Greek Chicken Gyros
by Chungah
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Juicy, tender Greek chicken gyros! Make ahead of time and marinate the chicken overnight (so good). Includes an easy homemade tzatziki sauce!
Featured Comment
This recipe is so good! I make a deconstructed version for my young kids and they love it too. We add feta cheese. This meal reminds me of my favorite Greek restaurant in my hometown, which we rarely get to have anymore. This recipe is a winner!
Why you’ll love these Greek chicken gyros
- Easy make-ahead recipe. With a simple ingredient list, most of which are pantry staples, the chicken can marinate for at least 2 hours in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, and paprika. So simple, yet so flavorful.
- Includes an easy homemade tzatziki sauce. The tzatziki sauce can also be made well ahead of time, marinating in the fridge and getting better and better as it sits.
- Speedy weeknight meal. Serve with toasted pita flatbreads, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and spooned-on-drizzled-dolloped tzatziki sauce. Or serve as a salad or bowl. It’s so customizable, there’s a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.
- Great 365 days out of the year. Fire up the grill during the warmer months or use a cast iron grill pan for those favorited charred, smoky flavors.
What are Greek chicken gyros?
Chicken gyros are a wildly popular Greek-type street food made with marinated chicken wrapped in warm flatbread and topped with tomatoes, onions, and creamy tzatziki sauce.
Key ingredients
- Chicken: chicken tenderloins marinated in a blend of warm Mediterranean flavors
- Bread: warm pita flatbreads
- Toppings: shredded romaine lettuce, quartered cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion
- Sauce: tzatziki sauce (recipe below)
how to make greek chicken gyros
- Make the tzatziki sauce. Combine the Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper. Let the tzatziki sauce sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, really letting the flavors meld and fully develop.
- Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken tenderloins (or cut up chicken breasts), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight – the longer it marinates, the better!
- Prep the grill. Preheat the grill to medium heat (325-375°F) and scrape the grill grates clean to prevent sticking and to guarantee those perfect sear marks on the chicken.
- Grill. Drain the chicken from the marinade and grill until fully cooked through (165°F) and beautifully charred.
- Assemble the gyros. Warm the pita bread on the grill, about 1-2 minutes per side. Wrap, fold or sandwich the cooked chicken in the warmed pita with desired toppings, slathered with tzatziki sauce.
what to serve with greek chicken gyros
Tools For This Recipe
Greek Chicken Gyros: Frequently Asked Questions
What are chicken tenderloins?
Chicken tenderloins (or chicken tenders) are long narrow strips of meat that can be found attached loosely underneath the breast against the rib bones. Chicken tenderloins are far more lean and tender than chicken breasts.
Do I have to use tenderloins?
Not at all! Use chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) and cut them lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick strips.
What if I don’t have a grill?
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
How can I avoid dry grilled chicken?
To ensure juicy, moist chicken, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, avoid overcooking (use an instant-read thermometer) and let it rest prior to serving.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! The tzatziki sauce can be set aside in the refrigerator, and the chicken can be marinated at least 2 hours in advance.
How can I store leftovers?
The leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Greek Chicken Gyros
Juicy, tender Greek chicken gyros! Make ahead of time and marinate the chicken overnight (so good). Includes an easy homemade tzatziki sauce!
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 pita flatbreads
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
For the tzatziki sauce
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup grated English cucumber, squeezed dry
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine chicken, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium heat. Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 8 minutes.
- To serve, warm pitas on the grill, about 1-2 minutes per side. Halve pitas, and fill with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and tzatziki sauce.
- Serve immediately.
For the tzatziki sauce
- In a medium bowl, combine Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Equipment
Notes
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor.
- Use chicken breasts. If tenderloins are not readily available at your local supermarket, chicken breasts can be used instead, cut into large strips about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick.
- Marinate overnight. Let the chicken marinate overnight (or at least 2 hours). The longer it sits, the better, really letting the flavors meld and intensify. But avoid marinating longer than 24 hours – the acidic ingredients (lemon juice) can start to break down the chicken, making it mushy.
- Preheat the grill. Ensure that the grill is properly cleaned (to prevent sticking) and preheated prior to grilling. This will allow for a better sear for those grill marks and evenly cooked chicken.
- Work in batches. An overcrowded grill or pan can lead to uneven cooking and poor browning. Work in batches to maintain high heat for a good sear and crispy crust on each chicken tenderloin.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
- Mix it up. Skip the pita bread and transform these wraps into a salad or gyro bowl.
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This recipe is so good! I make a deconstructed version for my young kids and they love it too. We add feta cheese. This meal reminds me of my favorite Greek restaurant in my hometown, which a rarely get to have anymore. This recipe is a winner!
Call me crazy but tyhis tasted just like the gyros from a pizza shop that I get. The tzatsiki sauce was on point! Thank you!
This recipe is fantastic!! I baked the chicken on my Pampered Chef bar pan at 375° for 13 minutes. It turned out absolutely perfect. I also only marinated for two hours but it had plenty of flavor. For the tzatziki, I added onion powder and extra garlic which was wonderful. Five star recipe for sure!
Could I bake the chicken in the oven. If yes then at what temperature and for how long?
I baked it at 375° for 13 minutes directly on a Pampered Chef bar pan. Turned out perfect.
What a wonderful recipe! I wanted to make a Greek-themed dinner for our monthly meal service for 60 or so homeless teens, and this recipe just read right – and it is! The marinade is delicious.
I didn’t have the time/capacity to grill mine, and I couldn’t afford chicken tenderloins for that many, so I used boneless skinless thighs, cut them into good sized ‘nuggets’ and cooked them in a big cast iron pan on medium high, about two minutes each side to brown them and then two more minutes with a lid on. Chicken was perfectly cooked and SO flavorful!
I made the meal two nights later for a dinner party for 10 – people are still raving about it and there were multiple requests for the recipe.
If you have to use lemon juice from a bottle in a pinch I suppose that would be OK, but I think the fresh lemon is so important! Also, feta and kalamata olives are a great addition to the gyros add in options.
Made this for dinner again, my friend smelled the marinade and invited herself and her dude for dinner, it was a huge hit! My only regret was not making more!!!
We made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly, it was amazing!!!! I would not tweak this recipe, it is perfect as written!
Do you have to brine the chicken before grilling/cooking?
Absolutely delicious! I made the tzatziki and marinated the chicken the night before. I forgot the red onion at dinner and added cucumbers. My husband said it was one of the best meals I’ve made. Thank you for a fantastic recipe.
No.. you’re marinating it. That’s all that’s required.
Omg these turned out so good in the air fryer. I marinated the meat per recipe and air fried them for about 15 minutes at 380 and they turned out juicy and delicious. Plus the air fryer gives it that charred effect you get on the grill. I had it with veggie rice pilaf and avocado salad but these tenders were the Star of the meal for sure. Thank you so much for a wonderful and easy recipe! The whole family enjoyed it very much.
Absolutely delicious, I added more paprika and even found a recipe for the flatbreads. The whole family enjoyed them they are very filling and will definitely make them again
Can’t wait to try
Loved this dish so much, everything was perfect. I followed everything exactly except I used naan bread. Thank you so much for all your recipes
Didn’t love the tzatziki. It was very dill heavy. Chicken was good. Needs more salt.
Marinating right now! But doubled the recipe cause we got a big family. There wasn’t a lot of marinade and I’m wondering if I should add water or more oil? There’s nothing to drain. But I followed it to the T. Can’t wait to try it! Ty!
Um… WOW. Again with the amazing dish. Super easy. Grilled the chicken. Bought all fresh vegetables from Trader Joes. We will be using this dish for camping in a couple of weeks. Thank you!!
SOOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!!
Great recipe for a light summer dinner.
Good overall but the chicken was kinda bland, even after 5 hours of marinating. Maybe that’s my fault because I added Greek yogurt to the marinade. The mixture smelled wonderful and promising. We put the chicken over that salad ingredients above and nixed the pita to save calories. I made a tzatziki from another Damn Delicious recipe (for turkey meatballs) that includes mint. I was surprised that leaving out olive oil really didn’t affect the flavor much! We used the leftovers on some salmon–yum. I also added kalamata olives, which brought the dish together and gave it a good flavor punch.
Hi again, used this recipe to make gyro skewers in combination with red bell pepper and onion. So good! Everyone loved it .
Thank you
Easy and absolutely delicious!
Thanks for a great recipe!