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.
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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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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.
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!
anyone tried chicken tenderloin?
go for it!
Great ideas
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!
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!
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! 🙂
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
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.
Perfect!!! Every time
Hi Tammy, glad you liked them!!
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
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!!
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!
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!
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.
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!!