Name: Toaster-Oven Chicken Souvlaki
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: GreekEurope
Ingredients: ½ red onion; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice; ½ teaspoon honey; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; ½ green bell pepper , cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 (8-inch) pita breads , warmed; ½ cup recipe

Why This Recipe Works

Souvlaki is a Greek specialty consisting of chunks of marinated meat threaded onto skewers, sometimes with chunks of vegetables such as green pepper and onion, and then grilled. Chicken souvlaki is almost always made with boneless, skinless breasts, which have a marked tendency to dry out when grilled. To help remedy this, we developed a toaster oven version for two, and used the broiler function to replicate the grill. To keep this chicken from drying out, we utilized a quick 15-minute soak in a flavorful marinade made with lemon, olive oil, herbs, and honey, and set some aside to toss with the chicken just before wrapping it in pita. Broiling the skewers and flipping them half way through helped ensure an even cooking and good browning. Once the chicken was cooked, we tossed it with the reserved marinade to ensure that the exterior was brightly flavored and just as tender and moist as the interior. Wrapping the chicken in a warmed pita and serving it with fresh tzatziki was the final touch.

Before You Begin

You will need two 12-inch or four 6-inch skewers for this recipe; if using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 15 minutes.

Instructions

Cut onion from pole to pole into 4 even wedges; discard thin inner core. Cut each wedge crosswise into 3 pieces.

Whisk oil, lemon zest, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper together in medium bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons oil mixture to large bowl; set aside. Toss chicken, bell pepper, and onion with remaining oil mixture.

Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position, select highest broiler function, and heat broiler. Set small wire rack in small rimmed baking sheet. Thread chicken, bell pepper, and onion in alternating pattern on two 12-inch skewers or four 6-inch skewers. Arrange skewers on prepared rack and broil until spotty brown on first side, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip skewers and continue to broil until chicken is spotty brown on second side and registers 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes.

Whisk lemon juice into reserved oil mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Using fork, push chicken and vegetables off skewers into bowl of oil mixture and toss to coat, breaking up onion chunks; let sit for 5 minutes.

Lay each pita on 12-inch square of foil. Spread each pita with 2 tablespoons tzatziki. Place one-half of chicken and vegetables in middle of each pita. Roll each pita into wrap, using foil to hold shape, and serve.