Tender marinated chicken with the best toppings all wrapped up in a pita wrap these Chicken Gyros with a homemade Tzatziki sauce are amazing and super easy!
We all have that one food that makes your mouth water the moment you think of it, am I right? Mine just happens to be these Chicken Gyros.
Yum, I’m drooling just thinking about these now. Once you see how easy these are to make you’ll question yourself why you waited so long to make them in the first place.
Gyros themselves just have so much flavor, the homemade marinade really brings out the tastiness and if you can let it sit longer it really enhances the flavors even more!
Plus, using this homemade Tzatziki sauce just makes these gyros irresistible. Making Chicken Gyros is always an easy light lunch or basic dinner recipe that is always a hit in my house with my whole family, so it’s an easy one to add to my meal planning list.
As much as I’d love to use those meat wheels that they use in restaurants, the chicken breast in these does an amazing job. The marinade that they soak and cook in is so refreshing alongside the homemade tzatziki sauce that they are hard to put down.
This is a recipe that we have been making for years and first posted in 2016 and I felt like it was time that I updated them put them at the forefront because you are going to want to make these.
If you love Greek food, this is pretty close to some of the stuff we have had at our favorite greek restaurant! I love the chicken in these but other meats are also known to be used.
Some of our other favorite sandwich type recipes we have on our site include: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, Cuban Sandwiches, and Crispy Chicken Sandwiches.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- The hardest part about the whole recipe is waiting for the chicken to marinate.
- This recipe is so easy to change up if needed.
- Easy lunch or dinner that the whole family will enjoy.
- Super simple to double or triple to feed more people.
- Don’t have to visit a restaurant or mall to sink your teeth into these amazing Chicken Gyros
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM)
Chicken breasts
Garlic cloves
Apple cider vinegar
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Full-fat greek yogurt
Oregano
Cumin
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Seasoning salt (Lawry’s)
Greek seasoning (Cavender’s)
Pita wraps
Toppings: sliced red onion, sliced grape tomatoes, shredded lettuce, tzatziki sauce
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN GYROS, STEP BY STEP:
- Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken flat so it’s about ¼ inch in thickness.
- Add all the marinade ingredients, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, greek yogurt, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and greek seasoning into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the marinade into a large ziptop bag and then add the chicken. Massage everything around to cover every part of the chicken. Put this in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to marinate, longer is better.
- Once the chicken has finished marinating, remove the chicken from the marinade and you can toss the rest of the marinade.
- Place the chicken into a large skillet with a tablespoon of oil.
- Place heat on medium and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes, making sure to sear the chicken as it cooks. Then flip the chicken and continue cooking until it’s thoroughly cooked or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Place cooked chicken on a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting it up into lengthwise strips.
- Prep your pita wraps by warming them up slightly so they are nice and pliable before filling them with chicken, toppings, and tzatziki sauce.
CAN YOU PREP THIS AHEAD OF TIME?
You can prep the toppings ahead of time and store them in separate containers in the refrigerator.
Also, you can marinate the chicken up to 48 hours in advance. An increased time marinating will make the chicken even more delicious, but I wouldn’t do it any longer than that. Don’t mess with leaving raw chicken for too long before cooking it.
CAN YOU GRILL THE CHICKEN?
Instead of cooking the marinated chicken on the stovetop, you certainly can grill it. It usually takes 5-10 minutes on the grill while flipping it halfway through. Use a meat thermometer if available to check the internal temperature of the chicken before consuming it, it should be 165 degrees F.
Alternatively, you can also Air Fry the chicken at 360 degrees F for 5 minutes on each side. Check the temp before using cutting and using in recipe.
DO I HAVE TO USE THE HOMEMADE TZATZIKI SAUCE?
No, you don’t have to use my homemade recipe, but just remember it really rounds out the dish with the best flavors.
You can use store bought sauce or omit it if you don’t care for it. But, I think using this sauce really kicks this dish up another notch.
HOW TO STORE:
I recommend storing the chicken, toppings, and flatbreads separately. The wraps can be stored at room temperature and heated when ready to use them.
The toppings should be stored in the refrigerator and the chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will last for up to 5 days.
If storing an already assembled gyro, wrap it in parchment paper and aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for a few hours. The longer is sits the soggier it’ll get so don’t wait too long to finish it!
You can freeze the chicken for later use. Let it cool completely before storing in an freezer bag and where it will keep for up to 2-3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it in the microwave.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Microwave your pita bread so they’re nice and pliable and easy to work with. It’s easier to stuff them when they bend easily otherwise they can crack.
- Make sure to toss the marinade once you pull the raw chicken out. You don’t want to use it again because it had raw chicken in it and you don’t want to cross contaminate and risk getting sick.
- If you don’t have a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F, you can cut the chicken and if the juices are clear, it should be safe to eat. Although using a meat thermometer is the safest and most reliable way to know!
- You can freeze this recipe, see my suggestions above.
- The marinade needs at least 2 hours to soak into the chicken, but longer is better- overnight is optimal.
- Easily double this recipe.
- You can use any toppings that you like, see my ingredients list for the ones that we like to use.
This easy Chicken Gyros recipe is the answer to the classic “what’s for dinner” question that you never want to answer! It’s simple to make and uses ingredients you already have on hand!
IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
If you’ve tried this CHICKEN GYROS or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Chicken Gyros
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup full-fat greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt Lawry’s
- 1 teaspoon greek seasoning Cavender’s
- 4 pita wraps
- optional toppings: sliced red onion sliced grape tomatoes, shredded lettuce, tzatziki sauce
Instructions
- Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken flat so it's about ¼ inch in thickness.
- Add all the marinade ingredients, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, greek yogurt, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and greek seasoning into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the marinade into a large ziptop bag and then add the chicken. Massage everything around to cover every part of the chicken. Put this in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to marinate, longer is better.
- Once the chicken has finished marinating, remove the chicken from the marinade and you can toss the rest of the marinade.
- Place the chicken into a large skillet with a tablespoon of oil.
- Place heat on medium and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes, making sure to sear the chicken as it cooks. Then flip the chicken and continue cooking until it's thoroughly cooked or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Place cooked chicken on a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting it up into lengthwise strips.
- Prep your pita wraps by warming them up slightly so they are nice and pliable before filling them with chicken, toppings, and tzatziki sauce.
Notes
- Nutritional value does not include toppings.
- Microwave your pita bread so they're nice and pliable and easy to work with. It's easier to stuff them when they bend easily otherwise they can crack.
- Make sure to toss the marinade once you pull the raw chicken out. You don't want to use it again because it had raw chicken in it and you don't want to cross contaminate and risk getting sick.
- If you don't have a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F, you can cut the chicken and if the juices are clear, it should be safe to eat. Although using a meat thermometer is the safest and most reliable way to know!
- You can freeze this recipe, see my suggestions above.
- The marinade needs at least 2 hours to soak into the chicken, but longer is better- overnight is optimal.
- Easily double this recipe.
- You can use any toppings that you like, see my ingredients list for the ones that we like to use.
Frugal Hausfrau
Thank you for saving me from my fave pita joint! These look/sound so delish! I am going to have to make these asap! And happy Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
Cristina @ I Say Nomato
Alli, these look FANTASTIC! Great photos, I’m drooling over here! Love gyros so so much, but they’re not really popular around here 🙁 Clearly I’ll have to make these!
Mrs. AOK
Thank you for sharing your awesome recipe with us at Mommy Monday Blog Hop!!
I’ve pinned this in hope of trying it myself 🙂
XOXO
Tornadough Alli
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Laura
I love the idea of chicken gyros! I moved away from Chicago and can’t seem to find a good gyro where I live! :*( These look like they could be a great substitute! Thanks for posting!
Mother of 3
These look so yummy! I’ll be pinning this recipe for later.
Tornadough Alli
Thank you! They are definitely a family fave.
Evelyn
Ooh, these look SOOO good! Thanks for the recipe!
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant
Love gyros and haven’t had them in SUCH a long time. Definitely time to make them at home. and that sauce! drool. Thanks for bringing these to #SaucySaturdays.
Tornadough Alli
Thanks Christine! We love love love these. The sauce makes them for sure.
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood
These sound amazing!! Chicken kabobs and tzatziki are a staple in our house, so these sound SO great!
Tornadough Alli
Yum! I need to make a gyro kabob too!
angie
these sound so super yummy. I love the fact that it can be ate as a sandwich and held in the hand
come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
Tornadough Alli
I know right!!
Savvy
I love gyros. This chicken version sounds delicious. Will be pinning.
Michele @ Alwayzbakin
Oh yum! I LOVE gyros! I will def have to give these a try. They look amazing!
Liz
Thank you Alli for the nice recipe. Have a great weekend.