Mediterranean Chicken Gyro is marinated chicken breast served in a pita with cucumbers, tomatoes and a tzatziki sauce with sumac spice.
I am so excited! I planted a few cucumber seeds a few weeks ago and fully expected nothing to happen, because I'm not exactly good at this kind of stuff. But I went outside the other day and the seeds have sprouted! There's a chance I'm going to have cucumbers!
Okay, that aside, let's talk about this delicious Mediterranean Chicken Gyro. Greek food is not super high up on my favorites list, but I love, love, love tzatziki sauce! Combine that with some marinated chicken and put it all in a pita with cucumbers, tomatoes and a tzatziki sauce with sumac spice? That's delicious!
What is a chicken gyro?
In Greece, gyros are commonly made with pork, chicken, lamb or beef. The meat is cooked on a spit and it's served in pita bread with veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes and green peppers. The sauce for a gyro is tzatziki sauce.
🥘 Ingredients for this recipe
- Gryo marinade:
- Greek yogurt
- minced garlic
- lemon juice
- apple cider vinegar
- oregano
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- chicken breasts or tenders
- Filling:
- cucumbers
- tomatoes
- Tzatziki Sauce:
- cucumber
- greek yogurt
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- dill
- sumac
- salt
- pita bread or pockets
🔪Instructions for this recipe
- First, prepare the gyro marinade: Combine the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Then, prepare the tzatziki sauce: combine the cucumber, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, sumac and salt together in a bowl. Mix until combined and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Next, cook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 4-5 minutes on both side over high heat or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Finally, assemble the chicken gyros. Warm up the pita, either on a grill or in the toaster. Spread the tzatziki sauce on top, then add the chicken, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Wrap up and serve!
FAQ's for this recipe
- What is tzatziki sauce? Tzatziki sauce is a Greek sauce, made with grated cucumbers, yogurt, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt.
- What is sumac? Sumac is a spice, made from dried or ground sumac berries. The flavor is sour, like lemon juice, and it's typically used in a spice blend like za'atar.
- What's the difference between a gyro and a pita wrap? For this recipe, they are almost the same thing. A gyro features marinated grilled meats (usually lamb) along with vegetables and tzatziki sauce wrapped up in a pita. A gyro wouldn't usually contain sumac in the chicken seasoning.
- What side goes good with gyros? Fresh veggies with additional tzatziki sauce, Greek salad or Israeli Veggie Salad.
Substitutions for this recipe
- Bake the chicken at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through if you don't have a grill.
- If you don't like Greek yogurt, replace it with sour cream.
- Add in more veggies, like green peppers or red onion.
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- Iranian Beef Stew with Yogurt Sauce from Pandemonium Noshery
- Persian Kebab Kubideh from Palatable Pastime
- A Healthy Salad With Sumac Yogurt Dressing from Sneha's Recipe
- Garlic and Herb Marinated Chicken from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Curried Eggplant and Chickpea Fatteh by Magical Ingredients
- Mussakhan (Roast Chicken with Sumac and Red Onions) by Making Miracles
- Mediterranean Chicken Gyro from Cookaholic Wife
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Recipe
Mediterranean Chicken Gyro
Ingredients
Marinade:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Tzatziki:
- ½ cup cucumber grated
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon sumac
Filling:
- 1 medium cucumber chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 lb chicken cut into strips
- 6 whole wheat pita bread
Instructions
Marinade:
- Combine the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add in the strips of chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but up to 8 hours.
Tzatziki Sauce:
- In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sumac together.
- Use a grater to grate the cucumber. Place over a small mesh sieve and let excess water drain.
- Add grated cucumber into the yogurt mixture and stir until well combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cooking the Chicken:
- Heat a grill over medium high heat.
- Remove chicken from the marinade and discard remaining marinade. Grill chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Assemble the Gyro:
- Lightly toast or grill the pita bread.
- Spread the tzatziki sauce down the center of the pita, followed with strips of chicken.
- Add chopped cucumber and halved tomatoes to the pita and wrap up the end of the pita to secure. Wrap in wax paper to hold its shape if desired.
Wendy Klik
I just got done with lunch and yet my mouth still began watering the minute I saw your gyro. OH MY YUM
Rebekah R Hills
LOVE that you added some sumac to a chicken gyro; I am definitely remembering this idea the next time I have gyros on the brain!
Radha
This is an amazing and satisfying meal. Love the combination of flavors.