Easy Chicken Gyros {New and Improved}
This easy chicken gyro recipe is simple and delicious! The yogurt lemon marinade adds tons of flavor and is perfect with the tzatziki, flatbread and toppings!
Chicken gyros are one of our favorite weeknight meals, and this recipe delivers both in flavor and simplicity!
Chicken Gyro Marinade
This new and improved easy chicken gyro recipe was born out of my desire to take this older recipe and simplify it a bit. I posted that recipe almost 15 years ago, and we’ve made it a lot! So it’s no surprise that over the last decade, I’ve made some changes to make it even better.
The marinade for the chicken is the first improvement!
This yogurt-based marinade is the first step to juicy, flavorful, tender chicken.
Ingredients:
- plain yogurt
- lemon juice + red wine vinegar
- oregano
- garlic
- olive oil
I prefer grilling the chicken (I pop it on my pellet grill at 375 degrees F), but it can also be cooked on an indoor grill pan, broiled in the oven, or probably even air fried.
The key to perfectly juicy chicken is to cook it just until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted at the thickest part. Don’t over cook! (But obviously, don’t under cook either 😉)
Quick Tzatziki Sauce
Whip up the easy tzatziki sauce while the chicken marinates.
Two important pro tips to make this quick tzatziki sauce work:
- Squeeze every last bit of extra liquid out of the shredded cucumber (also, using a seedless cucumber helps).
- Use extra thick plain Greek yogurt. Thin yogurt will make the tzatziki sauce too runny.
How to Serve (and Eat!) a Chicken Gyro
Wrap the chicken pieces in flatbread, pita bread, or even naan bread (we often use the stonefired naan bread from Costco).
Top with tzatziki sauce, feta cheese and any other toppings that call to you. Lettuce, tomatoes, olives, red onions (or pickled onions – yum!).
This recipe is easily one of our family’s favorite dinners.
It’s customizable (I’m looking at you, child of mine, who eats chicken + flatbread only), so easy, and the flavor profile is right up there with some of my favorite recipes in the history of ever. I load my gyro up with all.the.yummy.things and enjoy every last bite!
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Easy Chicken Gyros {New and Improved}
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (or 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 medium English/seedless cucumber
- 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt (extra thick – see note)
- 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- Pinch salt and pepper
Flatbread + Toppings:
- 6 pieces flatbread or pita bread
- Crumbled feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, olives, red onions, etc.
Instructions
- For the chicken, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or up to 4 hours.
- For the tzatziki, shred the cucumber on the small holes of a box grater. Wrap the shredded cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and wring out excess liquid until the cucumber is very dry. You should have about 1/2 cup shredded cucumber.
- Stir together all the tzatziki ingredients. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat an outdoor grill, indoor grill pan, or oven broiler to medium or medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes each side until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F inserted at the thickest part. Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- To serve, slice the chicken and serve in flatbread or pita bread with tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, and other toppings, as desired.
What side dishes do you usually serve with this deliciousness?
Usually fresh veggies and fruit – these pasta salads are delicious, too:
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/greek-pasta-salad/
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/mediterranean-pasta-salad/
Flavorful and easy! Thank you, Mel!
Thank you, Valerie!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe, you can always strain your regular yogurt so if that’s all you have make it anyway( it’s that good) Take a coffee filter or cheesecloth and fit it inside a strainer over a bowl put in the regular yogurt and it will thicking up, the only thing the protein will be less with regular yogurt.
Mel, these are amazing! I didn’t even bother to go back and see what had changed because this is the recipe I will keep and make from now on. We make your big fat Greek tacos and your Greek lettuce wraps, too, and I think this is my favorite of all! It was so quick and simple, used things we always have on hand, and so delicious. Win, win, win! You are the best! Thank you!
Thank you so much for letting me know that, Lindsey! Yay!
Would it work to slow cook the chicken with the marinade ingredients? Then remove and shred?
You could definitely try that – not sure how the yogurt would do in the slow cooker (if it would curdle?)…worth experimenting!
This makes me think of your Big Fat Greek Tacos, one of my all time favorite recipes! I need to try this one, stat! I love the soft wrap bread recipe and need an excuse to make it again. Greek/Mediterranean food is my favorite.
Same, same!!