Chicken Gyros March 9, 2009
Posted by elly in chicken/poultry, greek, healthy.trackback
I am in love with gyros (yee-ros, and roll that R!). I am not so much in love with JY-rohs. Sorry, I had to. ;)
Tender, flavorful lamb, garlicky tzatziki sauce, warm pita, tomatoes and (sometimes) onions…what more could you ask for? Chicago is a mecca of the gyro and yet, I find I don’t get to eat them all that often. It’s a shame, really. When I do find a place with a great gyro, though, you’d be hardpressed to keep me away. I used to eat them quite a bit at my family’s restaurants (yes, that’s plural; everyone in my family works in a restaurant. We fit the stereotype.), but I find that now I tend to gravitate toward the chicken gyro, at least occasionally, as a lighter option when I go back to Michigan.
I was fortunate enough to find a new market (well, it’s new to me, not new to others) relatively nearby that has a lot of Greek food items I can’t find anywhere but Greektown. Greektown is a major pain in my arse to get to, but this place (HarvesTime, for all you Chicagoans), thankfully, isn’t. I was so happy to procure some Greek pitas there that I was inspired to make some chicken gyros at home. Traditional Greek pitas are pocketless and pliable, not like most of the stuff that has a pocket and is tiresome to chew that you normally pick up at the grocery store.
This is pretty similar to my shish kabob recipe but I use some plain yogurt in place of some of the oil in order to keep it moist and light. If you can’t grill, a broiler is a great substitution. I use mine ALL the time.
Chicken Gyros
Serves 4
Printer Friendly Recipe
1.25 lbs. chicken pieces (I used breast this time, but I also love using thighs, or a combo)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 batch of tzatziki
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions (I use red as they are the only kind I like raw)
4 (pocketless) pitas
Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat the broiler (or grill, or pan on the stove). Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.
Meanwhile, heat your pitas. I have a gas stove, so I just spray them with a little bit of oil and stick them right on the burner for a few seconds per side. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, onions. Roll up and eat!
I’ve never had a gyro but this looks delicious. Thanks for the pronunciation tip – I didn’t know Jy-roh was wrong!!
Wonderful Elly! Who can resist a good gyros wrapped in warm pita bread? I could eat it forever!
This post makes me miss Chicago! We used to go to this dive called Sammy’s by UofC for lunch and their gyros were so good. I can’t find anything like it in Boston. But, now I can make them at home if I have a craving – great recipe!
YUM YUM YUM!!!
I love gyros! In college there was the ‘gyro guy’ who had a cart and he would be outside the campus bars from 11pm – 3am on the weekends. You could swing by and grab a gyro on your stumble home and they were DELIGHTFUL. Maybe it was because we were half-cocked, but I like to think they were the best regardless!
You’ve inspired me :)
yum! i’ll have to make them soon using your recipe!
Damn you’re good…good at pushing my hunger buttons…this IS Greektown in every major city…eat it up BABY!
It sounds delicious and a much healthier version than other meat.
Mmmmm….I need to make some flatbread to make these ASAP!! I’m in love with YEE-RRos too! ;)
I so need to make this – yum!
Thanks for clearing up the pronounciation – my husband and I fight about it all the time! This looks wonderful – and great pics!
That looks good! This is one of my favorites meals.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Can’t wait to try this!!!
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These are fantastic. But although the recipe say to refrigerate the tzatziki for 30 minutes or more, it really needs to be made the day before- I did a rush job on it and had it the same day, and it was good, but I had some leftover the next day, and it was soooo much better- much more flavour.
Also, 1 tbsp of oregano is a lot of oregano. It may just be my taste, but next time I make these- and I will make them again, because they are that good- I will put less oregano(maybe 1/2 tbsp or less) in with the chicken, and make the tzatziki the day before.
I really hope the author doesn’t see this as a negative critisim- it really is not, because these have the potential, for me, to be much better than anything you could buy at the take-out.
Of course I don’t take your comment negatively! I do agree that tzatziki is better left overnight and I do that as often as possible (whether I am making it for gyros or something else). As for the oregano, everyone has their own tastes! My husband and I love oregano & garlic so I tend to use a lot more of both than a “normal” person would. :) Glad you liked them & will make them again.
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Hi Elly!
Just wanted to say that I made these for dinner last night and they were FABULOUS! Everyone fell in love…I used a mixture of chicken breast and thigh meat, which made for the perfect mix! The marinade resulted in beautifully moist and flavorful chicken, which I grilled. I ended up marinating the chicken for 3+ hours, which gave the tzatziki time to get happy in the fridge too! I served it with a grilled summer squash, onion & tomato couscous. Absolutely superb! Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m so glad you liked them, Tiffany! I also love using a mix of white and dark meat. Dark meat is so much more flavorful and moist!
That marinade is out of this WORLD!
I did add some shredded mint to the tzatziki, but that’s because that’s how I’ve always made it. I didn’t bother with the cheesecloth and the draining, but I’m cool with a runnier consistency.
We put some homemade hummus on the bread first, too.
Phenomenal recipe – pleased my husband, and two young guests who are notoriously picky eaters.
Yay – thanks for posting it.
So glad you enjoyed them, Kylee!
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