Try this chicken gyros recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and pepper
- juice of 1 lemon
- for the chicken:
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- for the tzatziki:
- 16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat if possible)
- 1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber peeled and seeded
- 2-3 cloves garlic pressed through a garlic press (or finely m
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
- 1 â¼ lbs. chicken pieces (i use boneless skinless chicken breast halves)
- to assemble:
- pita bread
- fresh tomatoes seeded and diced
- red onion sliced thin
- Carbohydrate 19.6768859422501 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 81.8595 g
- Fiber 4.67600008577108 g
- Protein 3.4366 g
- Saturated Fat 11.34384 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (271g)
- Sodium 792.633895746581 mg
- Sugar 15.000885856479 g
- Trans Fat 2.40497999999999 g
- Calories 803 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (I butterflied the chicken breasts and then cooked them under the broiler.) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips.
- Heat pitas (I sprayed with some spray oil and then popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.
Garlic performs the heavy lifting across every single component of this dish, punching through rich dairy and acting as a fundamental aromatic builder in both the meat marinade and the accompanying sauce. Using four cloves smashed for the chicken alongside two to three pressed cloves in the tzatziki ensures that pungent allicin compounds permeate every layer without requiring separate purchases of specialty flavourings. Stretching a single package of boneless skinless chicken breasts and a tub of yogurt across multiple days requires deliberate storage choices to maintain food safety and optimal textures.
Acidic components like lemon juice and red wine vinegar do more than just taste bright; their low pH denatures meat proteins by unwinding tightly coiled peptide chains, tenderizing dense muscle fibres during the one-hour refrigeration window. Meanwhile, straining whole-milk yogurt through cheesecloth removes excess whey, concentrating milk solids so the sauce clings to warm bread instead of pooling into a watery mess. When broiling the butterflied chicken pieces, position the rack four inches from the heating element to achieve surface charring while keeping internal temperatures safely at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Surplus grilled chicken and un-dressed pita bread keep safely in airtight glass containers for up to three days, though keeping the components separate prevents the bread from turning soggy. Transforming leftover strips into a completely different meal involves tossing the chilled meat into a skillet with cumin and olive oil to crisp the edges before serving over grains or grains instead of flatbread.
