Description
This easy Greek gyro recipe is packed with Greek flavor. The marinade infuses the chicken with authentic taste, and is so tender and succulent. Tuck it into warm pita bread with tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Vegetarian adaptable.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, more to taste
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper (use half white pepper if you have it)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or use Aleppo
- 2 lbs chicken thighs ( boneless, skinless) see notes for vegetarian
- 4-6 pita breads (or serve over rice)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion- or make these pickled red onions
- 1 cup English cucumber, grated or halved and thinly sliced ( if using waxy cucumbers, peel first)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (full-fat)
- 1/4 cup fresh herbs- mint, parsley or dill.
- 1 garlic clove
- salt and pepper to taste
Tomato-Cucumber Salad
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half ( or sub diced tomate)
- 2 cups diced cucumber
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Marinate. In a small bowl (or blend in a small blender) whisk yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Pour this over the chicken thighs (either in a ziplock or medium bowl) and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
- Make the Tzatziki. Sprinkle the cucumber with a bit of salt and toss in a medium bowl, let stand 5-10 minutes, strain, pressing out any liquid, and put it back in the bowl. To the same bowl, add the yogurt, garlic, herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Mix, taste, and add a squeeze of lemon if you like. Refrigerate until using.
- Make the Tomato Salad. Mix all the ingredeints together in a medium bowl. Set aside, room temp is fine.
- Pan-Sear or Grill (see notes). Preheat oven to 375°F. Using a grill pan or large cast-iron skillet, heat a tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Let some of the marinade drip off first, then place the chicken on the grill pan. Working in batches, grill each side until deep grill marks appear, and put it in the oven to cook through (170°F). Once cooked, shred it apart with two forks into bite-sized pieces, taste, and add more salt, chili flakes, and lemon to taste. *You really want it to be punchy and flavorful to hold up to the pita bread.
- Assemble. Warm the pita bread (in the oven or a toaster oven) so it is nice and pliable. Smear a little Tzatziki on the pita, layer with chicken, top with tomato salad and onions. Wrap it up in paper, and you are good to go!
Notes
Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grease the grates. Grill chicken on each side (3-4 mintues) until grill marks appear, then lower the heat to medium, cover the grill and let the chicken cook all the way through ( 170F) .
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in separate air-tight containers in the fridge.
Variations: For a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken with King oyster mushrooms, tearing them apart lengthwise. ( Sometimes I’ll do half and half: 1 pound chicken, 1 pound mushrooms). Marinate 30 minutes, then grill on the grill pan. To make it vegan, use vegan yogurt. For gluten-free, serve all the components over rice and create a gyro bowl.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6-inch pita with 4 ounces chicken, 3 tablespoons Tzatziki and ¼ cup salad
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 5.1 g
- Sodium: 616.5 mg
- Fat: 11.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.6 g
- Fiber: 4.2 g
- Protein: 35.5 g
- Cholesterol: 88.9 mg
