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Chicken Gyros

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 Oil [1]2-3 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 [2])

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 [3]. 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:  ★★★★★