now I have tried two of your recipes, this one and the crispy pork ramen, and I am Gobsmacked. Your interpretation of foods that we are all familiar with but a bit intimidated to undertake because we did not grow up with the cooking tradition of a region are effortless but perfectly balanced. I get all the flavor I crave without having to slog through a recipe calling for ingredients I have no familiarity with or access to. Thank you so much.

    I did add one thing to this when I made it. I also threw some lamb in the marinade. It was amazing too.

    Reply

  6. Hi! I SO want to make this (I love so many of your recipes). I live in the city though… any suggestions for how to make without a grill? Would you roast? Or I guess I could use a grill pan? Thank you <3

    Reply

    1. Nevermind! I just saw you suggested a grill pan or just plain stove 😉 Can’t wait to try!

      Best, m

      Reply

  7. Hi,

    I’ve made these several times in the last month. The first time, I made everything. My husband loved the chicken and veggies, but wasn’t crazy about the rice. I loved the chicken, thought the rice was too bland and the veggies picked up too much sourness from the marinade…everything tasted the same. The second time, I skipped the veggies, and made a salad with tomatoes, greens, red onion and Feta. I doubled up on the fresh herbs for the rice, and also added some salt. So much better! We both love the rice now, and the chicken is crazy-good. This is def. a keeper. (p.s. I made the yogurt sauce but no one ate it because it just didn’t seem to be necessary for this dish.)

    Reply

  8. We operate a small B&B and offer date night packages. In two weeks we will have a couple here that I want to do something special for. I’m thinking of a Mid Summer Night’s Dream theme. Since the setting for Shakespeare’s play is Ancient Greece this is the perfect meal! Earthy, colorful and Greek! Thank you for having it all in one posting. Looking forward to serving this.

    Reply

  9. Eating this as I type. I made everything per instructions…omg sooo good. Hubby likes it too! I was floored by how well the pita turned out..and so easy! I’ll never buy it again. Thank you thank you!

    Reply

  12. Making this tonight over backyard woodfire. Your recipes are such an inspiration to take some time and do something wonderful with everyday ingrediants! :))

    Reply

  13. I made this… It was so delicious, even better then a restarunat (well nearly) We loved the marinade!!! How on earth do you think up such good stuff? Please tell me :0

    Reply

  14. I made this last night, and it was delicious! We were a little short on time, so I made a few tweaks: skipped the skewers, chopped everything a little more, and cooked the chicken and veggies on the stovetop. It was still great (although I’m sure grilling would have been much yummier, especially with those rosemary skewers). Still delicious!

    Reply

  15. Looks AMAZING!!! I will definitely be making this. I did have a question about marinating the chicken and the vegetables, though. Can I set this up in the morning and grill later around dinnertime or do you recommend a shorter period of time?

    Reply