These Grilled Chicken Gyros, packed with juicy yogurt-marinated chicken, creamy tzatziki sauce, crisp fresh vegetables, and wrapped in soft pitas, are an easy way to have your favorite Greek food right at home. Marinate the chicken during the day, and you have the most flavorful, tender chicken ready in minutes at home.
What we love about these Greek Chicken Gyros
First, the chicken. We are literally obsessed with this Greek yogurt-marinated chicken, and it has been on repeat the whole summer. We have enjoyed this chicken and tzatziki sauce for many years, but this summer my daughter went on a study abroad in Greece, and we have been enjoying eating more Greek food. It’s so, so easy. The marinade, with Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and seasonings, comes together in minutes and adds so much flavor to the chicken. Marinating for 4-8 hours is ideal, but in as little as 30 minutes, you have great-flavored chicken.
We love the combination of the creamy tzatziki sauce with the chicken, fresh veggies, and pita bread. You can definitely buy tzatziki sauce if you are in a rush and don’t want to make it from scratch. We have done that, but we really prefer the flavor and texture of our homemade sauce.
This is a super easy and delicious weeknight meal. In 5-10 minutes, you can have the marinade going earlier in the day, and then grilling the chicken takes about 10 minutes. Throw the chicken in the pitas with the tzatziki sauce and veggies, and you have an incredibly delicious and easy dinner. My kids love it.
Looking for other main dish chicken recipes? Try our Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade or Cilantro Lime Chicken with Rice, our Southwest Chicken Bowls, our Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, our Brown Sugar Soy Chicken, our Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad, or our Buttermilk Chicken Tenders.
What you need to make Chicken Gyros
You will need the following ingredients:
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken Thighs
- Homemade Tzatziki or store-bought
- Pita bread
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Optional toppings: cucumber, feta cheese, kalamata olives, shredded lettuce, french fries, hummus, pickled red onions
Chicken Gyros Recipe Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You can substitute homemade tzatziki sauce for store-bought tzatziki sauce.
- You can substitute the red onion with another type of onion.
- You can slice cherry tomatoes instead of dicing Roma or other tomatoes.
- Try some of the suggested optional toppings if you don’t like tomato or onion.
- You could also use lavash bread or other flat bread.
- This yogurt-marinated chicken is excellent here; it really gives so much flavor. If you are in a rush, you could use rotisserie chicken or other leftover chicken if desired.
Step-by-step Instructions for Grilled Chicken Gyros
Step 1. Marinate and cook chicken thighs according to recipe directions.
Step 2. Make tzatziki sauce if using homemade tzatziki.
Step 3. To serve, spread the desired amount of tzatziki sauce in a line through the middle of the pita bread, place the sliced chicken on top of the chicken, and top with tomatoes, red onion, and any other desired toppings. Serve immediately.
Tips
- The chicken can be grilled or sautéed for the same length of time, to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- I HIGHLY recommend using whole milk Greek yogurt for the marinade. Due to its thickness, it clings best to the chicken and helps to flavor the chicken with the spices better. Regular yogurt has more liquid, which can water down the flavor of the marinade. It also makes it easier to get a nice sear on the chicken using Greek yogurt.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store Grilled Chicken Gyros? |
| a. The chicken can be safely stored in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days, or kept in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for about 3-4 months for best quality. Thaw the chicken completely in the fridge before warming it to eat. b. Store the ingredients separately for the gyros. The pitas are stored at room temperature. Store the chicken, tzatziki sauce, and each vegetable separately, covered, in containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. |
| Can the ingredients be prepared in advance? |
| a. The homemade tzatziki dressing can last 3-5 days in the fridge and can easily be made 1-3 days in advance. Water may pool as it is stored from the cucumbers; you can stir it in, or empty the water and stir. b. You can chop the vegetables up to 24 hours in advance to make meal preparation faster the day you serve the pitas. c. Cooked chicken lasts 3-4 days in the fridge and can be made up to 24 hours in advance. d. Assemble the pitas right before serving. |
Grilled Chicken Gyros
These Grilled Chicken Gyros, packed with juicy yogurt-marinated chicken, creamy tzatziki sauce, crisp fresh vegetables, and wrapped in soft pitas, are an easy way to have your favorite Greek food right at home. Marinate the chicken during the day, and you have the most flavorful, tender chicken ready in minutes at home.
6
servings35
minutes10
minutes1-8
hoursIngredients
3 pounds 3 yogurt marinated chicken thighs
1 batch 1 homemade tzatziki sauce (or 12 oz container of store-bought tzatziki)
6 6 pitas
1/2 cup 1/2 diced red onion
2 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup 1 chopped cucumber (optional)
Optional toppings Optional feta cheese, kalamata olives, shredded lettuce, french fries, hummus, pickled red onions
Directions
- Marinate and cook chicken thighs according to recipe directions.
- Make tzatziki sauce if using homemade tzatziki.
- Warm the pita bread by placing it on a dry skillet at medium-high heat for up to a minute or so on each side, or wrap it in foil and place it in a 375-degree oven for up to 10 minutes. You can also heat it in a microwave with a damp paper towel for 15 seconds.
- To serve, spread the desired amount of tzatziki sauce in a line through the middle of the pita bread, place the sliced chicken on top of the chicken, and top with tomatoes, red onion, and any other desired toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Serve immediately after assembly to keep vegetables crisp and fresh and to prevent the pita bread from getting soggy from the tzatziki sauce.
- Instead of grilling the chicken, you can also cook the chicken over the stovetop in a lightly greased large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in batches so as not to overcrowd the chicken in the pan. Cook the chicken 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- I highly recommend using Whole Milk Greek yogurt, see tips above for more info.
- 4-8 hours is the sweet spot for marinating the chicken, but you can already get great flavor within 30 minutes to an hour. Just don’t marinade for more than 24 hours max, or it can negatively impact the texture of the chicken.
