Chicken Gyros

Annie's Eats

My hope is to inspire you to be fearless in the kitchen, to try new things, to take the time to make things the homemade way and most importantly, to have fun doing it!

102 comments

posted in: Chicken, Main Dish

06.02

2009

Alright everyone, get ready for a monumental news flash – I now have a new favorite dinner. It is these chicken gyros. While this title was previously held by a simple cheesy pasta dish, the gyros now reign supreme. To prove it, I will say this – I made these twice in the last week. I almost made them again this week (and I probably will make them again next week)…and I almost never repeat recipes within the same month, because I just have too many that I still want to try. The first night I made them, I made them with store-bought pitas and they were fabulous. Then I made them again a few days later with homemade pitas and they were truly sublime. I love the cool garlicky, cucumbery sauce, the flavorful chicken, and the soft pita. It all combines into a phenomenal culinary experience, and the leftovers make a lunch you will definitely look forward to the next day.

Not only are these a treat to eat, but they are fun to make as well. I get a kick out of straining the yogurt and seeing how much liquid is drained off. (Elly mentions in her recipe not to use nonfat yogurt. One of the times I made this, I accidentally bought nonfat and didn’t have time to run to the store for more, so I just used it and strained it anyway. It actually still tasted fabulous, I just drained off a lot more liquid than normal.) I used my food processor to shred the cucumbers, since I didn’t think I would be very successful using a cheese grater and doing it by hand. Definitely the most fun part of making these is squeezing the water out of the cucumbers. I am sure there are lots of good ways to do this, but I found just wrapping them in a few layers of paper towels and squeezing works great. Also, a quick note on the pitas – since posting the recipe originally, I have found that I really have to add a significant amount of flour to the dough to make it even remotely workable as opposed to a gigantic sticky mess, so I have edited the old version to reflect more closely what I think I do now.

Now, run to the kitchen and make these. You will be glad you did!

Chicken Gyros

Yield: about 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the tzatziki:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1¼ lbs. chicken pieces (I use boneless, skinless chicken breast halves)

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Directions

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.
Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (I butterflied the chicken breasts and then cooked them under the broiler.) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips.
Heat pitas (I sprayed with some spray oil and then popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Source

adapted from Elly Says Opa!

http://ellysaysopa.com elly

What a ringing endorsement! I’m so happy you liked the gyros. Yours look SO good. I really do need to make homemade pita one of these days.
http://blessusolord.blogspot.com/ Barbara

Another “recipe to try” to add to my sidebar — thanks! I bet the sauce would be awesome with my new favorite — Greek yogurt. There is really no liquid to strain off so it would make the sauce even quicker. And it’s so thick and creamy.
http://apinchofthisandadashofthat.blogspot.com/ CaSaundra

Oh yum! These look scrumptious & very simple ingredients–love it!
sarameyer926

These look delicious. I think I’m going to attempt to make them tomorrow!
http://www.scrumptiouslysassy.blogspot.com ShoeFanatic614

This looks fantastic!
http://thezoeblog.blogspot.com zoe

I just loove gyros! And i can’t get enough tzatziki! I throw it on everything now! This chicken looks great with the pita.
http://oneshotbeyond.wordpress.com/ oneshotbeyond

another one of those things I don’t make and normally enjoy out. Wonderful detailed recipe. The photo is amazing!
http://ourlifeinfood.wordpress.com Carrie

These look awesome! I can’t believe how incredible those pitas look!
http://myopenroads.blogspot.com/ My open roads

omg, I will never forget eating warm gyros from New York’s street vendors, they were so good :)
thanks for the recipe, will try it!
http://bakeitafterall.blogspot.com Meghan

I saw these on Elly’s blog too and have them bookmarked. Yours look delicious. This might be just the push I needed to try homemade pitas!
http://closetcooking.blogspot.com Kevin

Gyros are one of my favorites as well! They look great and they would be even better with those homemade pitas!
http://benbobenopolis.blogspot.com hannah m

the perfect summer meal – can’t wait to put these in the rotation!
http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com Amy (Sing for your supper)

These look great! I love gyros and I’ll definitely give these a try soon!
bakergirlcreations

I LOVE the enthusiasm of your post! Those look fantastic – a wonderful summer meal!
http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com Melanie

With that kind of rave review, I’m definitely going to have to try these. They look like a perfect summer meal.
http://www.browneyedbaker.com Chelle

Yum! I’ve been seriously craving gyros… I’ve never had a chicken version – I’ll have to give them a try!
http://mindysmouthful.blogspot.com Mindy

This looks wonderful! I love tzaziki sauce, and I think that chicken would taste great on the grill. I’m going to try this just as soon as I get back to the States and my grill.
http://une-deuxsenses.blogspot.com/ Michelle

I love gyros!! I’ve never thought of making it at home but now I might just have to! Looks to die for.
http://www.bluelightdistrict.org Michael

Going to make this one tonight!!! Cheers.
http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com Leigh Anne Wilkes

Made these for dinner the other night and they were a huge hit with the whole family. Also made the pita bread – yum!!
Mollie

Thanks for posting – we had them tonight and they were super tasty!
Shannon W.

I made the chicken and sauce last night for dinner. WOW!! Great recipe. Thank you for posting.
Pingback: Chicken Gyros « Lovestoeat’s Weblog
Trish

After attend our local Greek festival last week I’ve had gyros on the brain and now this pops up in google reader! :)

I have a newbie question… how far in advance can the sauce be prepared?
Annie

Hi Trish,
Oh yes, try them, you will love them! The sauce can be prepared at least about 2-3 days in advance, because that is how long I have eaten leftovers. In fact, I think it is best prepared at least several hours in advance so that the flavors really have time to meld. Enjoy!
:) Annie
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Cailet

I tried these a few nights ago, and while they were good, the chicken didn’t have as much flavor as I was hoping for. I marinated for an hour as per above, but both my husband and I commented that we wished the chicken had more flavor – especially since the marinade smelled amazing. Could I have done something wrong? The only thing different in my marinade from above was lemon juice from a bottle in place of the juice from an actual lemon.

I’d love to fix this if I can, because there are no places around here to get gyros at all.
Pingback: Oreos and more… « Can I Have Some More Mum
Annie

Hi Cailet,
I’m sorry the chicken didn’t turn out as you had hoped. I do think that fresh lemon juice is important, but I can’t imagine it would have been that crucial to the marinade. I have made these several times and the chicken always tastes delicious. I suppose my only advice would be to marinate it for longer next time for a deeper flavor, but don’t do it for too long because the acidity of the lemon juice can “cook” the meat and affect its texture. I hope this helps some!
:) Annie
dee

I am making these this weekend, can’t wait!!! What was your previous favorite meal noted as “simple pasta dish”? I need more pasta receipes too ( : Thanks!
Annie

Hi Dee,
The pasta dish I referred to has never been posted on the blog because it is barely a recipe. It is basically spaghetti noodles mixed with an olive oil-fresh tomato-garlic mixture and shredded mozzarella cheese, so that all the cheese melts. Sort of like a bruschetta pasta, without the basil.
:) Annie
Jennifer

I don’t usually comment on these blogs, but I must tell you…these were amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing! I actually rarely cook, but I enjoy food blogs, while trying to find foods both my hubby and I can agree on (this is a difficult task!). So I decided to jump in and do it! Seriously they were awesome…but you know that!
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http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com Melanie

It took me a while to try these but they were as good as I hoped. No, better. I used a soft wrap bread recipe from King Arthur Flour and the combination with the gyros was amazing. And can I just say the tzatziki sauce is to die for?

I’ll be posting about them on my blog soon. Thanks for the recipe!
Pingback: Chicken Gyros « Kelly Cooks…and other Amazing Feats
Joan

Made these for dinner tonight. Hubby and I both agreed that they were delicious and a keeper. The pitas were soooo good. And although they took time to make, they are so worth it. I can’t wait to have leftovers tomorrow.
Terri

These are absolutely delicious!! I used Greek Yogurt instead, no need to drain and since I had some fresh dill on hand I added to the Tzatziki sauce.
So good and easy to put together.

I am new to this “food blog world”, have been home recovering from
achilles tendon surgery and it has really helped me pass the time as I lay on bed rest. By far your blog is the best I have read and I look forward to trying more recipes soon. Thank you!
Pingback: 10 Recipes To Try (When I Find Some Time!!) | Planning With Kids
betchacanteatjustone

YUM! I just made these for dinner, homeade pita’s and all! They were so super delicious. Fantastic recipe!
Stacy

Another great recipe! :o) I made these last night, I used greek yogurt for the sauce, yum! I don’t even like cucumber, but with this, I enjoyed it! My mother would fall off her chair! :o) The chicken was quite good (I used tenders) and grilled them on the indoor grill. Juicy and tender. The pairing of tomato and red onion with this is delicious! Thanks again!
http://There’sthisCubanSandwich,byTheNoshery kim g

great great website
brietta

I can’t wait to try these! About how many does this recipe make?
Annie

Hi Brietta,
If you make it with two chicken breasts, you will probably get about 5-6 gyros out of that, but will have plenty of tzatziki sauce leftover. If you are feeding more people, you can increase the amount of chicken and marinade but you won’t need more sauce. Hope that helps!
colleen

Hello, I just came across your blog in the last week or so and had to write to tell you that I made these gyros last night. They were so VERY delicious…that tzatziki sauce could be eaten alone it was so divine. It was a big hit here so thank you!
Katie

I just “Stumbled Upon” your blog today, and this recipe looked so delicious that I had to make them for dinner tonight. The gyros were delicious, and I think I could eat the tzatziki sauce with a spoon. Thanks for such an amazing recipe! I will be adding this to the regular rotation. :)
http://flickr.com/photos/beautifullemons Aimee

This recipe looks delicious and I think my husband will be thanking you (gyros are his all-time fave)!

Just as a heads up, I watched the Barefoot Contessa make tzatziki and she strained both the yogurt and the cucumbers to get rid of the extra moisture. Though you might find that interesting :)
Annie

Hi Aimee,
If you read the recipe, I do strain both the yogurt and the cucumbers.
dave

I substituted mayonnaise for the yogurt sauce (my local family LIVES off of mayo) and tortillas fried in oil for pitas and this still came out beautiful. My family holds me in the light of an aspiring culinary master thanks to this great recipe. I’ll probably make this at least twice a week now as well. Mahalo for the recipe and sharing. Aloha, Dave – Oahu
grace

I have been a silent reader for a couple of months now but I wanted to let you know how much I love your blog :) I really want to make this recipe but could I substitute anything for the red wine vinegar?

p.s. my family loved your classic lasagna, thanks so much for the great posts :D
Annie

Hi Grace,
You can try Googling for substitutions.
http://asinglestepblog.blogspot.com/ Mama__B

This looks wonderful. I’ve been on a middle eastern kick lately, and this looks just right.

For those who found the marinade lacking, I suggest adding the zest of the lemon to it as well. It adds so much brightness to everything, and it just might be the thing to bring the zing that you’re looking for.
Tanya

These are delicious and its worth the time to make your own pitas. Its clean and fresh and quite unlike your local greasy gyro. I substituted lime for lemon since I didn’t have any but the chicken and the sauce are REALLY good. I must admit my favourite part was seeing all the liquid that came out of the yogurt! Thanks for a great recipe!
Nicolette

So delicious. I’m thrilled to have found this recipe, only wish I tried it sooner! I will definitely be making this again soon. I will have to try the pita recipe next. Any suggestions for making a healthier version of the pita?
Mindy

Annie,
Super easy to make, I was in the grocery trying to decide what to make and remembered this entry on your blog. Bought what I guessed I might need and had everything. It turned out wonderful although I used store bought pita. I love, love, love loved it!!! I enjoy being able to make a recipe on your blog and just know it will be wonderful. I have used the recipies on here for several parties at the house!!! You are amazing:-)
Maria

I love gyros and when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. It gave me the opportunity to try out my new pizza stone for the homemade pita bread. These gyros were amazing! Can’t wait to make them again.
Susan

Hi Annie,

My husband really likes to get gyros at restaurants, but I don’t like the grease. When I saw this recipe, I knew we had to try it. These are fabulous; lookig forward to trying with homemade pita! Such a great and light supper!

Thanks for sharing!
http://kaceyskitchen.com Kacey

Just made these today and they are so addictingly amazing!!!
Cindy

Annie I just started reading your blog and I have such a long list of recipes to try! This was first on the list, including the homemade pita, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever made (my husband agrees!). Thanks so much for a great recipe – can’t wait to try out more!
Carla

I made these this weekend with shrimp – they were delicous!
Marge

I’ll bet these would be to die for made with some grilled lamb. I am making these this weekend. My grandaughter hooked me up to this blog. I am so glad she did.
ashley

Hey Annie,
These look great, can’t wait to make them and the salad :]. But I have little question…If you buy Greek yogurt do you have to strain it?
Annie

No you don’t need to strain Greek yogurt. It’s just much cheaper to buy the same quantity of plain and strain it yourself.
http://SusanBingamanphotography.com Susan

I made these and we LOVED them! Plus, they are healthy!!! EASY TOO! I did use fat- free yogurt as it was what I had on hand and it was excellent! My husband asked for seconds and said I could make these any day. I will also make them for company as much of it is make ahead…just heat the pitas. Thanks for the inspiration.

susan
Susan Smith

These are delicious! My husband is a gyro fan, but I’ve never been too fond of eating them at restaurants because they are always so greasy. These are not greasy and have a wonderful flavor! Thanks, Annie!
http://heatherwoblog.blogspot.com/ Heather Wohletz

Tried these and posted the results on my blog, SO delicious well worth the time Will Totally make again soon.
Valerie

I made these last night…I’ll never stop! One of my favorites forever.
http://sewmanybooks.blogspot.com Gwen Bland

Hey! Straining yogurt…that’s how the internet tell me to make cream cheese. So I wonder if cream cheese is a better substitute in the sauce if straining yogurt just isn’t in the time frame…maybe someday I’ll try it that way, but I’ve got to try it your way first, Sunday Dinner planning done. ;)
Annie

Oh my, that sounds not at all like a good idea to me. Cream cheese is so incredibly different from Greek yogurt and the tzatziki is amazing. Please, for the love of tzatziki, don’t use cream cheese.
http://sewmanybooks.blogspot.com Gwen Bland

For the love of tzatziki…I will NOT! ;) (I wonder what the internet was talking about)
Elizabeth

Thank you for this recipe! We enjoyed it. The tzatziki sauce was amazing! I am addicted to it.
http://lmcniff.wordpress.com Lyndsay @ Mr & Mrs

These gyros came out soooo delicious. The pita took time to make, but was totally worth it. Like you said in your post, I don’t think i will ever buy it from the store again :). Just to make the recipe a tad easier, we bought plain greek yogurt and diced the cucumber very fine, mixed all the ingredients together and let sit for the recommended time without any straining of yogurt or shredding of cucumber. It still came out SO, so good.

Also– the marinade on the chicken was fantastic! Such good flavor!
Kathleen

These were wonderful and came together quickly. I will have to try the homemade pita next time around. That tzatziki sauce was amazing! Thank you for a great recipe!
http://www.abirdandabean.blogspot.com erin

I NEED to know how to make the pitas! Thanks.
Annie

Use the search bar on the right hand side to find the two pita recipes I have posted.
http://thefooddoctor.wordpress.com Sawsan@chef in disguise

These look amazing!
I’ve never had gyros before or made homemade bread..
this will be an interesting experience
Christal

I made these tonight for dinner and just a simple Arabic salad to go with it. These are insanely good! I did add a little feta and fresh dill to the tzatiki. The pitas are awesome! Thinking of grilling everything next time…chicken and pitas.
Matt

This recipe is amazing! The tzatziki and the gyros were very flavorful. I made a few changes, though. I used thigh meat instead of breastmeat, and I cut them into bite sized pieces and let them marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Then I put them on skewers and grilled them until they were done (about five minutes), and it was absolutely delicious. My preparation was more like souvlaki than a gyro, but it’s the same basic concept and both are absolutely delicious. This recipe took me back to when I visited Greece several years ago. Nόστιμο!
http://www.myheartsdesireblog.com Amanda

Making these tomorrow night! We had Greek last night and wholeheartedly agreed we had to have it again! Found you thru a simple Google search and so glad I did!
Blessings,
Amanda
http://www.hotmomshelpfultips.blogspot.com Robyn

This looks AMAZING! I love Gyros but have never found a great recipe to make my own sauce for them and this one looks too good to pass up! Can’t wait to try!
Tracee

Hi Annie we love love love your website. My boyfriend always wants to know “what did Annie eat today?” lol. I have what is probably a silly question, you mention these in your stocking the freezer post and I know that you freeze the chicken raw in the marinade; do you also freeze the tzatziki sauce or do you make it fresh everytime? Thanks so much!
Annie

Hi Tracee,
I just make the tzatziki fresh. I don’t think it would freeze well (though I haven’t tried it). Plus it only takes minutes to whip up. Hope that helps!
Tracee

Thanks Annie!! I love all of your food, it’s always so yummy so I can’t wait to make these.
Veray

I was wondering how many people this recipe feeds. I have 10 people to feed for dinner and I’m not sure how much this makes.
Annie

That totally depends on the appetites of the individuals you are serving. The best thing to do is read through the ingredients (mainly the amount of chicken, etc. ) and think how many of your guests that might feed. Multiply as necessary. Enjoy!
Morgan

How many does this recipe serve, using the 1.25 lbs. of chicken? These look so delicious! FYI the strained yogurt is called Labneh in Israel. We had an Israeli roommate, and there was always a fresh batch in the fridge! We were so lucky! Greek yogurt is a sufficient substitute, if you don’t have time to make the labneh. :-) YUM! So excited to make this, just need to know if I need more chicked to feed 4 people tomorrow night.
Morgan

Ooops, didn’t see the question from September…or clearly that I wrote “chicked” instead of chicken.
http://www.macaroniandcheesecake.com Stephanie

Made these last night and they were great! I added black beans to our pitas which paired so nicely!
http://traderfam.blogspot.com/ Maria Trader

sounds amazing!
Carissa

This one of our family’s favorite dinners. We usually grill the chicken but tonight I tried the broiler method and it was delicious as well. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
mary2cat

Just made these for my husband and myself – his comment afterwards: “That was amazing, tasted like I was at a restaurant!”
Very simple but delicious recipe, thank you!
Kelli

This is fantastic fun to make food! Loved this one!
Anonymous

As someone who never claimed the authenticity of this recipe, I don’t care whether you would laugh at it. And since my Greek American friend created this recipe, I’m cool with it.
Andie82003

Tsk, tsk……a lil testy are we? It’s not very becoming. You gave her what she wanted, a reaction. She’s no more authentic than your friend. I love gyros and look forward to trying this. Will consider adding dill once I check out other recipes to see how often it is used. Cucumber, dill…sounds like a win, win combination. Note, to the Greek American, a traditional gyro would use pork or gyro meat made up of who knows what (sometimes beef and lamb at most places that claim to be authentic Greek). At least with the chicken, we know what we are eating. So, prepare, eat and enjoy.
Anonymous

I don’t really think she was looking for a reaction, just being a bit of a know-it-all. So often people comment that this or that recipe is inauthentic when that is never something I have claimed, so it seems irrelevant and condescending. You might understand the frustration more if it happened to you multiple times per week.
Lisafolkart

Sounds Amazing! Can’t wait to try it:-)
Shay Prendergast

Made this for dinner tonight and loved it! thanks!
Alexkath

So good! After I first ‘discovered’ gyros, I was disappointed to find that most recipes call for buying all sorts of ingredients and making a greasy three-meat meatloaf. This is just what I’ve been waiting for! Made them yesterday and they are fantastic–even better the next day, too. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Scrapn2

OMG these are great I made them for my family tonight and I have a very picky family but they loved them. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Anonymous

If you have a fine mesh strainer, you can also line it with a sturdy paper towel.
Angela

I used the fine mesh strainer with a couple of coffee filters. :) I replaced them a couple of times but did the job.
http://www.facebook.com/rachel.mefford Rachel Mefford Morrone

I made this tonight and extra chicken so I could make your greek chicken salad, both were fabulous! I did use 3/4 cup of dill in my tzatziki sauce because I love dill and saw it used in other tzatziki recipes. Thanks so much for the recipe!