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Chicken Gyros feature the most incredible marinated chicken breast meat, fresh veggies, and homemade tzatziki sauce all wrapped up in a pita! These easy to make handheld entrees are Greek in origin and always satisfy for either lunch or dinner. Make them for your next weeknight dinner OR party with friends and they’ll be sure to hit the spot!
Everything is better with tzatziki, right? It’s a little sour, super creamy, and pairs with a gyro like peanut butter pairs with jelly. (That’s to say it pairs PERFECTLY)! In this easy gyro recipe, you’ll really appreciate how the homemade tzatziki specifically pairs like a dream with the marinated chicken. The marinade is made with ingredients like garlic, lemon juice, Greek yogurt and more… So you know it’s good!
While gyros are delicious year-round, I find myself making them the most during the hotter summer months. When I need something protein-packed and hot without being too heavy and filling, this is an excellent recipe to turn to. Chicken keeps me nice and full while the veggies and tzatziki help to make everything light. They’re great to whip up for a quick summertime lunch or dinner, no matter how hot it gets outside.
What is a gyro?
A gyro is a Greek dish that involves the meat being cooked on a rotating spit, or really large open flame. The meat is usually stacked vertically and then as it rotates, the meat is shaved off with a really sharp knife and wrapped in a pita. Traditionally, this is done with lamb and as gyros have become more Americanized, there have been different meats that have been substituted in. For example, this restaurant near me serves a beef and lamb combination gyro. Further, this chicken gyro recipe below is a take on the traditional Greek dish. Of course, I did not have a spit so I used what I had at home to give this a Greek-inspired nod.
Why You’ll Love This
- SO easy to make. No need to head out and spend too much money on a lackluster gyro. Next time the craving strikes, you can easily whip these gyros up in less than thirty minutes! The only real time spent here is marinating the chicken.
- Can be made for any occasion. Make these easy chicken gyros for your next weeknight dinner at home or for a party with friends. They’re great for just about any occasion!
- Customize them to your tastes. You can add and subtract ingredients here as you see fit. Some good garnishes include red onions, grape tomatoes, and shredded lettuce, but you can feel free to get as creative as you’d like!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at your shopping list to make chicken gyros! Make sure to scroll down to view the full recipe for exact measurements.
- Chicken breasts
- Garlic cloves
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Greek yogurt
- Paprika
- Black pepper
- Seasoning salt
- Greek seasoning
For the wraps:
- Pita wraps
- Tzatziki sauce – my homemade one is amazing!
- Garnishes: sliced red onion, sliced grape tomatoes, shredded lettuce.
How To Make the Best Chicken Gyros
Take a quick look at how to make homemade chicken gyros. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
Prepare the chicken. Pound the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into about 1/4 inch thickness.
Make the marinade. In a bowl, mix together the garlic, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, Greek yogurt, paprika, pepper, seasoning salt, and Greek seasoning.
Marinate the chicken. Pour the marinade into a large bag and place the chicken in there as well. Squish everything around so that the chicken is fully covered by the marinade. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Make the tzatziki sauce. Here’s my quick recipe to make this delicious, creamy sauce.
Cook the chicken. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place it into a large skillet with a some olive oil. Turn the heat to medium and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on one side, searing the chicken as it cooks, then flip and keep cooking until fully cooked.
Let it rest. Let the cooked chicken rest on a cutting board for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Assemble the gyros. Warm up the pitas, then fill them with chicken, tzatziki, and the garnishes of your choice.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are just a couple of ways you can change up this easy recipe!
- You can use store-bought sauce. I think it goes without saying that homemade is always best, especially with something like tzatziki sauce that features such fresh ingredients. However, you can definitely use a store-bought bottle in a pinch.
- Add more garnishes. You can add things like feta cheese, cucumbers, or whatever else sounds good to you to your gyro.
Tips for Success
I have a few tips and tricks below to help you make the best chicken gyros.
- Let the chicken marinate. The chicken needs 2 full hours to marinate. If you take it out of the marinade before that time has passed, you’ll end up with chicken that’s not as tender flavorful as you want.
- Use fresh lemon juice. When making the marinade, it’s so important to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. The stuff from concentrate just isn’t as good and doesn’t lend the right flavor to the chicken.
- Allow the meat to rest before slicing. If you cut into the chicken right away, you’re going to lose a lot of the juices! Allow the cooked chicken to sit for about 5 minutes before you begin slicing so it stays juicy.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
I don’t recommend making these chicken gyros ahead of time. Once they’re assembled, they should be served as immediately as possible. The moisture from the tzatziki sauce can make things a bit soggy if kept in the fridge. However, you can keep the tzatziki and chicken stored in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Easy Greek Recipes to Try
Craving more bold Greek flavors? Me too! Here are just a few of my favorite Greek-inspired dishes to make:
Chicken Gyros
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon greek seasoning
For the wraps:
- 6 pita wraps
- Tzatziki sauce
- Optional garnishes: sliced red onion, sliced grape tomatoes, shredded lettuce.
Instructions
- Pound the chicken flat, to about ¼ inch thickness.
- Place all of the marinade ingredients: garlic, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, greek yogurt, paprika, pepper, seasoning salt, and greek seasoning into a bowl and combine.
- Pour the marinade into a large ziplock bag. Place the chicken into the bag with the marinade and squish everything around to cover every bit of the chicken. Place this into the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- While this is marinating, make the tzatziki sauce.
- When the chicken is finished marinating, remove it from the marinade (discard the marinade) and place it into a large skillet with a tablespoon of oil. Turn the heat to medium and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on one side (searing the chicken as it cooks), then flip and continue cooking until fully cooked through.
- Place the cooked chicken on a cutting board and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting it into strips.
- Prepare pita bread (or flatbread) by warming it. Then fill each pita with chicken, optional garnishes, and tzatziki sauce.
