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.
Notes
Nutrition
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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!
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.
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?
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!
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!
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
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!!
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
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!
I made this recipe, it is fantastic.
Hi Sanya! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate! Glad you enjoyed!!
Do you really mean a tablespoon of salt in the marinade or is it supposed to be a tsp?
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!
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
How many servings does this recipe make?
Hi Gloria, this makes about 3-4 servings.
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
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!