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!
I came across this after literally returning from Greece yesterday! I will look forward to making this, BUT, it needs feta! Can’t have Greek salad without the feta!
GO FOR IT!!! ❤️
OMG This recipe, including the flatbread, is amazing!!!
Yum! So fresh and tasty on this beautiful spring day in Melbourne! Thanks Nagi.
Fantastic to hear Vincenzina! Thank you for leaving a review. N x ❤️
Enjoying your blog in Florida, USA. Tonight I made your Greek Chicken Gyro recipe and I LOVED it. This is definitely a keeper I will enjoy often..
I look forward to many of your other recipes.
Thank you
Richard Livingston
Madeira Beach, Florida
I’m so pleased to hear that Richard! Thank you for trying my recipe! N xx ❤️
I usually don’t bother subscribing and commenting on internet recipes because I am simply too lazy. However, I was so impressed with this recipe, that I feel I would be doing Nagi a disservice not to. I saw this weeks ago and was intrigued by the apparent simplicity. Yesterday, I took the plunge and made it. I am now kicking myself that I have missed out on weeks of eating it.
I went whole hog and made the flatbread as well. All I can say is OMG, this is amazing. It was so simple and so delicious. I would only say that I don’t feel the 4 flatbreads were enough. Next time I will double the recipe. I can also see me making it with fresh rosemary & sea salt.
This is truly a game changer. I have several “go to” recipes and this will now be one of them. Thanks for sharing this fabulous dish!
I’m so pleased to hear that Patti! Thank you for trying my recipe! N xx ❤️
Hi there Nagi and Dozer, hope there is a chance you are on the computer RIGHT NOW and can respond to this very petty question, as I am, at this moment, putting all the marinade ingredients together and have noticed that the recipe says “3 tsp white wine vinegar (or red wine or apple cider vinegar)”. You have mentioned before that measurements can differ greatly from country to country SO: Is there a reason you wrote ‘3 tsp’ rather than one tablespoon? In the U.S. we are brought up learning that three teaspoons equals one tablespoon so I am wondering if there was a typo and you meant to say ‘3 tbs’ instead of ‘3 tsp’?
I know that the difference will not solve any of the great questions facing humanity at this time but I tend to be quite precise when following recipes for the first time and I don’t want to screw it up from the outset SO, even if you are too late for today, at least I will know for the future.
You and Dozer-boy have grabbed my heart as well as my stomach! Thank you for all the yums I hear when I produce your recipes.
Hi Faith! You’re right, 3 tsp = 1 tbsp, I should update that. There are minor differences in measures between US and the rest of the world but it is tiny for teaspoons and tablespoons, not enough to affect the recipe! So don’t worry! N xx
Just made this and LOVED it! I used garlic naan bread and added dill to the sauce because I had a craving for it but I followed everything else exactly. Thank you for sharing!
That’s fantastic to hear LaRica! Thanks for leaving a review! N x ❤️
Great recipe!!! Do you think you could use this on thin sliced beef chuck steaks for this…
Hmmm not sure about beef, sorry Misty. Lamb, yes!
Wonderful recipe. Love your site. Thanks. Doris
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Doris, thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
I hate cucumbers. Is there a good substitute ?
Just leave them out or use chopped green onions! 🙂 N x
Im greek and I dont ever put cucumbers in my Tziki. Makes it too watery for me. Its lovely without them as well. 🙂
Our grill is currently being repaired. Is there anyway to bake them? Or cook them another way?
Hi Kate! 200C/390F for 25 minutes will work in the oven!
I have alwasy wanted to make Gyros, and this recipe is really great to make these. I am going to print out your recipe and make these gyros for my family. I can not wait to see how they taste!
Hope you love it Julie!
These look amazing! They are so going on my list. 🙂
Hope you love them! 🙂 N x
I just wanted to say I LOVE this recipe! The marinade for the chicken is so so good! I have made this many times but last night I marinaded the chicken and put it on skewers and also used this marinade on cut up pork tenderloin! We grilled them both and everyone loved it!
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Amanda
Thanks for the great review Amanda! I’m SO pleased to hear you enjoyed it! N xx
We had this last weekend and it was wonderful! My husband was moved to shower it with unsolicited praise, in fact, so plan to also marinate chicken this way after grill-season, and pop it under the broiler for quick chicken for other meals and to top some salads during the winter, too.
That’s great to hear Wynn! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback! N xx
Can you cook this in the oven or in a frying pan? How long? The grilling season in Norway is very short. Need good options 😊
Hi Katrine! Fry pan is just like cooking on the BBQ 🙂 It could also be baked but you just won’t get that same caramelisation, I really recommend using the fry pan. I almost visited Norway a few years ago! I had to change my plans at the last minute 🙁 N xx
How would pork chops be in this marinade ? Sounds delicious with chicken, trying today !
Gosh YES! YUM!!
Hi Nagi!
Can I possibly use chicken breasts? If I do what will happen?
All the best…
Sandie
Hi Sandie! Breast will be fine 🙂 Breast is leaner which is why I prefer thigh but the flavour will still be there! N xx
This Marinade is LIFE. I didn’t even do any of the other steps, just made the marinade with fresh garlic cloves and the rest of the ingredients, and make Gyros with pita bread, lettuce, tomato, a lil feta cheese, and a little ketchup, and im still surprised. Its balanced so well that you cant help but be satisfied. Thanx!
YES! I DO THAT TOO!!! 🙂 N xx
Mouthwatering! Can it be cooked and frozen and reheated? thanks
Hi Beca! Funny you ask because I just did that for another dish using the chicken and it reheated just fine! Thaw then microwave 🙂 N xx
Made it tonight for dinner and boy it was a BIG hit!
WHOOT! Fantastic to hear Adrea! N xx