Whewww I really transported myself back to Greece with this recipe. I’ve been craving Greek food for the past 2 weeks so I decided to make chicken gyros. I thought it would be a nice way to introduce the pre #FoodTravelSeries which is now live on IGTV. I made a healthy swap by serving my gyros with wholemeal pitta bread and homemade tzatziki. Check out the recipe in the video below.

What Are Gyros?

Gyros are Ancient Greek street food made from meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Gyro (pronounced YEE-ros) means to turn/round. This makes literal sense as the meat is stacked up rotating the sliced meat, either lamb, pork, chicken or beef. As the tightly packed stack roasts vertically, the layers meld together and the grill person manning the gyro rotisserie cuts off thin slices, which he or she fixes in a pita wrap with tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, a staple sauce tzatziki, and sometimes Greek fried potatoes and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

Chicken gyros

Chicken gyros

Gyros have a long history in the way it travelled, becoming one of the most popular national dishes. Its believed to have originated in Greece. They’re similar to the döner kebabs of Turkey and shawarma of the Middle East, which are slices of meat. I don’t know who inspired who but they sure do taste delicious. * Chef’s kiss*

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Chicken Gyros Recipe

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

This simple chicken gyro recipe served with creamy tzatziki sauce will have you transported to the Greek islands with Mediterranean flavours. Enjoy the chicken slices in a pita wrap with tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, a staple sauce tzatziki, and fried chips.

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Ingredients

Chicken marinade

• 600g Chicken Thigh Fillets (skinless & boneless)
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3.5 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1.5 Tbsp Oregano
• 1.5 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tbsp Ground Coriander 
• 1 Tbsp Thyme 
• 1 Tsp Chilli Flakes (Optional)
• ½ Tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 Cup of Greek Yoghurt 
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Tzatziki

• 2 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
• 1 Cucumber
• Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1.5 Cups of Greek Yoghurt
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Fresh Dill, chopped

• Wholewheat Pitta Bread
• Tomatos, sliced
• Red Onions, finely sliced
• Lettuce, shredded

Instructions

1. Wash and prepare the chicken thigh fillets. Put the chicken fillets inside a ziplock bag or cling film, wrap over the chicken and pound with a rolling pin until the chicken is about 1 cm thickness.
2. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the chicken marinade and mix well. Leave the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°c. Cut an onion in half to use as a flat base and poke a wooden skewer stick in the middle of the onion. On a baking sheet, skewer each chicken thigh vertically onto the skewer stick.
4. Cook in the oven for 1.5 - 1.75 hours until chicken is cooked through. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
5. Slice the chicken into small pieces.
6. To make the Tzatziki sauce: grate the cucumber and set aside to allow the release of excess liquid.
7. Squeeze the cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and discard the liquid it releases.
8. In a bowl, combine yoghurt, garlic, salt, pepper and mix well. Add the shredded cucumber to the bowl and stir in. Add dill to the bowl and mix in. Lightly drizzle olive oil on the creamy tzatziki sauce.
9. Serve chicken gyro slices with a plate or salad and tzatziki or make a wrap with shredded lettuce, sliced onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, chips tzatziki sauce and warm pitta bread. Squeeze a slice of lemon and there you have it, a small taste of Greece in your kitchen.

Notes

• If you have more time, leave the chicken to marinate between 4 - 10 hours.

Nutrition Information

Yield 5 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 508Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 161mgSodium 481mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 3gSugar 11gProtein 37g

* This may slightly vary depending on where you purchase your ingredients from and the particular brand you use.

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Where To Go For The Best Gyros In Greece?

Some of the best restaurants where I have had incredible gyros and souvlaki were in Athens and Greece. On your next visit to these two popular destinations, stop by the following recommended restaurants: 

ATHENS:

1. Kalamakia O Elvis – The souvlaki kebabs are amazing. The people that work here are so lovely, hospitable and treated me to some free Greek shots.

2. Maiandros restaurant – An amazing sunset view of the Acropolis on their rooftop terrace with live music. The food was delicious and the chef kindly treated us to a Greek dessert on the house! So sweet!  

MYKONOS:

1. Sakis – Great for cheap eats! Hands down, they have the best gyros in town.

2. Kadena – A lovely atmosphere with a nice view of the harbour. The staff also treated me to a free shot of Chios Mastiha.

Greece is a country an Archipelago including up to 6,000 islands and islets scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Seas but only 227 islands are inhabited. The way Gyros are prepared and served may vary in different regions of Greece. 

Thanks for reading! If you have tried this recipe, please leave a review and star rating which you can find this at the bottom of the page and recipe card. Enjoy!

Have you been to any part of Greece? Drop your favourite restaurant recommendations below.