Easy Chicken Gyros
The thing that sets this recipe apart from all others is the method of cooking the chicken. Slow and in a loaf pan. I learned to cook the meat this way via a Chicken Shwarma recipe I started making in 2020. What an absolute perfect way to keep your chicken super juicy. I have not tried chicken breasts with this method but could see it working.
Gyros are Greece’s most popular street food for good reason – they wrap up and in your hand with the freshest tomatoes and onions, warm pita and lots of tsatziki sauce. I always add french fries to the wrap. It’s the taco of Greece. Another popular meat for souvlakia and gyros is pork.
Feel free to use this marinade and grill your chicken or cook it in a skillet. The flavor will still be there and your gyro will come together beautifully with all the yummy toppings.
Thank you for swinging by Hungry Happens! If you decide to make this recipe or any other from our site, we would greatly appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the dish! LOVE YOUR LIFE!
Easy Chicken Gyros
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3 tbs Greek yogurt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs white wine vinegar
- 1 medium lemon, juiced
- 1 tbs dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless + skinless
Toppings:
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced thin
- fresh parsley for garnish
- pita flatbreads, warmed
- Tzatziki
Instructions
Chicken:
- In a small bowl, whisk together everything but the chicken.
- Add the chicken to a large ziplock bag and then the marinade. Toss around to coat everything well and place in your fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. Or overnight. I marinated mine for 5 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Important: line a 9×5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Layer the chicken in the loaf pan and then press them down at the end.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reads 160° F. Remove your pan from the oven and let it rest for ten minutes. Next drain the juices carefully from the pan. Transfer gyro to a cutting board and slice as needed.
Crunch up what paper and put into what pan? This is confusing and needs clarification.
Sorry about that! Scrunch up the parchment paper and press it into the loaf pan.
You have to open it back up first. The scrunching helps to eliminate the “perma-roll” that the paper takes on right out of the box and makes it stay in the pan better.
Hi Teresa, Agreed!
Stella she wrote that in the recipe. Read everything before you bake!
trying with breasts!
Awesome! Cook time will probably be less
Me too, I can’t wait. It’s in the oven right now. It smells delicious. I found it on tiktok. 😂
Hope you enjoyed!
How did it come out using chicken breast? What temp and how long did you cook for?
Delicious…follow recipe and you you will not be disappointed.
did you use thin slice or whole chicken breast?
TY
How many servings does this recipe make?
Hi Gloria, this makes about 3-4 servings.
LOVED this recipe but I had to bake way longer than an hour at 350. Next time going to up the temp a little. But it tastes amazing!
Hi Sara, SO happy you enjoyed the gyros! Every oven is different and cook times may vary. Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!
Stella
Easy to make, tasty and filling. My Greek friends said it was an ingenious way to make the gyros in a bread tin and also thought the recipe was great. My go to for a healthy meal.
Hi Patricia, so happy you shared and everyone loved! This is a great recipe for sure.
Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate too!
Do you really mean a tablespoon of salt in the marinade or is it supposed to be a tsp?
I made this recipe, it is fantastic.
Hi Sanya! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate! Glad you enjoyed!!
Is there a sub for white wine vinegar
Hi Jordan, sure you can use apple cider vinegar, lemon or red wine vinegar.
Could we not put Vinegar? If so, would it mean we squeez 2 lemons instead of one?
yes absolutely!
Oh, man. This was SO GOOD! I prepared the Tzatziki and chicken last night, so after work I only had to toss the chicken in the oven. It was a super easy, super flavorful meal.
We aren’t big salt eaters and my husband doesn’t care much for oregano so I only used half a tablespoon of each, and it was wonderful. (I’d still probably reduce the salt to 1/4 of a tablespoon though). We are also trying to reduce our fat so I used low fat plain yogurt for the chicken and the tzatziki and both were really delicious. I served this with shredded red cabbage, tomatoes, onions, a sprinkling of feta, and your amazing tzatziki.
Your food blog is the best I’ve ever found. I believe I’ve now tried 5 of your recipes and all of them were really amazing. I can’t wait to try more!
salt is supposed to be a teaspoon not tablespoon fyi
I’ve made this three times and every time it comes out so delicious. We found dairy free Fage in the store recently and I was able to make a lactose intolerant-friendly version for my partner and he was obsessed! (And is a picky eater). Love your recipes so much!!
I loved the technique for the chicken thighs — chicken and parchment pressed into loaf pan. Is there a similar approach to meat gyros that you recommend?
Ben S
Massachusetts
This was amazing!!!! Since the pandemic began I have cooked every meal at home. Occasionally I crave a good old fashioned Greek diner gyro.
Local store had Tsatziki on sale so I bought thighs and marinated them for 24 hours. Served in large pitas, with lettuce, tomatoes and red onions.
I give this a 15 out of 10. Incredible marinade. I love my life!
Hi Barbara, You’re awesome! I love the setup with all the accoutrement! Thanks for trying the recipe and your kind review of it!
Easy and delicious. Kept well and tasted so fresh with red onion and tomato. I made the tzatziki sauce linked to the recipe and my 10 month old LOVED it. An all around win!
Hey! I’m so happy you guys enjoyed the chicken and tzatziki! And a big thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe!
HI Stella. Im going to male this dish tonight for my boys. Can I freeze this dish after cooking and how do you reheat it?
would this work with chicken breasts?
Hi Kat, it should work with breasts… Ive had people comment that it works but I personally havent tried it yet.
I’ve been religiously saving your recipes since I discovered your original website in 2014/2015. Which was right around the time I started teaching myself how to cook nutrient dense meals. I just re-made your caliente turkey chili last week for the millionth time and made this recipe for dinner tonight. And they’re ALWAYS delicious. Thank you so much for always bringing new foods into my life ❤️
Hi Morgan! Wow thanks for supporting the site for so long!! That chili is a staple in my house too! And I appreciate your kind message! Cheers!
I love the recipe! You make everything easier.
Thank you
This is delicious! I layer thin breasts and thighs, best of both worlds!
Hi Beth, That sounds delicious! I HAVE to try the combo out – thanks for sharing with us!
This looks amazing and love the different technique. I have chicken breasts on hand. If you were to attempt with breasts, how would you adjust the cooking time/temperature?
Hi Katina, Thank you! I would cook for 35 minutes. But please make sure that you check the meat’s internal temperature and make sure its at 165 or higher. All ovens are different.
Amazing!
Thats awesome! Glad you enjoyed!
What is the nutritional information?
Thanks!
Really good! Teen favorite – even made your Taziki – and it was a hit too !
Can I use the same recipe, but use beef? Thanks in advance!
Hi John ABsolutely! I have a one here:
https://hungryhappens.net/steak-tips-souvlaki-wrap/
Nutrition status available?
Do you know the nutritional information on this? Looks intriguing and healthy!
Next on my menu
I highly recommend reducing the salt on the marinade. I mixed some up and tasted it before adding it to the chicken and I think the recipe may have a typo. It’s so salty that I suspect 1tsp was the intended measurement.
hi jess thank you for catching that! it is 1 tsp salt! And i just corrected it!
Delicious recipe and good tips! TY♨️Here’s to having more decency reviewers… can’t imagine why one feels compelled to scold this wonderful woman who shares these amazing recipes w/such enthusiasm and love!! Her crime? Only stating a tip about scrunching parchment so it stays in place??? For crying out loud, cooks, stop w/the nit-picking negativity!!
This was a treasure indeed to find, very good and easy. Bonus are the leftovers that are amazing too ❤️
The picture looks like chicken breasts not thighs
Its definitely thighs!
Made this last night! Didn’t change a thing in the recipe. It was easy, quick, and delicious! I will definitely be making this again.
l will make this for sure
love it thank you for sharing
have a great week
making this tonight. excited to see how it is
Hi Julie, Hope you enjoyed!
Do you have the nutritional value per serving?
What kind of white vinegar?!!
Hi Tara, I use white wine vinegar!
I only have glass/ ceramic loaf pans, do you think it will still work? Excited to try!
Hi Martha, I would use the glass loaf pan! Enjoy!!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was ANAZING!! Will definitely be making it again and again!
Hi Dana, So happy you liked the gyros! Thanks for trying out my recipe and taking the time to rate it!!
Easy & delicious. Used breasts, sliced up thinner pieces, cooked for 35 minutes.
BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for the rating and the helpful feedback!!
Wondering if I could also try this with pork cutlets? Gonna try this for dinner this week with the chicken thighs. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Maureen, should work with an adjusted cook time. We don’t want to dry out the pork cutlets. I would do 35 minutes. Enjoy!!
Easy to make and my entire family of 6 loved it. That never happens! This is the 2nd of your recipes that I have tried and both were amazing!
Hi Laura, AMAZING! When the whole family enjoys something its a keeper for sure!!
These sound delicious but need less cook time. I’d like to cook them flat on a baking sheet at 400* for 20 min. Would that work or would it ruin the marinade? TIA
This looks wonderful! I am making this fir dinner tomorrow with homemade tzatziki! Can’t wait!! Thank you!
Hi Linda! AWESOME! you guys will love this and the tzatziki!
Perfect! The whole family loved it.
Hi Tiffany! Thats perfect! Thanks for the feedback!
Hi!
Can I marinade the chicken overnight?
Hi Gen, yes you can marinate over night! Enjoy!
Super good!! and easy!!! I used chicken breasts instead of thighs and cooked for the same amount of time. Turned out juicy and tender. I threw some avocado in with the tomato, red onion and Tzatiki. Can’t wait to make it again!!!
Hi Diane, glad you enjoyed this with the chicken breasts! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback!
This is so delicious! Great gyro flavors.
Hi! If you doubled the recipe how long would you cook the chicken?
Sooooo I forgot the parchment as my 7 yr old wanted to do the whole recipe without help and I was afraid of a full scale salmonella splatter. My brain turned off during that step. Is this a problem??
HI Marissa, did the chicken stick? Unless your pan was non stick
This was awesome! Made it with thin sliced chicken breasts, marinated overnight. I baked it for 35 minutes at 375. It wasn’t as tender because I may have baked it too long or temp was a little too high. My oven has been unpredictable but next time I’ll do it at 350. Used a pocketless pita, added tomatoes, red onion & tzatziki. We have Ya Ya’s Greek Kitchen 45 minutes from us & they make great Gyros. This was as close as it gets, fantastic. 😋
This was absolutely delicious! Easy to make. I marinated it overnight and the chicken was very flavorful, tender and very juicy! I did cook a little longer as well (i have an electric oven). Definitely will make this one again. I did use a store bough garlic, cucumber and dill tzatziki. Would like to try with homemade naan bread next time and maybe a little feta.
Yum! I made this about two weeks ago, and it was delicious! I used chicken breasts and accidentally overcooked them slightly, but it was still good. We enjoyed leftovers for lunch during the week.
My daughter has already requested that I make them again, so that’s what we’ll have for dinner tonight. I forgot to make fries last time, but I’m eager to try it with fries. Thank you!
This is delicious! The chicken is succulent. The flavor is very Greek. I made it with chicken breasts. I’ll be putting this in my recipe file!
Super moist and flavorful! Really enjoyed it.
Hi Mary, thanks for trying them!
Has anyone tried cooking the thighs in the air fryer? They’ve been marinating for 24 hrs so should be nice and tender…
these were so delicious and juicy! I’m usually not a fan of chicken thighs but they came out fantastic. I was a little skeptical of the baking time and almost decided to air fry but decided to follow the recipe as written. This is the second recipe of yours that I tried and have to say the flavors and taste for both recipes were spot on. Thanks Stella!
Oh my goodness! I made this tonight for dinner and served the chicken on homemade pita bread! I used a feta tzatziki sauce and ohhhh man was it good! Thank you Stella! So glad I found you! 🕺💃🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷
Hi Judi, MMMMM you had me at feta tzatziki! I love that combination! Well done and thank you so much for the rating!
Your recipes never fail me! Thank you they’re AMAZING!
Thanks SO much Cindy!! You must a great cook!
How long would you suggest for breasts to cook?
Hi Cynthia, I would do 40-45 minutes with breasts.
Hi, I would like to know how much carbs this has and how much sugar? Thank you
just made this! Greek husband going wild for it! this is a do again. and again and again! thank you Stella!!!
HI Emma, if the Greek hubs liked it – you are golden!!lol
This recipe is delicious! I make it regularly with chicken breast as easy meal prep for a week full of great-tasting, nutritious lunches. Pitas, topping for a salad, or warmed up alone with some steamed asparagus. It’s versatile and so tasty!
awesome.
Made this last night and was so impressed by the juiciness and flavour. Went down a treat with my guests!
This is one of my favourite recipes, goes down well with everyone in my house, including my 11 year old son! We love it, thanks!
This has become a weekly fave in our house! We tried it with thighs and thinly sliced chicken breast and prefer it with the chicken cutlets! They are perfect and juicy!!! 10/10
Hi! Once finished marinating in the ziplock bag, do you pour the entire marinade in the with chicken and into the loaf pan to bake? Can’t wait to try!
Kristin
Hi Kristin, I don’t pour anything in – just transfer the chicken to the pan only. ENjoy!!
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and it turned out delicious. However it was done way faster than 60 min. But my chicken might have been thinner.
Made this for family dinner night and everyone including my non-Greek food eating stepdad loved the chicken! I made it again tonight and it was fabulous! I am absolutely adding this into the permanent dinner rotation!
So easy to make! My second time making this and I love it! It’s great to add to salad especially when trying to eat healthier!
My family loved this recipe. The chicken was so tender and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Hi Janie, glad it was enjoyed by all!!
I have made this several times now. my son says it’s now his favorite thing I make…including the Taziki sauce. SO delicious
I used chicken breast and very happy with results
Perfect!!! Every time
Hi Tammy, glad you liked them!!
It was delicious! I roasted the cherry tomatoes and onions and that was really good. My chicken fell apart when I tried getting it out of the pan so I’m not sure what I did wrong.
Do you cover the chicken with foil while in the oven?
Hi Sophia, always follow the recipe box here. If its not listed to cover then don’t cover
Made this tonight with thin cut chicken breast. So delicious! Even my 19 yr old who is super picky said it was really good! Hallelujah! He even called dibs on the leftovers! 🙂
This recipe is super easy and really tasty. I’ve impressed quite a few people with it! The chicken is full of flavor. The tzatziki recipe linked to this is really easy to make and good too. I like to made a chili sauce to go with this as well as a whipped feta dip!
Absolutely, off the chart delicious! It takes no time to throw these together and stick them in the fridge (I marinated them for 24 hours to let the chicken really absorb the wonderful flavors and give the Greek yogurt time to work its magic tenderizing the chicken). I didn’t have white wine vinegar so I subbed with apple cider vinegar which worked really well. Instead of pita or flatbread, I used spinach tortilla wraps because that’s what I had on hand and they served as a perfect vessle. Also, while not traditional, in addition to the tomato and red onion, I added some fresh baby spinach to my wrap (hey, you gotta get your veggies in however you can!!). I had some storebought tzatzki I needed to use up so I used that but, the next time I’ll be sure to get a cucumber and a larger container of Greek yogurt and some dill so I can make your easy (and I’m sure based on the reviews), killer tzatzki. Quick question, since I don’t use dill often, do you think dried dill rather than fresh would be doable or, should I splurge the $2.50 for the fresh? I’m so glad I found you. Keep those great recipes coming!
Great ideas
anyone tried chicken tenderloin?
go for it!
Thank you so much for the recipe! It tasted just like the chicken gyros we used to order at our favorite Coney Island restaurant back in Michigan. I had to use goat milk yogurt for the marinade and tzatziki sauce because of a food sensitivity and it turned out great. We had chili cheese fries on the side. So good! Thanks again:)
Hi Amy, OHHHH chili cheese fries sound INCREDIBLE! Love that side! Thank you for the wonderful feedback and I’m glad you enjoyed!
Made these chicken gyros at the weekend for grown up sons visiting. They loved it! Also made the tzatziki and pitas. Fabulous – will definitely make again.
Holy crap on a cracker, I made this last night, and the men people in my house ate every last bite. I did it with chicken breasts and it was done perfectly after an hour. I’m wondering if there is a cookbook I can purchase? Great recipe, keep up the good work!
I used chicken breast tenders and it was delicious!
Made with breasts and cooking time was about 50 minutes. Was delish! I usually air fry my chicken but going forward for gyros I’ll be making them this way for sure 🙂
I made this today using chicken breast. I marinated the chicken yesterday, so almost 24 hours, and used non fat greek yogurt, omitted the salt ( we are on low sodium diets here) It turned out so good, my roommate even liked it, and he’s a picky eater! I can’t wait to make your tzatziki recipe, this time I used store bought. I will definitely be making this again!!
Hi Christine, so glad you liked it ! Thanks for shairng your feedback!
Hi, what brand outa flatbreads do you use ?
Thanks
Dana
Hi Dana, I love Toufayan
I marinated overnight so I was excited about flavor but not very flavorful. I was surprised.
This was great! I used chicken cutlets. The cooking time was about 50 mins until it reached 165 but maybe the oven hadn’t completely preheated. Either way, another keeper. Thanks Stella!
We’re cooking this for 14 people tomorrow – do you think it’d be similar if we made it in a crockpot? We only have 1 bread pan, so we thought crock pot might be a good alternative for the amount of chicken we have to cook .. or even just baking the chicken on a sheet pan.
Absolutely the most delicious & juicy chicken everrr!! Super easy recipe to follow too. I marinated overnight & it didn’t disappoint. New staple in my kitchen.. thank you!! 😋❤️🌯
Excellent !!!! Super easy and flavorful – entire family loved it!
Hi Alex, glad the recipe was a winner for you and the family enjoyed! Thanks for the kind review!
Delicious and easy marinade with all the right proportions. My dish ended up with a lot of liquid in the loaf pan at the end of cooking. Therefore the chicken wasn’t as crispy or browned except for the top layer. Do you have recommendations?
Wow! Live in Thessaloniki, what a brilliant idea.
Oh my gosh this was AMAZING. Best new thing I’ve made in a while and sure to become a staple in our house. The chicken is so tender and juicy and flavorful. Tastes like it came from a restaurant! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!!
Delicious! I marinated the chicken over night and made the cucumber sauce to go with this, so delicious and tender!
This turned out so good ! Great recipe !
This is great! Make it all the time. Salads, on pita or just alone. One of my favs!
Hi Jan, glad it was enjoyed!
prepped the chicken to marinate day before, made tzatziki sauce fresh, day of. Husband & I, thrilled an enjoyed it, but alil disappointed I didn’t get tomatoes and Lettuce for his wrap lolol will be making this again LoVED it! I love all your recipes, wanna get your book! where can I order it?
Hi Carie, I’m so glad you both enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the interest – I’m currently working on the cookbook. Please stay tuned or subscribe to my website for immediate notification of its release! <3
Made these with chicken breasts sliced thin. Marinated all day. Baked 325 for 45 min. Amazing! Loved the Tsatziki recipe with it. The red onions are a must as is Greek flatbread! The marinade is fabulous on the chicken. I only used 1/4 of the salt. I tasted marinade until I liked it as it does need some salt. Super easy to make. I highly recommend.
Hi Lee Ann, Thanks for trying the dish out and I’m glad it was a winner for you!
Hi Stella
Can I switch the chicken thighs to chicken breast
Hi Ali, yes you can.. just may take more or less time with the thickness of the meat accounted for…
Normally when you have a marinade with vinegar or acid, you should not do it overnight with chicken. Breaks it down too much, can make it stringy.
This meal has been on repeat weekly in my house which is hard to say about any recipe with teen kids! You should definitely give it a try.
Hi Kim, so glad the whole family enjoyed! Thanks for the kind rating too!
it works amazing with chicken breasts! my kids loved it!
Hi Tanya, love the feedback and glad the kids enjoyed too!
I used chicken breasts and they were juicy and so delicious! I highly recommend this dish🤗
Hi Michelle, awesome! Glad you liked them!!