The marinade for the chicken for this Greek Chicken Gyros recipe is SO GOOD that I use it even when I’m not making Gyros. Try it once, and I think you’ll be as obsessed with it as I am!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Greek Chicken Gyros recipe
It’s been ages since I made this Greek Chicken Gyros. But the minute the chicken hit the grill, all I could think was “why don’t I make this more often??”
The smell is incredible. You can REALLY smell garlic and oregano. You know how sometimes you add herbs into things and you can’t really taste it? Or you can, but it’s a very subtle flavour. Definitely not the case with this!!
What goes in Gryos
Here are the components that make up a Greek Chicken Gyros wrap:
Marinated Greek Chicken
Tzatziki
Tomato Cucumber Salad
Flatbread to roll up the gyros – or use smaller pita breads and just fold them over
Greek Chicken Gyros Marinade ingredients
Here’s what you need for the marinade. There’s LOTS of garlic and dried oregano. Lots!!
Yogurt is a magical marinade – it’s a terrific flavour carrier and tenderises the chicken!
Yogurt is the secret ingredient in this recipe. The acid in the yoghurt breaks down the fibres so it not only softens the chicken but also helps the marinade really infuse into the flesh.
Plus, the yoghurt makes this marinade “paste like” so it stays slathered on the chicken when you cook it (unlike many marinades that are thin). So you have extra flavour oomph!
In the video, you’ll see that I cook this indoors on a grill pan. But during the warmer months, this is a BBQ favourite!
What goes in Tzatziki for Greek Gyros
And here’s what goes in the tzatziki.
Greek Yogurt please! Or at least Greek style which is what I mostly use because it’s easily found at everyday supermarkets. 🙂
How to make Greek Chicken Gyros
And onto the making part!! There are a few components to Gryos – but the making part is a cinch!
GREAT meal for groups – prepare ahead, make loads!
This Greek Chicken Gyros is a really fab recipe for entertaining. Because it is really fast to prepare and the men can BBQ while the girls sip wine and chatter. (Joke joke JOKE!!!)
Then you can just lay everything out on the table. Why should you slave away, rolling up a gyros for everyone? Make ’em do it themselves!
(Few more of my favourite large format foods, DIY style, include: Chicken or Beef / Lamb Doner kebabs, Chicken Shawarma and Lamb Shawarma, Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Bowls).
What to serve on the side
I serve Greek Chicken Gyros as a complete meal in itself because there’s a decent amount of tomato and cucumber used to stuff inside.
If you wanted to boost the fresh vegetables, a big fat juicy Greek Salad would be terrifically on theme! For something more substantial, especially if you’re making Gyros for a group, try this Greek Lemon Orzo Salad as well.
And though not specifically a Greek-style salad, this Cucumber Salad with Garlic & Herb Dressing OR this Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing would go down a treat with this Gyros. I also offer a Greek take on my recipe for Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts (see Customisations ideas section) that would be a great partner to the Gyros.
If you’re really wanting to impress, make Gyros using your very own homemade flatbread wraps. They’re easy and they’re made without yeast!!
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzaziki
Ingredients
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets , boneless skinless
Marinade
- 3 large garlic cloves , minced (~ 3 tsp)
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or red wine or apple cider vinegar)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt , preferably full fat
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Tzatziki
- 2 cucumbers (to make about 1/2 – 3/4 cup grated cucumber after squeezing out juice)
- 1 1/4 cups Greek yoghurt , preferably full fat
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or more if you want richer)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Salad
- 3 tomatoes , desseeded and diced
- 3 cucumbers , diced
- 1/2 red spanish onion , peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (optional)
- Salt and pepper
To Serve
- 4 to 6 pita breads or flat breads
Instructions
- Place the Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and massage to mix. Add the chicken into the ziplock bag and massage to cover all the chicken in the Marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours, ideally 12 hours and no longer than 24 hours.
Make the Tzatziki
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scrape the watery seeds out. Coarsely grate the cucumber using a box grater. Then wrap in paper towels or a tea towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid.
- Place cucumber in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients then mix to combine. Set aside for at least 20 minutes for the flavours to meld.
Salad
- Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Cook Chicken
- Brush the outdoor grill with oil, then preheat on medium high. Or heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan over medium high heat.
- Remove chicken from Marinade. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through (cooking time depends on size of chicken).
- Remove the chicken from the grill / fry pan onto a plate. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Assemble Gyros
- If your chicken thighs are large, you may need to cut them. Mine were small.
- Get a pita bread or flatbread (preferably warmed) and place it on a piece of parchment (baking) paper (or you could use foil). Place some Salad down the middle of the bread, then top with chicken and Tzatziki.
- Roll the wrap up, enclosing it with the parchment paper. Twist the end with the excess parchment paper to secure it and cut if desired.
- I prefer to lay everything out on a table and let everyone help themselves.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
First published June 2015. Long overdue for fresh new photos and a brand new video!!
Life of Dozer
WAY too close to the BBQ!
Mary says
Absolutely delicious. I used steak instead of chicken but followed the rest of the instructions to the t. A big hit with my two adult sons. Thanks!
Nagi says
Great!!
Keith D Field says
Nagi, So many of your meals I have prepared. I don’t know how you comprise such flavorful simple meals. You are certainly a foodie scientist and contractor in one!! This meal is good as a unique diversion to the norm.
Lily says
This is one of our most favorite meals! We love making it when people come 0ver because the salad and tzatziki sauce can be made the night before. It’s SO good!!! We also love the flat bread but when we are in a hurry, we use naan bread (I like that it is a little more light/fluffy than flat bread) and it tastes just as good!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love it Lily!
MaryP says
Cooked this chicken yesterday, it tasted fantastic, will definitely make this again.
Kelley says
Yum!!! This is so delicious. On repeat. Thanks for sharing 😀
Nagi says
You’re so welcome! ❤️
Candice says
I love this recipe! Like a lot of your recipes!!! Just wondering do you think I can use this recipe and put the chicken on the spit and cook it over coals?
Nagi says
That would be fabulous Candice!!!
Liz says
This recipe is fantastic! Absolutely scrumptious chicken! Nagi you are a genius!
Nagi says
Oh stop! Thanks so much Liz 😍
Cat says
This came out amazing! And so simple to make, even the bread!!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Nagi says
Woot! Great stuff Cat!
Alexis H says
This was absolutely delicious, the whole family loved it! The chicken was amazing and the taziki was so simple and yummy! I also made your homemade flat bread and that was a big winner, in fact I really don’t think the gyros would have been near as good if we would have gone with store bought. I didn’t make the relish only because I also made your Greek salad.. so I thought the relish might have been a little too much. We just slathered on extra taziki sauce and some raw red onions do the trick! 🙂 Also the extra leftover taziki sauce made a great dip the next day!
Nagi says
Sounds like a great feast Alexis!!
Sherry says
I’ve made this a few times, so good! I’m making it tonight but I don’t have any Greek yoghurt, any chance I could use sour cream for the marinade?
Nagi says
Hi Sherry, sour cream is the best substitute, love to know how it turns out!
Laura says
Thank you for sharing! This was so quick and easy to make… kids loved it too! Perfect for a weekday when you’re short on time.
Mirah says
Hi Nagi,
Love all your recipes. Is it ok this marinade for lamb too?
Nagi says
This would be great on lamb too!
Sonu Singh says
Excellent.plrase share more recipe’s
Nagi says
I have a whole website full of them Sonu – I hope you love them!
Rebecca says
This is one of my family’s favorites now!
I was going to make it tonight but our plans changed. I had already put the chicken in the marinade. I was wanting to still cook it tomorrow. How will it be if it marinades longer than 24 hours? The instructions said not to.
Elizabeth McKay says
This is one of three dishes all four of us love! I had a change of plans and it was still delicious to do the next day!
Lizzie says
I love all your recipes! This was perfect and my husband hates cucumbers (he hates pickles and therefore hates cucumbers because of their potential to turn into a pickle) and LOVES your tzatziki! Thank you Nagi, please pet Dozer for us!
Nagi says
Glad you enjoyed it Lizzie! Pat passed on and slobbery kiss requested to be passed back 😂 N x
Kate says
This is now one of most requested dinners – love it!
Erika says
Hello! I have made your super tasty recipe previously but made uses red onion in the salad. I have never been able to find a red Spanish onion in any store. I’ve also searched online but nada. The red onion is obviously very different from a regular (yellow) Spanish onion. What is a good onion sub for red Spanish onion since I have no idea what it tastes like? Making this tomorrow and would love for it to taste as close as possible to your to your recipe this time. Thanks!
Susan George says
It looks delicious, Nagi. Hope to try it out soon
Tina says
Do you pound or slice the chicken thighs before marinating?
Dominique says
Hello, I’m a newbie follower.
What brand is this pita bread ?
Thank you
-D
Nagi says
Hi Dominique! Which country are you in??
Dominique says
Thank you for replying to me
United States
FLORIDA
-Dominique