Barbecued Chicken Souvlaki

This Greek-inspired, zesty grilled chicken is served with a light rice salad making it perfect for the BBQ on hot Summer days. For a delicious vegetarian version replace the chicken with halved peppers filled with the rice salad topped with crumbled feta.

Tildalicious tip: When marinating, always season with salt and acid (in this case it is lemon juice but could be vinegar in other recipes) before adding any oil. Otherwise, the oil will provide a barrier against the marinade flavours. Just before cooking, brush with oil to prevent sticking.

Serves 2

This recipe uses:

Wholegrain Basmati Rice

Where to buy

Ingredients

For the Souvlaki:

1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips or 300g mini fillets
2 tsp olive oil

For the rice salad:

1 pouch Tilda Wholegrain Basmati rice
200g cucumber, peeled, cut in half, deseeded with a teaspoon and roughly chopped
200g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
30g pitted black olives
10g fresh dill, roughly chopped
5g fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch paprika, to serve

Optional serving suggestion:

200g shop bought Tzatziki

How to make Barbecued Chicken Souvlaki

Begin by making the marinade, mix together the cumin, garlic, lemon juice with a pinch of salt in bowl, add the chicken and coat really well in the marinade and leave for 5-10 minutes. Once marinated, thread the chicken onto 4 metal skewers or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 20 minutes, and brush with olive oil.
Cook the chicken on a barbecue over grey coals or a medium to high heat on a gas barbecue for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook Tilda Wholegrain Basmati rice according to pack instructions.
Place the cucumber and tomatoes in a bowl with the hot rice, onion, black olives, dill, oregano, lemon juice and season. Mix well and serve with the chicken souvlaki skewers. Sprinkle over a little paprika and serve with the tzatziki, if using.
For the vegetarian version, cut the dressing quantity by half and replace the chicken with halved peppers. Cook on the BBQ and fill the peppers with the rice salad before topping with some crumbled feta.