Grilled Chicken Gyros: A classic Greek blend of herbs, garlic, and lemon juice along with homemade tzatziki sauce transform plain chicken into an incredible meal.

I think you might find this very recipe pop up on a few other blogs in the coming days and I certainly hope you will consider making it yourself because these gyros are fantastic!! Granted, neither Kyle nor myself had ever eaten gyros before so we don’t really have anything to compare them to but when I saw them over at Annie’s Eats and that they were Elly’s recipe, I had to give this classic Greek street food a fair shot. 

How could they not be good coming from a person whose blog name is Elly Says Opa! ??

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make this one but trust me, you won’t be sorry!

I had some issues straining the water off the yogurt with cheesecloth and after a huge white mess I figured out how to make it work. I only let it strain for about 2 hours but the leftover yogurt seemed to be plenty thick enough. I should have read Elly’s tzatziki post before making it since she does note that using Greek yogurt will work fine because it is already strained and thick. 

This would have considerably cut down on the prep time. And in another attempt to cut down on the prep time, I took Annie’s suggestion and use my food processor’s shredder attachment for the first time to shred the cucumber which was tons of fun!!

The chicken was bursting with flavor with a little tanginess from the yogurt in the marinade and the tzatziki sauce was both refreshing from the cukes and powerful from the fresh garlic (which we love!). And the combination of the tzatziki and the chicken was to die for. 

My only regret about the dish was not making my own pitas, which I will definitely do this weekend when I make these gyros again. I ran out of time on Sunday and was bouncing between the yard and the kitchen trying to get things done in both areas and making pitas just wasn’t in the cards. 

If you’re looking for an amazing side dish to serve with these grilled chicken gyros, you MUST make my roasted veggie orzo pasta salad. It’s full of Greek-inspired flavors, packed with wholesome vegetables, and topped with crumbled feta. I make it a few times every summer and we just can’t get enough of it.

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One year ago: Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

Two years ago: Creamy Orzo with Herb-Rubbed Grilled Chicken

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Grilled Chicken Gyros

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Chicken Marinating Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Grilled chicken gyros are made with a classic Greek blend of herbs, garlic, and lemon juice that transforms plain chicken into an incredible meal. Homemade yogurt tzatziki sauce (recipe included below) takes this meal to another level!

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Ingredients

For the tzatziki sauce:

• 16 oz plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• ½ 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

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
• 1 ¼ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For assembly:

• Pita bread
• Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
• Red onion, sliced thin

Instructions

1. To make the tzatziki sauce: Shred the cucumber. Wrap the shredded cucumber in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper (to taste), and lemon juice together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. This can be done 1 to 2 days in advance.
2. 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.  If using chicken breasts, cut the breasts into ½-inch strips and add the chicken pieces to the bowl; mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Cook the chicken as desired, either in a skillet, under the broiler, or on the grill. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Notes

adapted from Elly Says Opa! via Everyday Annie

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