The marinade for the chicken for this Greek Chicken Gyros recipe is SO GOOD that I use it even when I’m not making Gyros. Try it once, and I think you’ll be as obsessed with it as I am!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Greek Chicken Gyros recipe
It’s been ages since I made this Greek Chicken Gyros. But the minute the chicken hit the grill, all I could think was “why don’t I make this more often??”
The smell is incredible. You can REALLY smell garlic and oregano. You know how sometimes you add herbs into things and you can’t really taste it? Or you can, but it’s a very subtle flavour. Definitely not the case with this!!
What goes in Gryos
Here are the components that make up a Greek Chicken Gyros wrap:
Marinated Greek Chicken
Tzatziki
Tomato Cucumber Salad
Flatbread to roll up the gyros – or use smaller pita breads and just fold them over
Greek Chicken Gyros Marinade ingredients
Here’s what you need for the marinade. There’s LOTS of garlic and dried oregano. Lots!!
Yogurt is a magical marinade – it’s a terrific flavour carrier and tenderises the chicken!
Yogurt is the secret ingredient in this recipe. The acid in the yoghurt breaks down the fibres so it not only softens the chicken but also helps the marinade really infuse into the flesh.
Plus, the yoghurt makes this marinade “paste like” so it stays slathered on the chicken when you cook it (unlike many marinades that are thin). So you have extra flavour oomph!
In the video, you’ll see that I cook this indoors on a grill pan. But during the warmer months, this is a BBQ favourite!
What goes in Tzatziki for Greek Gyros
And here’s what goes in the tzatziki.
Greek Yogurt please! Or at least Greek style which is what I mostly use because it’s easily found at everyday supermarkets. 🙂
How to make Greek Chicken Gyros
And onto the making part!! There are a few components to Gryos – but the making part is a cinch!
GREAT meal for groups – prepare ahead, make loads!
This Greek Chicken Gyros is a really fab recipe for entertaining. Because it is really fast to prepare and the men can BBQ while the girls sip wine and chatter. (Joke joke JOKE!!!)
Then you can just lay everything out on the table. Why should you slave away, rolling up a gyros for everyone? Make ’em do it themselves!
(Few more of my favourite large format foods, DIY style, include: Chicken or Beef / Lamb Doner kebabs, Chicken Shawarma and Lamb Shawarma, Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Bowls).
What to serve on the side
I serve Greek Chicken Gyros as a complete meal in itself because there’s a decent amount of tomato and cucumber used to stuff inside.
If you wanted to boost the fresh vegetables, a big fat juicy Greek Salad would be terrifically on theme! For something more substantial, especially if you’re making Gyros for a group, try this Greek Lemon Orzo Salad as well.
And though not specifically a Greek-style salad, this Cucumber Salad with Garlic & Herb Dressing OR this Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing would go down a treat with this Gyros. I also offer a Greek take on my recipe for Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts (see Customisations ideas section) that would be a great partner to the Gyros.
If you’re really wanting to impress, make Gyros using your very own homemade flatbread wraps. They’re easy and they’re made without yeast!!
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzaziki
Ingredients
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets , boneless skinless
Marinade
- 3 large garlic cloves , minced (~ 3 tsp)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or red wine or apple cider vinegar)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt , preferably full fat
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Tzatziki
- 2 cucumbers (to make about 1/2 – 3/4 cup grated cucumber after squeezing out juice)
- 1 1/4 cups Greek yoghurt , preferably full fat
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or more if you want richer)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Salad
- 3 tomatoes , desseeded and diced
- 3 cucumbers , diced
- 1/2 red spanish onion , peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (optional)
- Salt and pepper
To Serve
- 4 to 6 pita breads or flat breads
Instructions
- Place the Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and massage to mix. Add the chicken into the ziplock bag and massage to cover all the chicken in the Marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours, ideally 12 hours and no longer than 24 hours.
Make the Tzatziki
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scrape the watery seeds out. Coarsely grate the cucumber using a box grater. Then wrap in paper towels or a tea towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid.
- Place cucumber in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients then mix to combine. Set aside for at least 20 minutes for the flavours to meld.
Salad
- Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Cook Chicken
- Brush the outdoor grill with oil, then preheat on medium high. Or heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan over medium high heat.
- Remove chicken from Marinade. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through (cooking time depends on size of chicken).
- Remove the chicken from the grill / fry pan onto a plate. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Assemble Gyros
- If your chicken thighs are large, you may need to cut them. Mine were small.
- Get a pita bread or flatbread (preferably warmed) and place it on a piece of parchment (baking) paper (or you could use foil). Place some Salad down the middle of the bread, then top with chicken and Tzatziki.
- Roll the wrap up, enclosing it with the parchment paper. Twist the end with the excess parchment paper to secure it and cut if desired.
- I prefer to lay everything out on a table and let everyone help themselves.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
First published June 2015. Long overdue for fresh new photos and a brand new video!!
Life of Dozer
WAY too close to the BBQ!
Cooking this again tonight!! Family favourite!! Always extra tzatziki but it’s so yum we eat it over the next day or so with fresh crudities and it is awesome!!
Amazing and simple recipe. Made this 3rd time today. Got me so many brownie points from the wifey 🙂
YES! Love this Amit!! N x
Can I bake chicken in oven, I don’t have grill and do not use stovetop to fry etc.
I have been using your recipes for a while now and I seriously never had a bad one yet. Every recipe is amazing!! But this one, this one hands down has been the winner. Keep up the awesome work, you are seriously amazing!
Wahoo! I’m so glad you love it Jodie!! N x
My ex-wife (Turkish w/a culinary degree) and I lived in Turkey for 4 years. Needless to say, I’ve eaten some of THE BEST Gyros on the planet (Food wise, Turkey and Greece are similar to N & S Carolina; same dish, slight variations;). Without specifically searching, hands down this is the best recipe I’ve come across since being in the Mediterranean decades ago and I WILL be making it soon. I’ve seen some other fantastic meals too. Thanks for the time/effort. I’ll be sure to tell others!
Have cooked this a couple times now and absolutely love it! You definitely need to give the marinade some time to work – the first time I made it I only let it sit for an hour and the taste didn’t really come through. Tried it again last night letting it sit for 3 hours – SO delicious, and SO tender! Would definitely love to see some other recipes using this marinade 🙂
Would this work with beef?
Yes 100% Leigh! N x
Made this last night and it was more than Fabulous!!!
And re sparking my interest in cooking that I lost!!!
Trying my fourth recipe of yours tomorrow and have Loved them all!!
My husband Loves them too!!
Pretty simple yet tasty. I completely understand Dozer’s urge to stand close to the BBQ.
Thank you for the recipe.
Hi please can you do Keto recipes for us, they all so delish!!!
Hi Lindy, sorry I’m not a dietician/nutritionist so don’t like posting diet specific recipes. If it’s keto, it will be by sheer coincidence! N x
I’m out of chicken and was wondering if I could sub shrimp. What do you think? How would it change marinade time?
Hi Bina, it wouldn’t work quite the same unfortunately. But if you want to use shrimp marinade no longer than 20 minutes and then sear over high heat. N x
If I use fat free greek yogurt (that’s what I currently have), should I add something else to the recipe to compensate for the reduced fat?
I used non-fat Greek yogurt and both the marinade and tzaziki turned out fine. The tzaziki was just not as thick as creamy as it could be, but still super yummy.
Thank you
An excellent supper to enjoy on a warm summer night. Thank you, Nagi.
I loved this meal! I will be making it again
Made this last night.
I added a sprinkle of dried oregano and a splash of olive oil to the tomato salad.
Delicious!
I took the easy path and turned this recipe into Greek Chicken Kebabs with some red onion mixed in. I grilled them on the barbecue under a Kansas sunset. They were exceptionally delicious, tender and juicy.
I took the easy path and turned this recipe into Greek Chicken Kebabs with some red onion mixed in. I grilled them on the barbecue under a Kansas sunset. They were exceptionally delicious, tender and juicy. Marc
Had chicken breasts and was out of cucumbers. The days of running out for one item is gone. I loved this and I think I would leave them out permanently. So fast to make the sauce if you don’t bother with the cucumbers and it was great. Thank you – Dozer is a wimp. Our golden loves to roll over in frozen water.
So the chicken breast turned out ok Suzy? I don’t like thighs so I thought I’d do a mix of thigh and breast.
It’s a little hard to get Greek food in Tokyo and I was craving it so made this tonight. Wife and daughter loved it (my daughter is a picky eater)! I prepped yesterday and whipped it up tonight. So easy and delicious. Will definitely be making this again.
ありがとう!
My family is not a huge fan of dark meat- any chance these would turn out just as good using chicken breasts or is the thigh what makes it?
I’ve made this a few times now with chicken tenderloins in lieu of the chicken thighs and can attest that the tenderloins have been just as good as (more lean) just not quite as tasty as the thighs.