Greek Chicken Gyros
These Greek chicken gyros with herb-marinated chicken, cucumber tomato salad, and creamy tzatziki sauce are all wrapped in soft pita bread. An easy, healthy, and delicious meal.
My family loves easy Mediterranean recipes so I couldn’t wait to make these Greek chicken gyros from a recipe I found on Recipe Tin Eats. I adapted her recipe just a bit by adding some dill and red wine vinegar to the tzatziki sauce, a little less oregano to the marinade, and some seasoned rice vinegar to the salad, but otherwise kept it as written. The whole meal is healthy, easy to throw together, and tasted so delicious! My family really LOVED this entire meal and asked that it be added to our regular weekly meal rotation.
How to Make Greek Chicken Gyros
Prepare the chicken marinade by combining Greek yogurt, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste, in a large ziplock bag; mix well. Add the chicken thighs and smoosh together until the chicken is evenly covered in the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 2-12 hours to marinate.
Prepare the tzatziki sauce by cutting the cucumber in half lengthwise and scooping out any seeds with a spoon. Coarsely grate the cucumber on a cheese grater. Wrap the shredded cucumber up in a tea towel or a few paper towels and squeeze tightly to remove excess liquid. Place the drained cucumber in a bowl and add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dill, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until needed.
Prepare the salad by combining the diced cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and seasoned rice vinegar together in a bowl. Add the parsley and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Cook the chicken by heating a large grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, brush the pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (or drizzle in the skillet) and add the chicken thighs. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and cooked through, depending on the size of the thighs. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cover it loosely with tin foil. Slice thinly right before serving.
Serve with warm pita bread, tzatziki sauce, cucumber tomato salad, feta cheese, and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade:
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and seeded **Coarsely grated on a cheese grater
- 1¼ cups Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Cucumber Tomato Salad:
- 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- ½ small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar ** You can also use red wine vinegar & a pinch of sugar
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
For Serving:
- Pita bread, warmed
- Tzatziki sauce
- Cucumber tomato salad
- Feta cheese crumbles
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken Marinade:
- Combine the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste, in a large ziplock bag; mix well.
- Add the chicken thighs and smoosh together until the chicken is evenly covered in the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 2-12 hours to marinate.
Prepare the Tzatziki Sauce:
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out any seeds with a spoon. Coarsely grate the cucumber on a cheese grater. Wrap the shredded cucumber up in a tea towel or a few paper towels and squeeze tightly to remove excess liquid.
- Place the drained cucumber in a bowl and add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dill, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until needed.
Prepare the Cucumber Tomato Salad:
- Prepare the salad by combining the diced cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and seasoned rice vinegar together in a bowl. Add the parsley and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Add the parsley and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Cook the Chicken:
- Heat a large grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, brush the pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (or drizzle in the skillet) and add the chicken thighs. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and cooked through, depending on the size of the thighs.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cover it loosely with tin foil. Slice thinly right before serving.
To Serve:
- Serve with warm pita bread, tzatziki sauce, cucumber tomato salad, feta cheese, and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
One of my husband’s favourites! Yours looks authentic and so good.
I love Greek food including Gyros and yours looks delicious. I like that you soaked the chicken in a good marinade.
I Love Greek cuisine and your recipe looks so delicious.
This looks amazing! I know thighs have more flavor, but could chicken breasts be substituted? The thighs I buy always have so much fat and grisly material that I can barely stomach them.
Caroline,
Chicken breasts will work great! You may need to cook them longer if they are thicker. Enjoy!
-Pam
Can’t wait to try this! Love gyros. Thanks for posting!