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!
Nagi your recipes are always mouthwatering and delicious. I love gyros. Such a fantastic idea to make them at home.
Thanks Kathy! So crazy easy to make at home too!! N x
These gyros look divine, Nagi! Love tzatziki – so perfect with the flavours!
Thank you so much Jess!!! 🙂
Chicken gyros are one of my favs, we have a small Greek restaurant close to us which has the best Greek food and every once in a while we go there and have some gyros and baklava. It’s the best! But homemade is better eh? Love your photos, they’re making me hungry!
Baklava….I think it is my all time favourite dessert. See? This is why we are friends. 🙂
Another home run! Big flavors, easy prep…your calling card!
Kathi
Thanks so much Kathi!! 😉
We are the same flavor train these days! I just made lamb greek tacos, but with a feta/olive sauce. I think we might need a greek party, can you bring this and that sauce? OH MY!! Divine!
p.s
Mind me asking what lens you used for the closer up shots?
Thanks friend!
Ohhhhh….feta olive sauce sounds DIVINE! Yes, let’s have a GREEK party!!! 😉
I used my 50 mm prime lens for the close ups. I can only get to around 1 foot away with that lens, but I just cropped the photo when I was editing. You lose a bit of quality but not enough to worry about when displaying photos on the web. 🙂
Oh Nagi!! I’ve know for a while that you are a woman after my own heart (teehee) but now here is the ultimate PROOF! You know I love all things Greek when it comes to food. I have eaten probably a few hundred (maybe thousand!) chicken souvlakis in my time in Greece and this recipe of yours looks every bit as good if not better than the best of them. Love the sound of that amazing marinade!
And yes, you have GOT to visit Greece some time soon. If you do, I am the woman to come to for oodles of tips on where to go/what to eat etc!! 🙂
Do you know, I actually popped onto your blog to see if YOU had a recipe??? 😉 Great minds think alike!!
Oh, yes please – just love this sort of food – so want my bbq back – shouldn’t too long now:-)
The reason I love cooking on my BBQ is cause it’s one less thing to wash up! I don’t have a dishwasher. Can you believe it?
I make tzatziki a lot – honestly love it enough to eat with a spoon. But this marinade – I’ve never thought of using yogurt to marinate meat. I’ll be trying this out pronto!!
Yoghurt is a brilliant marinade! Fab for lamb too. Oh, and Indian marinades!! Soooo good! 🙂
Like you, I’ve been all around Greece but never visited there. We might all need to be tourists there if they’re going to survive the current crisis.
I LOVE these gyros. I’ve made lamb gyros but never chicken. I can’t imagine why I haven’t made something that looks this good!
You know what? I haven’t made LAMB gyros! Gotta give it a go! Yoghurt marinades go so well with lamb 🙂
Hey young lady you slay me!! I doubled up when I read your”slathered” description on the gyros chicken recipe. You entertain me so much each evening, you’re a star! Don’t get me wrong you make my mouth water with every recipe. Keep up the good work
Hi Stevie! Thanks so much for your wonderful message, you made my morning! Fully intend to keep the recipes coming 😉 Glad I’m entertaining you!! N x
Magi love your reply thanks, but how on earth do I get rid of the mind invading ‘ acuvue’ advert that consistently Bombards my screen’ and won’t go away’ while I’m trying to read your recipes, HELP! X
Hi Stevie – I’m so sorry! I monitor ads very closely and only work with “the best” so I can control them as much as possible, but unfortunately the odd dodgy ones slip through the net. I’ve hunted them down and blocked them now so hopefully you never see it again! N x
Nagi I love you to bits, you are a star! Thank you so much, now I can look forward to many more of your fun packed delicious recipes S x
These gyros look amazing! The chicken looks finger looking good! I think my picky husband would enjoy them (tzaziki sauce and all).
Thanks Thao!! I hope he DOES like them…..in fact, ANYTHING you cook for him!!! 🙂
Yum!!! This sounds so good – will have to make it. I haven’t made pita before, but am going to because all you can get at the stores here is round cardboard!!
Hi Barb!! I know what you mean 🙂 There is only one place I get pita bread / Greek flatbread around here. I find most are very dry and crack the minute I roll them. I have a really easy no yeast flatbread on my blog which is super easy and very soft so it doesn’t crack when you wrap things. -> https://promotown.info/easy-soft-flatbread-yeast/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hope you give it a go! Love to hear what you think!! 🙂
Thanks, Nagi! I’ll check it out. Yeah, I hate dry bread!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
That is all. <3
I’m a bit like that with this!! 😉
Love, love, love, love, love!!!! This is seriously one of my all-time favorite meals! I love your marinade for the chicken! This is one of the things I love about your blog! Even with a dish I love and have made before, you always add wonderful flavors and components I haven’t tried or thought of before! Inspirational as always! 🙂
Did you copy this from a comment I left on one of YOUR recipes?! 😉 Ha! Could have been me speaking. I kid you not when I say that I’ve memorised that Curry soup of yours (and it’s not a short recipe!!) 🙂 Hope the move is going well, looking forward to hearing about your new home!!
Just had this last week- Am surrounded by tons of Greek restaurants and this is always on the menu. I would bet a million dollars that yours taste 10X BETTER. They look SIMPLY DELICIOUS!!!
I’m SO jealous! There are not that many Greek restaurants in Sydney – at least, not authentic ones 🙂
This gyro recipe sounds very interesting. I’ve made them with a “Greek” seasoning mix, and they were nice. But your recipe sounds like something I’m more likely to make regularly. I hope you do make it to Greece – it’s a wonderful country. If you go, make sure to visit some of the Greek islands as well as the mainland. The islands are really special.
Oooh, definitely plan to spend some quality time on the islands! (On the beach. With lots of nibbles. And cocktails!!)
There’s a little Greek restaurant near our place on the lake where I only order the gyro…it’s my favorite – meaning this recipe has my name written all over it! Looks delectable, Nagi!
I’m so jealous you have a lake escape…..! 🙂
Oooh – I LURVE using yogurt in/as a marinade for chicken – I had no clue what or how it worked it’s magic – but magic did happen! Thanks for explaining the process of how it works, Nagi! Forget the pita bread – I’d be all over this chicken – and that tzatziki!
SAME! I made an extra large batch of tzatziki cause it’s SO GOOD for using as a dip or even spreading on toast!! 🙂 Love yoghurt marinades, really fab with lamb too! 🙂
These look fabulous! That chicken looks so moist and flavorful! I’d love to go to Greece someday too, maybe when my kids are older. 🙂
Thanks Kristine!! The chicken is definitely VERY juicy! 🙂
Love Greek food, these look amazing Nagi! Definitely need to try the marinade, love the use of Greek Yogurt. Great pictures, my mouth is watering!
Thanks so much Mira! The yoghurt in the marinade definitely makes a huge difference! 🙂