Super flavorful Chicken Gyros, marinated in my go-to 4-ingredient marinade and grilled until tender and juicy. Served with warm pita, simple cucumber tomato salad, and creamy tzatziki sauce.

Chicken Gyro Recipe

Make these chicken gyros next time you’re firing up the grill. They are 100% family-approved and come together fairly quickly. The trick is to prep your salad and tzatziki sauce while the chicken marinates.

The chicken is quickly marinated in the most flavorful marinade and then grilled until tender and juicy. It’s served with cool cucumber tomato salad in warm naan bread, and a drizzle of zesty homemade tzatziki sauce.

Just like our chicken salad pita, this meal will wow anyone. Not to mention leftovers make the yummiest deconstructed gyro salad.

Ingredients  

Here are the ingredients for these quick and easy Greek chicken gyros.

Chicken

  • Chicken thighs 
  • Extra virgin olive oil 
  • Lemon juice and lemon zest 
  • Garlic 
  • Oregano 
  • Salt and pepper

Salad

  • Cucumber 
  • Tomatoes 
  • Red onions
  • Fresh parsley 
  • Olive oil 
  • Lemon juice 

Tzatziki Sauce 

  • Greek yogurt 
  • Cucumber 
  • Garlic 
  • Fresh dill
  • Lemon juice 
  • Olive oil 

Serve

  • Pita bread or naan bread 
Ingredients for chicken gyro marinade

How to Make Chicken Gyros

  • Make the chicken marinade by whisking together the marinade ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano. Marinade the chicken for about 30 minutes before grilling. 
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade, skewer it onto skewers, and cook chicken on a hot grill for about 3 minutes on each side.

Chicken Gyro Seasoning

The chicken gyro seasoning is very simple in this recipe. It’s basically the chicken marinade that makes up most of the flavor. Fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and dried oregano.

Step by step instruction for chicken gyro recipe
  • Next, prepare the cucumber tomato salad by chopping and combining all of the ingredients in a bowl. 
Ingredients for cucumber tomato salad
Chopped up cucumber tomato salad in glass bowl
  • Also, make the yogurt sauce by combining the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate before serving.
Ingredients for tzatziki sauce on white board
Tzatziki sauce in glass bowl
  • To assemble the chicken gyros, remove the chicken from the skewers and serve in a warmed pita or naan bread with salad and tzatziki sauce. Feel free to add lettuce and tomato.

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Gyros

  • Do not let the chicken marinate for longer than 30 minutes, otherwise, the lemon juice will break down the chicken and it will become tough when cooked. 
  • Use the best quality chicken thighs. You want all the fat and flavor.
  • The trick to really smooth tzatziki sauce is to really strain the cucumbers of their juices before mixing in with the yogurt. That way it will stay super creamy instead of watered down. 
  • If you have leftovers, make a deconstructed gyro salad the next day. 

How to Meal Prep Chicken Gyros 

Greek chicken gyros are the perfect meal to make in advance for dinner later in the week. Since there are three different parts to this recipe, you can make and keep them all separate until you’re ready to eat. 

Prep the chicken and combine it with the marinade. Cook as directed and then keep stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

Chop the ingredients for the salad and put them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. 

Combine the ingredients for the tzatziki and keep it in a container in the fridge for up to five days.

Close up of greek gyro recipe on gray board

How to Store 

Refrigerator: Store each of the components of this dish in separate containers in the fridge for up to three to five days. Reheat the chicken in a microwave or stovetop and serve with cold salad and tzatziki sauce. 

Freezer: You can freeze the cooked chicken in a large freezer bag for up to three months. I do not recommend freezing the salad or tzatziki sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of bread is used for a gyro? 

The best bread for gyros is pita bread or naan. You want it big enough to serve the chicken, salad, and tzatziki wrapped.

How is gyro pronounced? 

This word is not native English, so you may not be sure how it’s pronounced. It’s pretty easy actually: “YEE-roh.” You may even hear it sound like “hero.”  

What’s the difference between chicken souvlaki and chicken gyro?

Traditional Greek dishes are typically made differently than we make them in our homes. Here are the authentic ways to make these dishes.  

Souvlaki is marinated chicken grilled on a skewer and served on a skewer in a pita. 

Gyros are made by stacking meat on a vertical skewer and cooking it in a rotisserie. 

Video: How to Make Chicken Gyros

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Chicken Gyros - the BEST chicken gyros served with simple cucumber tomato salad and creamy tzatziki sauce | littlebroken.com @littlebroken

Chicken Gyros

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 9 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Grilling
  • Cuisine: Greek

Description

Chicken gyros marinated in a 4-ingredient marinade, grilled, and served with cucumber salad and tzatziki sauce. The best chicken gyro recipe out there!


Ingredients

Units Scale

Chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced + zested (about 1/4 cup juice)
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • black pepper, to taste

Salad

  • 1 English cucumber, diced
  • 23 tomatoes on the vine, diced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Tzatziki Sauce

  • 1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled, grated, and strained really well of juices
  • 12 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 3 tsp. finely chopped fresh dill
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • to serve, pita or naan bread, warmed

Instructions

Chicken

  1. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, zest, garlic, oregano, and salt. Season with black pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the bowl tossing to coat evenly and let marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. (note: while the chicken marinates prepare the salad and tzatziki sauce).
  2. Thread the chicken onto skewers. Lightly grease the grilling surface and grill the skewers in a hot grill for about 3 minutes per each of the 4 sides or until fully cooked through.
  3. Remove chicken from the skewers and serve in warmed pita or naan bread with salad and tzatziki sauce.

Salad

  1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate.

Tzatziki Sauce

  1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate.

Notes

  • Recipe originally published May 2017

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 gyro with salad and tzatziki
  • Calories: 540
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Sodium: 972.7 mg
  • Fat: 24 g
  • Carbohydrates: 45.9 g
  • Protein: 40 g
  • Cholesterol: 144.5 mg

Nutrition does not include the pita or naan bread