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!
Yum!!! This is so delicious. On repeat. Thanks for sharing 😀
You’re so welcome! ❤️
I love this recipe! Like a lot of your recipes!!! Just wondering do you think I can use this recipe and put the chicken on the spit and cook it over coals?
That would be fabulous Candice!!!
This recipe is fantastic! Absolutely scrumptious chicken! Nagi you are a genius!
Oh stop! Thanks so much Liz 😍
This came out amazing! And so simple to make, even the bread!!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Woot! Great stuff Cat!
This was absolutely delicious, the whole family loved it! The chicken was amazing and the taziki was so simple and yummy! I also made your homemade flat bread and that was a big winner, in fact I really don’t think the gyros would have been near as good if we would have gone with store bought. I didn’t make the relish only because I also made your Greek salad.. so I thought the relish might have been a little too much. We just slathered on extra taziki sauce and some raw red onions do the trick! 🙂 Also the extra leftover taziki sauce made a great dip the next day!
Sounds like a great feast Alexis!!
I’ve made this a few times, so good! I’m making it tonight but I don’t have any Greek yoghurt, any chance I could use sour cream for the marinade?
Hi Sherry, sour cream is the best substitute, love to know how it turns out!
Thank you for sharing! This was so quick and easy to make… kids loved it too! Perfect for a weekday when you’re short on time.
Hi Nagi,
Love all your recipes. Is it ok this marinade for lamb too?
This would be great on lamb too!
Excellent.plrase share more recipe’s
I have a whole website full of them Sonu – I hope you love them!
This is one of my family’s favorites now!
I was going to make it tonight but our plans changed. I had already put the chicken in the marinade. I was wanting to still cook it tomorrow. How will it be if it marinades longer than 24 hours? The instructions said not to.
This is one of three dishes all four of us love! I had a change of plans and it was still delicious to do the next day!
I love all your recipes! This was perfect and my husband hates cucumbers (he hates pickles and therefore hates cucumbers because of their potential to turn into a pickle) and LOVES your tzatziki! Thank you Nagi, please pet Dozer for us!
Glad you enjoyed it Lizzie! Pat passed on and slobbery kiss requested to be passed back 😂 N x
This is now one of most requested dinners – love it!
Hello! I have made your super tasty recipe previously but made uses red onion in the salad. I have never been able to find a red Spanish onion in any store. I’ve also searched online but nada. The red onion is obviously very different from a regular (yellow) Spanish onion. What is a good onion sub for red Spanish onion since I have no idea what it tastes like? Making this tomorrow and would love for it to taste as close as possible to your to your recipe this time. Thanks!
It looks delicious, Nagi. Hope to try it out soon
Do you pound or slice the chicken thighs before marinating?
Hello, I’m a newbie follower.
What brand is this pita bread ?
Thank you
-D
Hi Dominique! Which country are you in??
Thank you for replying to me
United States
FLORIDA
-Dominique
That chicken is fantastic! I let it marinate for several hours, and it was so tender and flavorful! The homemade flatbread was also delicious!
Terrific to hear you enjoyed this Coby!! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know – N x
I’ve made this recipe now 6 times or so and it’s fantastic. The first time I made it, I thought I made enough for lunches later in the week but it was so delicious that my husband ate almost all of the extra! I have found that the best results are from marinading the chicken on the longer side-8 hours or so.
Love hearing that Katie! I’m so pleased you love this as much as I do! N x
Tried this recipe and the whole family loved it.
Glad you enjoyed it Erin! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Nag…..This is the first recipe I have tried from your web-site, and it was fantastic!! I have made it twice now……both times with Chicken Breasts vs. Thighs since that is what I had on hand. But, if a Chicken Breast was large, I did fillet it so it would cook evenly and quickly on the grill. Yesterday, I made it for dinner guests and everyone enjoyed it…….I set-up a Gyro Buffet so people could make Gyros with Pita Bread or make themselves a Grilled Chicken Salad. This Recipe will definitely become a regular at my house. I also recently started Weight Watchers, so I have been looking for flavorful ways to help stay on track. I’m thinking of Grilling this Chicken sometimes just to have in the Refrigerator for Lunch Meat……I found that the leftover meat is very yummy in a Lettuce Wrap too. Thanks for Sharing…..I’ll definitely be browsing your site for other recipe ideas 🙂
@ Maxine Turner How long did you cook your chicken breast? I am a WW as well and this will come in handy on salad days!