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.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
What a wonderful recipe. We have a lot of kebab places in Germany but, unfortunately, not here in the US. This recipe tastes like home to me. Thank you for sharing it.
I cooked the meat on the stove and it was a big hit at work.
I made a slight change to the tzatziki by adding thinly sliced onion and some oil to it
. Absolutely delicious and will be kept in the rotation !
Danke
Not only Damn Delicious, but super easy too.
These were fantastic and incredibly easy to toss together. I made the tzatziki in the morning as I was cooking eggs, marinaded the chicken all day, and tossed everything on the grill when I got home.
I’m strictly #TeamNoMeasure and typically up the spice quantities of recipes, but I kept the ratio fairly intact for both the marinade and the tzatziki, just adjust salt and acid until it tastes right.
Next time my girlfriend and I go camping we’re gonna bring stuff to make these, I’m sure they’ll be a hit.
Loads of flavor and overall wonderful recipe! Thank you!
This was so beyond yummy. I had Naan bread and used that instead but followed everything else exactly and loved it. Love this site so much, thanks for all the yummy recipes
Fabulous!! There was a bit of chopping and prep involved but TOTALLY worth it!! Restaurant quality!! It was phenomenal. Definitely a keeper. **I did add a bit of dill to the sauce, for a little extra Greekness.
Soooo good!
delicious and so fresh! we loved the recipe and the marinade was divine 🙂
We took a trip to Greece for dinner tonight, and it was well received!! Thank you, again, for a wonderful chicken marinade. I made a quick little salad (lettuce, red onion, cuke and tomato), added in some cous cous, chicken, Tzatziki, Greek dressing and a side of Oita. It was definitely Damn Delicious!!
Make i love a good health recipe for health nutrition filled, and absolutely delicious! I love this recipe, it’s fast and easy and tastes so good!
While my family is very picky – this meat worked! I wish I had planned ahead and let it marinate longer, but at just two hours it was so flavorful. They all loved the pita and the chicken together. A nice change of pace. The add ins were all optional of course but I made myself the accompanying sauce and it made the whole thing come together. There were places where I made adjustments where it was needed and to accommodate to what I had, and I’m admittedly an eye baller measurer and cook to taste. But mostly kept to the plan. Thanks for supper!!!
Great marinade! Used with chicken and shrimp and served with flatbreads, chopped tomatoes, cukes, feta, red onion, and tzatziki….this was one happy house at dinnertime! Another fabulous recipe. Thank you!
Easy and delicious – my favourite kind of recipe! I have never been disappointed by any of your recipes. Thank you!
Easy prep and chicken had great taste!
Great, easy to make recipe. I made it with the chicken tenderloins per the recipe. Since those are part of the breast, they tend to be a little on the dry side. So, next time I’ll try it with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Loved it! Couldn’t find fresh dill in grocery store, but used dry dill for tzatziki sauce and blended with fresh mint from my garden. Delish!
Love it! I actually love EVERYTHING that I make off this site!
Chungah-
Thank you SOOO much for making me a cook! Your recipes are so easy and delicious. I have never really considered myself good at cooking but your recipes have made me love being in the kitchen. My husband can be somewhat picky but he loves your food too so that’s saying something! Keep it up! Can’t wait for more damn delicious!
I made these last week and they were SO good! The chicken was so flavorful and the tzatziki was perfect. My kids voted this their favorite quarantine meal so far! (Your steak fajitas were a close second.)
I added extra salt and pepper, plus an extra shake of thyme and used roughly butterflied breasts so it caught under the grill, was beautiful.
Absolutely phenomenal recipe! Made this last night for dinner, and had left overs for lunch today. This recipe will definitely be a part of my meal rotation 🙂
Easy to make and absolutely delicious! Thank
You for a great recipe!