Chicken Gyro Recipe
With millions of views and five-star ratings these chicken gyros have been getting rave reviews since the first day we published this recipe in 2017!
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Chicken Gyro Recipe
We have perfected this recipe over the years to make it simple enough to whip up for weeknight dinners. Not to mention, it makes enough for a deconstructed gyro salad as a quick and satisfying meal later on.
Traditionally, gyro meat is roasted on a vertical rotisserie and sliced off to serve. Since achieving that isn’t practical in most home kitchens, we’ve created a recipe that replicates the flavor using an outdoor gas grill.
Marinating boneless, skinless, chicken thighs with lots of fresh garlic, spices, and lemon juice is the key to achieving both the chicken gyro flavor and texture. The chicken is cut into chunks and then grilled on skewers before stuffing it into a naan bread along with cucumber tomato salad, and creamy homemade tzatziki sauce.
Video: How to Make Chicken Gyros
Chicken Gyros Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for these quick and easy Greek chicken gyros.
- Chicken thighs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon juice and lemon zest
- Garlic
- Oregano
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Red onions
- Fresh parsley
- Greek yogurt
- Fresh dill
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.
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.
- Next, prepare the cucumber tomato salad by chopping and combining all of the ingredients in a bowl.
- Also, make the yogurt sauce by combining the ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate before serving.
- 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 the Best Gyro Chicken
- 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.
Storing Chicken Gyros
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.
Gyro Chicken Recipe FAQs
The best bread for gyros is pita bread or naan. You want it big enough to serve the chicken, salad, and tzatziki wrapped.
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.”
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.
Chicken gyros originated in Greece. Gyros are a traditional Greek dish consisting of meat, typically pork, chicken, or lamb cooked on a vertical rotisserie, and then served in a pita wrap with vegetables, tzatziki sauce, and often fries.
What to Serve with a Grilled Chicken Gyro
Some great side options include:
Don’t forget dessert!
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If you try our recipe for Chicken Gyros, please leave a star rating and a comment letting us know how you liked the recipe.
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Grilled Chicken Gyros Recipe
- 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
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
- 2–3 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
- 1–2 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
- 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).
- 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.
- Remove chicken from the skewers and serve in warmed pita or naan bread with salad and tzatziki sauce.
Salad
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate.
Tzatziki Sauce
- 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
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
I made my own Naan. I had cucumber, tomato, and herbs from my garden. Followed your recipe exactly. Very good! Will definitely keep!
Forgot to rate these. Melt in your mouth goodness! Planning to make them again this weekend for a fall picnic.
thank you so much!
Thanks for the blog.
One of my favorite summer meals. Naan bread is so good, i usually get it at costco. The tsaziki suace is just sublime
Is there an “off the grill” alternative for cooking the chicken?
I do not have the “off the grill” instructions listed in the recipe but you can do it two ways: either cook the chicken in small batches on the stovetop over medium-high heat until cooked through. Or you can sear the meat on the stovetop and then place in the oven to finish cooking for about 10ish minutes or so at 425F. Obviously no need to thread the meat onto skewers if cooking on the stovetop.
Just had this for dinner and WOW, what a flavor explosion in your mouth! Followed the recipe exactly except used chicken breast as my family and I like that instead, even had the chicken pieces in the marinade longer than 30 minutes and it was tender enough to easily cut with your fork! Everyone was just going mmmmm instead of talking at the dinner table, Lol. Absolutely delicious!
That’s great! So glad to hear your family enjoyed it. Thank you for the feedback.
I can’t wait for the weekend to make these chicken gyros. I know my kids will be thrilled as they fell in love with souvlaki after our last trip to Greece and always ask me to make them.
I’m so looking forward to warmer weather too! These are one of our favorites.
I haven’t made chicken gyros in ages. Your version looks so delicious, I think I might just make it for dinner tonight!
I hope you do! Thank you.
A few months ago my fried told me that she loves this chicken gyros from your blog. She is so right! Katya, what an incredible dish!
Thanks dear 🙂 You gotta try these.
Loved your recipe, even the picky eater 🙂 I’ve made it twice now, and my husband asks for the leftovers!
forgot to rate it. 5 stars!
Thank you so much Kate! So happy to hear you’re enjoying these chicken gyros. And thank you for the rating 🙂
So tasty, fresh and healthy! Also, perfect camping food! We made it while camping, i Marinated chicken and made sauce ahead of time, then just made salad, grilled chicken and heated bread, and that’s it! Easy and delicious
Thank you Vita! That’s such a great idea…I never thought of it as camping food.
Thank you! Made this quick and easy recipe for the family tonight! I am a last minute cooker so loved that I didnt have to marinate for hours. It was absolutely delish and well, the Tzatziki I could eat by the spoonful!
That was meant to be 5 Stars! Sorry 🙂
Thank you!
That’s great! So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback.
Can I try with pork?
Hi Patty: I would imagine you can. You would just have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Hi where do you recommend to buy naan bread? thanks for the recipe looks so good
Hi Natasha, they normally sell them in the bakery section of most grocery stores. I really like the Stonefire brand and you can pretty much find them everywhere. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Trader joe’s sells the best naan in the frozen section
Hi,
Can you use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs?
You definitely can but the meat will not be juicy and tender as it would with the thighs