Chicken Gyro

YIELD Serves 4

PREP TIME 30 minutes  (overnight for marinade chicken and tzatziki)

COOK/ASSEMBLE TIME 10-30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large lemons juiced

• 6 cloves garlic, grated divided

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6) or 4 boneless chicken breasts

• 2 medium Persian cucumbers (about 6 ounces total)

• 2 large sprigs fresh dill

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk or reduced fat plain Greek yogurt

• 1/2 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced  (about 4 ounces)

• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce (about 7 ounces)

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (about 4 ounces)

• 4 thin, large (8 to 10-inch) pita

 INSTRUCTIONS

Marinade for Chicken

Juice 2 large lemons into a small bowl

Finely grate 4 of the garlic cloves into a large bowl.

Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Whisk to combine. 

Add 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (thighs or breasts) sliced thinly and tossed to coat and let marinate in refrigerator, covered overnight

Taziki

 Grate 2 English cucumbers on the large holes of a box grater into a medium bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes until the cucumber releases its juices. Meanwhile, pick the fronds from 2 large dill sprigs and finely chop 2 teaspoons.

Scrape the cucumber onto a large clean kitchen towel,  bundle and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. Return the cucumber to the bowl. Finely grate the remaining 2 garlic cloves onto the cucumber. Add the dill, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, and stir to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken

Fire up the grill and let it get really hot. I always add some smoking wood, hickory is my favorite but oak would also work well.  Arrange the chicken over the grill placing the thicker pieces over the hot side of the grill. Scrape any excess marinade left in the bowl over chicken. These can be seared over the flames then moved to the cooler part of the grill to finish. Internal temp should be at least 140F for breats and 155F for thighs. Generally cooking times will vary but breasts 8-12min, thighs 15-20 minutes. 

Condiments:

Thinly slice 1/2 small red onion (about 3/4 cup). 

Finely shred 1/4 medium head iceberg lettuce (about 1 1/2 cups). 

Thinly slice or coarsely chop 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (about 1/2 cup). 

Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. Let sit until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Very thinly slice crosswise. Have a large skillet on med hi to warm the pita. I like to add a little olive oil to the pan first then just quickly warm each pita, set aside and keep warm. 

To assemble each pita, arrange a large spoonful of tzatziki on the middle of the pita top with a quarter of the chicken and then add a handful of the lettuce, onion and tomato down the center of a pita. If using fries (optional) place these at the very top, back. Fold up two sides of pita to create the funnel shaped gyro and wrap this in paper folding and sealing one end to prevent leaking. Serve with the remaining tzatziki.

RECIPE NOTES

Storage: Leftover tzatziki can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Leftover chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Urban Cowgill

September 2022 (updated 2024)