Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki and Warm Pita
By Pauline Ortiz
20 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
4
Servings
Easy
Level
This recipe makes four gyro sandwiches. I prep the chicken and tzatziki sauce in advance. Other ingredients are added to the sandwiches right before eating. The chicken cooks a bit in the pan, and water is squeezed out of the cucumber in the tzatziki to thicken the sauce, which complements the warm pita bread. I like the combination of warm and cool flavors.
I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into strips for this recipe. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a good option because they remain moist when cooked at medium-high heat and take on other seasonings from the marinade, such as lemon, garlic, red wine vinegar, and oregano. I recommend using a large cast-iron skillet for this recipe. If you don't have a large enough skillet to cook all your chicken at once in a single layer, preheat your skillet and cook the chicken in batches.
The cucumber should be well squeezed through paper towels or cheesecloth before mixing it with the yogurt. The moisture in the cucumber can keep the tzatziki sauce from sticking to the pita bread. I make the tzatziki sauce while the chicken is marinating and refrigerate it, covered, until I'm ready to serve the gyros.
Warm the pita bread only when the chicken and other toppings are ready to serve. Fill the pita with tzatziki and tuck in the chicken and other toppings while the pita is still warm. Greek Lemon Rice is one dish to serve with this recipe. Cucumber and Tomato Salad is another option. Another option is French fries with oregano.
What makes this special
- You can preprepare the chicken and sauce and provide warm pita bread at the meal to assemble gyros at the table.
- Four gyros were produced in this batch. More sauce and onions can be added to each gyro as desired.
- The chicken is marinated before cooking.
- Cook extra chicken dishes to eat later. Set aside pitas and other toppings to eat with meals.
- The sauce and chicken are not combined until assembly. The pita bread doesn't get soggy before you eat.
Ingredients
- •1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into thin strips)
- •¼ cup olive oil
- •¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- •1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- •4 cloves garlic (minced)
- •2 tsp dried oregano
- •1 tsp salt (plus a pinch for the tzatziki)
- •½ tsp black pepper
- •1 cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat recommended)
- •½ large cucumber (grated and squeezed dry)
- •2 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)
- •1 tbsp lemon juice
- •1 clove garlic (minced)
- •4 pita breads (4-6, warmed)
- •1 cup diced tomatoes (for serving)
- •½ cup red onion (thinly sliced, for serving)
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, 4 minced garlic cloves, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- 2
Add the chicken strips and toss until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours for best results.
- 3
Grate the cucumber and squeeze out all excess liquid with cheesecloth or paper towels. Combine it in a separate bowl with the Greek yogurt, dill, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, and a pinch of salt. Stir and refrigerate until needed.
- 4
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to 165°F (74°C). Alternatively, grill the chicken over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
- 5
Warm the pita breads. Spread tzatziki on each pita, top with chicken, tomatoes, and red onion, then fold and serve immediately.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
580
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