A Simple Chicken Gyro Recipe to Satisfy Those Cravings!
Want to recreate the deliciousness of chicken gyros at home? You’re in luck! This classic creation – with roots in the Ottoman Empire – is much easier to make than you might think!
With a delicious chicken gyro seasoning made from scratch, this chicken is succulent and juicy and pairs well with vegetables in a fresh Greek pita with lots of creamy, tangy tzatziki.
Of course, you don’t have to use a vertical spit to cook the chicken – we’ve got an easier way.
Gyros is a Greek dish likely derived from the Turkish doner kebab. It’s a popular street food in Greece and many other countries.
In this recipe, we’ll share a version made with chicken, but other meats such as pork, beef, or lamb can also be used.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients that you will need to make the recipe. You’ll find everything below from the chicken gyro marinade to what you actually put in the pita bread:
- Chicken thighs – Use good quality boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Pita bread – You can either use store-bought Greek pita bread or make it yourself with this simple pita recipe.
- Oregano – Dried oregano to season the chicken.
- Olive oil – To make the marinade for the chicken. Use good quality olive oil.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is recommended for best flavor, but you can also use bottled lemon juice.
- Garlic clove – Adds extra flavor to the marinade.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor of the chicken.
- Black pepper – To add a hint of heat to the chicken.
- Tzatziki – You can either use store-bought tzatziki or make your own with this homemade tzatziki recipe.
- Tomatoes – Choose ripe and flavorful tomatoes.
- Cucumber – Use a firm and crisp cucumber to add crunch and freshness.
- Red onion – Adds a sharp and slightly tangy flavor. Use red onion for a milder taste, but yellow onion also works.
- Parsley – Adds a fresh taste to the gyros.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Before you make chicken gyros, have a good read through these recipe tips so that you achieve great success aka the best gyros:
- For the best taste, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for up to 4 hours.
- Cook the chicken thighs until slightly charred on the outside. This adds extra flavor to the dish.
- If you have the time, make the pita bread and tzatziki from scratch.
- Instead of making the gyros with chicken, you can also make them with lamb, beef or pork. In that case, you may want to adjust the marinade ingredients.
- Eat the gyros right after you assemble them since you don’t want the pita bread to get soggy.
How to Make Chicken Gyros – Step by Step Instructions
In this section, we’ll show you exactly how to make this easy chicken gyro recipe. We’ve included most of the recipe process photos so that you can follow along at home as you cook and compare your progress!
Of course, you can also find the recipe card with relevant details at the bottom of this post!
To make the marinade, whisk together the oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl or a ziplock bag.
Add the chicken thighs to the marinade. Toss the chicken until it is well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours for maximum flavor.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the toppings. Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and parsley and set them aside in separate bowls.
Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess marinade from the chicken and place in the heated skillet. Discard any remaining marinade.
Cook the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until cooked through and lightly charred. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Remove the cooked chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes.
While the chicken is resting, warm the pita bread either on the grill, in the oven, or in the air fryer for a few seconds, just enough to soften it.
Then cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
To assemble the gyros, spread a generous amount of tzatziki sauce on each warmed pita bread.
Top with some grilled chicken and some chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and parsley. Drizzle some additional tzatziki sauce over the toppings if desired.
Fold the pita bread in half, enclosing the fillings, and secure it with a toothpick if needed. Repeat the process for the remaining pita bread and ingredients.
Serve the chicken gyros immediately after assembling. They taste great with additional sides such as Greek salad or Greek Fries.
Storage Tips
Once you’ve assembled your chicken gyros, you should eat them while they are fresh. We don’t recommend storing leftover assembled gyros since the pita bread can get soggy.
If you have leftover ingredients, store them separately in sealed containers in the fridge (except for the pita bread). They’ll keep for up to 3-4 days.
You can then assemble the gyros with the leftover ingredients just before serving.
FAQ
Here are some answers to a few questions about gyros:
Officially, gyros is meat that has been cooked on a vertical spit, then shaved off and placed in pita bread with other vegetables and a sauce like tzatziki. It has roots in the Ottoman Empire – a cousin of doner kebab – and is enjoyed in Greece and other countries using a number of different meats (beef, chicken, pork, and/or lamb).
Marinate the chicken for up to four hours. Then grill the chicken in a pan with oil until cooked and slightly charred. Cut up the chicken and dice up the vegetables for the filling. Fill a pita with chicken, vegetables, and sauce (like tzatziki), close up the pita, and enjoy!
Related Recipes
If you liked this recipe for chicken gyros, here are some other classic Greek creations that you might want to try out next!
- Chicken Souvlaki
- Moussaka
- Stewed Beef with Orzo
- Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
- Greek Orzo Salad
- Greek Meatballs
- Greek Potato Salad
Chicken Gyros
Ingredients
- 21 ounces chicken thighs, boneless, skinnless
- 5-6 pita breads
Marinade
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- juice from one lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings
- tzatziki
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red onion
- 1 bunch parsley
Instructions
- To make the marinade, whisk together the oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl or a ziplock bag.2 teaspoons dried oregano, 5 tablespoons olive oil, juice from one lemon, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Add the chicken thighs to the marinade. Toss the chicken until it is well-coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours for maximum flavor.21 ounces chicken thighs
- While the chicken is marinating, prepare the toppings. Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and parsley and set them aside in separate bowls.2 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 red onion, 1 bunch parsley
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Shake any excess marinade off the chicken and discard the remaining marinade.
- Grill the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until cooked through and lightly charred. Ensure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes.
- While the chicken is resting, warm the pita bread either on the grill, in the oven, or in the air fryer for a few seconds, just enough to soften them.5-6 pita breads
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- To assemble the gyros, spread a generous amount of tzatziki sauce on each warmed pita bread. Top with some grilled chicken and some chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and parsley. If desired, drizzle some additional tzatziki sauce over the toppings.tzatziki
- Fold the pita bread in half, enclosing the fillings, and secure it with a toothpick if needed. Repeat the process for the remaining pita bread and ingredients.
- Serve the chicken gyros immediately. They can be served with additional sides such as Greek salad or Greek Fries. Enjoy!
Notes
- For best taste, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for up to 4 hours.
- Cook the chicken thighs until slightly charred on the outside. This adds extra flavor to the dish.
- If you have the time, make the pita bread and tzatziki from scratch.
- Instead of making the gyros with chicken, you can also make them with lamb, beef or pork. In this case, you may want to adjust the marinade ingredients.
- Eat the gyros as soon as you assemble them since you don’t want the pita bread to get soggy.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
Absolutely delicious.
The chicken was great. I marinated for 2 hour and grilled it. The pita was yummy, but I can’t roll any dough in a circle. That’s on me. I thought my 8″ pieces worked better than the 6″ pieces. That is the best tzatziki I’ve ever had. However, I would have preferred it with smaller pieces of cucumber. I didn’t notice it in the gyro, but a big spoonful wasn’t as smooth as I’d like. (Of course I had 4 spoonfuls, so I really shouldn’t complain).
Thank you very much. I