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!
Making this for dinner, I love your recipes Nagi, say hi to Dozer for me. I had to put my baby down two weeks ago and I miss her.
I will be making this ahead of time for about 25 people and bringing it on vacation. Do you think I can grill the chicken ahead of time, freeze it and put the chicken into a crockpot with some tzatziki to heat it up?
I don’t have access to a grill, so how would you recommend cooking the chicken? Baking?
Do you have a cast iron pan? We don’t have a grill either and using the cast iron has been a great alternative.
Making this today and quick question. While I do not have white wine vinegar. Does the red or white vinegar work better than rice wine vinegar? Which is the best?
So excited to try and love the reviews!
Teresa
White will be fine! 🙂
Made this tonight with homemade flat bread…. it was a hit. Even my super fussy son ate it. He said it looked and smelt funny but tasted really good 😂
Absolutely fantastic. Wonderful flavors. This is a keeper.
I’m glad you enjoyed this Mary, thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
One word – YUM. The marinade is EVERYTHING. The tzatziki is SO bright and lovely (I made it a day before and it was fine!) and the fresh “salad” was awesome. We did the chicken in a cast iron (oh the joys of apt living) and it still came out wonderfully flavorful. My boyfriend proclaimed that this is going in the meal rotation. I couldn’t agree more. Again .. the marinade is to die for. I MAY add some dill to the tzatziki next time … but I really don’t know if I need to start messing with something that is so good from the get go. Thank you!
WHOOT! So glad you enjoyed this KB!
Wow!! This was amazing!! Just finished our plates and it was so good! Thanks for sharing will keep to make again !!!!
That’s great to hear Kristen! Thanks for letting me know! N x
This recipe is delicious I have made it several times and it’s always a crowd pleaser. I am hosting a group of ladies for dinner and working around food allergies, dairy being one of them, has anyone tried to make this with coconut milk greek yogurt?
Ask your lactose intolerant friend(s) if they can eat plain Greek yogurt. Many people with this dietary issue can and do substitute Greek yogurt for dairy in other recipes. It works great as sour cream, cream cheese, whole milk, most cheeses ~ I use it in quiches, pancakes, twice-baked potatoes, etc. It holds it’s consistency and will stay thick (not runny!) for gyros.
Note: I’ve never used coconut milk yogurt.
Hi Mama! I haven’t but I think the flavourings in this will be terrific with coconut yoghurt! N x
It looks delicious and I would love to make it, but when I saw the sodium content, I was stunned. What could I do to decrease the amount of sodium?
How did you get the thighs so flat and long? Could chicken breast be used instead?
I’m really excited to try this! Can I use chicken breasts if dark meat isn’t our thing?
Can I make the tzatziki a day before and keep it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to use it
You sure can
It is better the next day
FYI I am Greek
And traditional Greek tzatziki is made as follows
Wash cucumber leave skin on , crate cucumber, leave in sieve – add salt to grated cucumber (this is to remove liquid
In a clean bowl add plain Greek yogurt, funky grate garlic to your liking, add dill. Stir through. The garlic will do the rest. Cover or seal bowl and place in the fridge.
Squeeze out access liquid from cucumber and add to yogurt garlic dill mix . Stir
If u want more garlic add more and stir .
Better the next day.
Enjoy
Also in Greek yeros’s they had hot chips to the wrap.
The best !!!
Just finished eating these for supper. We absolutely loved them. Leftovers tomorrow night. My husband kept raving about how tender and flavorful the chicken was. Thanks, Nagi.
That’s so great to hear Judy! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x
This was delicious! We made it this evening with locally grown tomatoes and cucumbers and I added some fresh oregano, mint, and parsley and green onions to the tzatziki and we opted to serve it with rice and grilled zucchini and sprinkled goat feta on everything. What a great meal! This is definitely going to be a repeat recipe for our family. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Oooh! Again with the goat feta. Hurray for our lactose intolerant peeps…this is a very “friendly” and interesting cheese to use or substitute in recipes. 🐐 (< little goat)
WOW that sounds amazing to use local produce! I’m jealous! 🙂 N x
Can you substitute the flat bread for flour tortillas? Thank you
Absolutely!!
Please tell me that the nutritional values I’m seeing here aren’t accurate. 52% of sodium and 54% of cholesterol?
Hello Stacey! I will have another look at this when I get a chance 🙂
Fantastic!
Glad you enjoyed this Lisa!!! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback! N x
What sides would you serve with this?
A big GREEK SALAD! https://promotown.info/greek-salad/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
What would you serve with this?