Greek Chicken Gyros
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Easy, make-ahead chicken gyros! You can marinate the chicken ahead of time and whip up your homemade tzatziki too! So fast, so good!
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Make-ahead Greek chicken gyros! Is there anything better?
The tzatziki sauce can be made well ahead of time, just marinating in the fridge and getting better and better as it sits. And the chicken can marinate in all these spices – olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme and paprika.
Now I prefer to throw these on the grill, letting them get beautifully charred and smoky but if you reside in a very cold climate with no Spring/Summer in sight (like me in Chicago), these can be thrown on a cast iron grill pan instead. You should still be able to get that charred goodness!
From there, pack your toasted pita flatbreads (this can be toasted on a gas burner very carefully or a cast iron grill pan if you do not have access to a grill at this time) with the chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and tzatziki sauce that’s been marinating in the fridge. It’s a speedy meal that will please everyone!
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet
Greek Chicken Gyros: Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Not at all! If tenderloins are not readily available, you can purchase chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) and cut them lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick strips.
The tzatziki sauce can be set aside in the refrigerator and the chicken can be marinated at least 2 hours in advance.
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!
Greek Chicken Gyros
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
- 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, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding 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, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red 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.
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So fast and easy to make. In fact I even had time to make some homemade hummus to go along with it . The only thing I will change for next time is to make some homemade pita, too. The flavor of the chicken was perfect and our vegetarian folk enjoyed it all with chickpeas subbed for the chicken.
Oh,I just visited your blog and didn’t expect to find a SO Greek Recipe! Well done! I can’t wait to try your dishes 🙂
A new Greek fun!
Made this last night, delicious. Used a grill pan since it is 10 degrees here. Will be eating for lunch again today.
Just as I was wondering what to do with the chicken thighs I’d got out to thaw, this recipe popped up! My family devoured the chicken and commented that it tasted better than the Greek restaurant in town! I pan fried the chicken thighs which worked really well! Can’t wait to try cooking this on my grill this summer!