Chicken Gyro Recipe

Name: Chicken Gyro Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 9 h 20 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp dried oregano; 2 tsp salt; 2 tsp sweet paprika; 2 tsp garlic granules; 1 tsp cumin; zest of one lemon; 10 chicken thighs; 10 strips streaky bacon; 2 onions; 300 g (1 heaping cup) Greek Yoghurt; ½ large cucumber; 2 tsp salt; 1 large garlic clove; 1 tbsp fresh dill; 1 tsp fresh mint; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp Olive oil to drizzle; pita bread; 4 vine tomatoes; 1 red onion; 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; pinch sweet paprika

User Reviews

4.9

30 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Additional Time
6 hrs
Total Time
9 hrs 20 mins
Servings
4
Calories
1140 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Greek

Chicken Gyro Recipe

Shawn Wheeler

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My Easy Chicken Gyro recipe is as close as you will get to authentic Greek Chicken Gyro. A simple marinade tenderizes the chicken which is then slow cooked for maximum flavor! Serve with pita bread and homemade tzatziki sauce and picture yourself at a Greek seaside Taverna...

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Ingredients

Servings

Gyro Marinade

2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp cumin
zest of one lemon

Chicken Gyro

10 chicken thighs
10 strips streaky bacon
2 onions , halved

Tzatziki Sauce

300 g (1 heaping cup) Greek Yoghurt
½ large cucumber , seeds removed
2 tsp salt or to taste
1 large garlic clove , minced
1 tbsp fresh dill , finely chopped
1 tsp fresh mint , finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Olive oil to drizzle

To serve

pita bread
4 vine tomatoes thinly sliced
1 red onion thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley mixed with the sliced onion
pinch sweet paprika

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Instructions

Marinate the chicken

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a lidded container. Add the chicken and use tongs to coat each piece with the marinade. Cover and chill for a minimum of six hours or, ideally, overnight for maximum flavour.

Stack the chicken

Take your marinated chicken pieces and stack them on a roasting tray (you can create two small stacks). Cover them with the streaky bacon, or with a chicken thigh that has skin on. This little bit of fat at the top of the pile will slowly baste your meat as it cooks.

Get cooking

Preheat the oven to 130C / 260F and cook the chicken for three hours or until the internal temperature is 75C / 167 F when checked with a digital thermometer. The long slow cooking will keep the meat tender and softer so don’t rush it!

Make the Tzatziki Sauce

Meanwhile make the tzatziki sauce. Coarsely grate the cucumber in a bowl and use a cheesecloth (or your hands) to squeeze most of the moisture out.
Mix well with the remaining ingredients and drizzle with olive oil. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Cover and put in the fridge until needed to allow the flavours to develop.

Slice the Gyros

Discard the onion and bacon strips. Use a sharp knife (or even more authentically an electric knife) to slice the chicken stack downwards to create fine thin strips.
If you want to crisp these up a bit you can pan fry them with a little oil – gyros meat is generally much fattier than this healthy homemade version!

Serve your Chicken Gyros

You can serve your sliced gyro meat as a “merida” (=portion) with Greek salad, tzatziki sauce, crispy fries and grilled pita bread.
To serve in a wrap, pan fry the pita bread with a tiny bit of olive oil until just warmed through.
Layer your flatbread with the tzatziki sauce, plenty of chicken gyros, thinly sliced tomatoes and onions. You can also add fried halloumi and/or some fries if you want the full experience!

Notes

Can I use chicken breasts? Chicken breasts can definitely benefit from the wonderful Greek marinade, but they will dry out if cooked in the oven. I like to use chicken tenders (mini chicken breasts) which can be quickly pan fried in a non stick pan for about five minutes per side. Serve these as you would the chicken gyro, in a wrap or with salad.
Can I use pork instead of chicken? Indeed you can! Pork shoulder steaks can be marinated and cooked in the same way for four hours or until the internal temperature is 65C / 145F when checked with a digital thermometer.
Reheating Chicken Gyros Leftovers can be kept for a couple of days in the fridge (not that we have EVER had leftovers) and pan fried until heated through before serving.
Serving suggestions My Easy Yogurt Flatbreads are the perfect gyros wraps! Why not round off your meal with my Greek Potato Salad, Greek Smashed Potatoes, Spanakorizo or Greek Pasta Salad.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 1140kcal (57%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 65g (130%) Fat 93g (143%) Saturated Fat 26g (130%) Cholesterol 340mg (113%) Sodium 4337mg (181%) Potassium 946mg (27%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 773IU (15%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 120mg (12%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1140 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	1140kcal	57%
Carbohydrates	8g	3%
Protein	65g	130%
Fat	93g	143%
Saturated Fat	26g	130%
Cholesterol	340mg	113%
Sodium	4337mg	181%
Potassium	946mg	20%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	3g	6%
Vitamin A	773IU	15%
Vitamin C	4mg	4%
Calcium	120mg	12%
Iron	3mg	17%