Chicken Gyros

by Dorothy Reinhold on June 25, 2012


Print This Post Print This Post Chicken Gyros

We all can use a new chicken recipe, can’t we? This one is bound to go into frequent rotation at your house, as it has at mine. It’s easy, it’s packed with galicky, lemony, punchy flavor, and I’ve never met a gyros sandwich I didn’t want to devour.

A gyros (say it yee-ros, and roll the r!) made from chicken is just genius! A blop of garlicky Tzatziki sauce, some chopped fresh summer tomatoes and red onion slices, all on a pita….call me for dinner!

Chicken GyrosI discovered the recipe at the blog Lynsey Lou’s. Lynsey is a passionate home cook who’s like many of us – she loves to entertain, research new recipes, read cookbooks, find the latest new thing in the culinary world, and most of all, she loves to talk about food to anyone who is interested.

“I love cooking but when I cook for others it’s such an amazing experience.  It’s awesome to see the joy on their face when they sink their teeth into something I’ve made,” she writes.

Doesn’t she sound like a good friend to have? I’d like her to move next door to me.

She’s been blogging since 2008, which means she has tons of recipes on her site. I have bookmarked her Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, Roasted Strawberry Lemon Ice Cream, Irish Coffee Blondies  and Sweet and Salty Cookies with the M&M’s I love the most – pretzel!

But in the end, what I most need is a good new-to-me chicken recipe, so I settled on the intriguing Chicken Gyros.

Chicken GyrosThere’s nothing better than a good sandwich for an informal summer dinner, is there?

Recipe: Chicken Gyros

Summary: Garlicky, oregano-laced, lemony chicken chunks are piled on a pita, sauced with a classic yogurt Tzatziki, and garnished with chopped fresh tomatoes and half moons of red onion slivers. Opa!

Ingredients

For the Tzatziki sauce (need to make 1-24 hours ahead):

  • 1 cucumber (or 1/2 hothouse cucumber), peeled and seeded
  • 8 ounces Greek yogurt
  • Calolea Meyer Lemon Olive Oil2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill (you may omit if you don’t have this)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • Grind of fresh black pepper
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (I used Calolea Meyer Lemon Olive Oil)

For the chicken (marinate 1 hour):

  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar (I used white balsamic vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you could use breasts)

For final assembly:

  • 4 pita breads
  • 4 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • Red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Make the Tzatziki sauce: Shred the cucumber and then wrap shreds in paper towels. Squeeze to remove liquid, and discard paper towels. Put cucumber, yogurt, garlic, vinegar, dill, coriander, salt and pepper to taste, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to combine. I like to make the sauce a day ahead of time.
  2. Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken and make sure the marinade coats each piece. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour to marinate.
  3. Cook the chicken: Remove from refrigerator, discard marinade and cook as you like, either in a skillet or under the broiler (7 minutes per side). When chicken is cooked, transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes; cut chicken into strips or chunks.
  4. Assembly: Heat the pitas (or not, as you wish). Top pitas with chicken, sauce, diced tomatoes and onions. Serve immediately.
  5. Serves 4.

Recipe source

I adapted this just slightly from Lynsey Lou’s. She got it from a June 19, 2009 post on Loves To Eat, who got it from a June 2, 2009 post on Annie’s Eats, who got it from a March 9 2009 post on Elly Says Opa, who must have gotten it straight from God’s lips to her ears.

Preparation time: 30 minutes, + 1 hour for marinating
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings (yield): 4
Culinary tradition: Greek
My rating 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 

{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

Rene - Epic Baker July 4, 2012 at 2:46 pm

I love gyros! I don’t know why I’ve never thought of making them myself. These look awesome, definitely bookmarking 🙂

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bakingaddict July 1, 2012 at 11:31 am

Visiting from Group D SRC . You definitely cant have too many chicken recipes 🙂 This looks delicious – great pick!

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Melissa June 30, 2012 at 12:41 pm

I LOVE chicken gyros! These look so delicious!!

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April @ Angel's Homestead June 29, 2012 at 6:47 pm

Yum! I’ve tried a ground beef version of this before, but I will definitely have to try it with chicken.

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Rituparna June 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

Delicious !

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Lindsay {life and kitchen} June 28, 2012 at 7:44 am

I love tzatziki on almost anything – delicious!

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Kelsey @ K&K Test Kitchen June 26, 2012 at 6:30 pm

I also have never met a gyros that I didn’t like. These sound great, love the use of meyer lemon olive oil too!

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Fran@fransfavs.com June 26, 2012 at 2:04 pm

I found your site a year or so before I started blogging myself when I made your witch’s fingers for Halloween. Little did I know that we’d be fellow SRC members one fine day! I’m putting the chicken gyros on my must-make list–great selection and great post…

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Dorothy June 28, 2012 at 4:41 pm

Fran,
How sweet! October is around the corner, isn’t it?

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kristy @ gastronomical sovereignty June 26, 2012 at 9:28 am

this looks summer fresh and exactly what i want for lunch. just pinned it for next week’s menu planning 🙂

happy src reveal, friend!

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Lynsey June 26, 2012 at 8:34 am

I’m so glad you enjoyed the gyros! They are a favorite at our house, as well. Beautiful pictures…and I LOVE your blog!

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sippitysup June 26, 2012 at 7:58 am

Note to self… Put pita on shopping list. GREG

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Karen June 26, 2012 at 7:33 am

What a GREAT recipe! LOVE it, it’s lovely to meet you and your blog through SRC – visiting from group D and Lavender and Lovage! Karen 🙂

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Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef June 25, 2012 at 5:55 pm

oooh i love gyros! this version sounds fab 🙂

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amy @ fearless homemaker June 25, 2012 at 4:57 pm

yum! yes, we can always all use more chicken recipes + this is one unlike anything we make around our house. this looks just fabulous! i’ll definitely have to try it soon!

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Lisa~~ June 25, 2012 at 4:26 pm

YUM!! And yes I am always on the lookout for new and delicious chicken recipes.

If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my group “A” SRC entry: Candied Popcorn.

Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook

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