Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki
Easy Greek gyro recipe with juicy marinated chicken, creamy homemade tzatziki, and warm pita.
This Greek gyro recipe brings Athens street-food flavour to your kitchen in about 45 minutes. Chicken thighs soak in a lemon, garlic, and oregano yogurt marinade, then get seared until the edges turn dark and crisp. Pile the chicken gyros into warm pita with cool homemade tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Serve straight away while the meat is hot and the sauce is cold.
Ingredients
- 900 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 60 ml olive oil
- 45 ml fresh lemon juice
- 120 g plain full-fat Greek yogurt (for the marinade)Substitute: thick strained plain yogurt
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 250 g thick Greek yogurt (for the tzatziki)Substitute: strained plain yogurt
- 150 g cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 1 garlic clove, grated (tzatziki)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (tzatziki)
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, choppedSubstitute: fresh mint
- 0.5 tsp salt (tzatziki)
- 4 thick pita breadsSubstitute: soft flatbread or naan
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Method
- Trim the chicken. Trim any thick fat from the thighs and cut them into pieces of even thickness, about 2 cm. Uneven pieces cook at different speeds, so some end up dry while others stay raw.
- Whisk the marinade. In a large bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice, yogurt, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. It should smell sharp and herby, and look like a loose paste.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken and coat every piece well, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour, ideally 4 to 12 hours. Do not go past 24 hours, because the lemon juice will turn the meat mushy.
- Salt the cucumber. Grate the cucumber, toss it with the salt for the tzatziki and leave it for 10 minutes. It will release a surprising amount of water.
- Squeeze it dry. Wrap the cucumber in a clean cloth and squeeze hard until almost no liquid drips out. Skipping this step is the most common reason homemade tzatziki turns watery.
- Mix the tzatziki. Stir the dry cucumber into the yogurt with the grated garlic, olive oil, vinegar and dill, then taste and add a pinch more salt if needed. It should be thick, cool and tangy.
- Chill the sauce. Refrigerate the tzatziki for at least 30 minutes so the garlic mellows and the flavours blend. Cold tzatziki also holds up better against the hot meat.
- Prep the toppings. Slice the tomatoes and the onion thinly. If the raw onion is too sharp, rinse the slices in cold water for a minute and pat them dry.
- Heat the pan. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat with a thin film of oil. It is ready when a drop of marinade sizzles at once.
- Sear the chicken. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, let the excess drip off and lay the pieces in the pan without crowding, then cook 5 to 6 minutes per side until deeply golden with charred edges. Work in batches, because a crowded pan steams the meat instead of browning it.
- Check it is cooked. The thickest piece should reach 74°C inside and the juices should run clear. With no thermometer, cut into the thickest piece and make sure there is no pink.
- Rest the meat. Move the chicken to a board and leave it for 5 minutes. Cutting straight away lets the juices run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
- Slice and crisp. Slice the chicken thinly against the grain, like gyro strips. For crispy edges, toss the slices back into the hot pan for 1-2 minutes.
- Warm the pita. Warm each pita in a dry pan for about 30 seconds per side, until soft and lightly blistered. Do not microwave it, because it turns rubbery as it cools.
- Build the gyros. Spread a generous spoonful of tzatziki down the middle of each pita, then add the chicken, tomato, onion, and a few fries. Do not overfill, or the pita will tear when you wrap it.
- Wrap and serve. Fold the sides in and roll the pita tightly, wrapping the bottom half in baking paper like a Greek street stall. Eat right away while the meat is hot and the tzatziki is cold.
Reheat the meat in a hot pan, not the microwave, to keep the edges crisp.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce gyro?
In Greek, gyro is pronounced YEE-ros. In English, it is often said as YEE-ro or JY-ro, and both are widely understood.
What is in a Greek gyro?
A Greek gyro is sliced meat cooked on a vertical spit, served in a thick pita with tzatziki, tomato and red onion, and often a few fries. Pork is the most common meat in Greece, with chicken a popular alternative.
Can you make gyros without a rotisserie?
Yes. Marinate the chicken, sear it in a very hot cast-iron or grill pan, rest it, slice it thin, and crisp the slices briefly in the pan. This gives the same browned edges as meat shaved from a spit.
How long should I marinate the chicken for gyros?
Marinate for at least 1 hour, ideally 4 to 12 hours. Do not go beyond 24 hours, because the lemon juice will make the chicken soft and mushy.
What is the difference between a gyro and a shawarma?
Both are cooked on a vertical spit, but gyros use Greek flavours such as oregano, garlic, and lemon and come with tzatziki in thick pita. Shawarma uses Middle Eastern spices and is usually served with garlic sauce or tahini.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
You can, but breast dries out faster. Cut it into even pieces, keep the marinade time under 12 hours, and cook it just until it reaches 74°C inside.
How do I store and reheat leftover gyros?
Keep the cooked chicken and the tzatziki in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Reheat the chicken in a hot pan for a few minutes and build fresh wraps, so the pita does not turn soggy.