Chicken Gyro – an easy-to-make sandwich, great for both lunch and dinner. Served with fresh vegetables and tzatziki sauce.
If you haven’t tried a homemade Chicken Gyro yet, you are missing out! Fresh vegetables, tender chicken, tzatziki sauce, and feta cheese make an unforgettable combination! You’ll love it from the first bite.
Let's start with the basics.
Chicken Gyro Video Tutorial
What is a Gyro?
A Gyro is a Greek sandwich traditionally made using lamb, beef, or pork combined with tomato, onion, and a yogurt sauce on pita bread. In Greece, Gyros are popular street food. A proper gyro is made with meat that is cooked on a slowly-rotating, vertical spit in front of an upright rotisserie.
Modern American versions of the Gyro also use chicken. Instead of the upright rotisserie method, homemade gyro recipes include cooking the meat on a skillet or baking it in the oven.
Interesting read: Gyro Fun Facts
What is chicken gyro made of?
Chicken Gyro is made with marinated and cooked chicken breast, served on pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, homemade tzatziki sauce, and feta cheese.
Chicken Gyro Marinade
Chicken Gyro marinade is made with staple Mediterranean ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Simple, yet very flavorful. It is common to add yogurt to the marinade. I do not add yogurt to my Chicken Gyro marinade, but you can add it if you want to.
You can also use your favorite marinade, or try this chicken fajita marinade.
How to Make Chicken Gyro:
1. Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and add all of the marinade ingredients. Mix it well, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Make the tzatziki. Grate the cucumber and squeeze the excess liquid out with your hands. Discard the liquid. Place the cucumber in a mixing bowl with the rest of the tzatziki ingredients and mix well.
3. Cook the chicken. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken slices and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
4. Make the Gyro! Warm the pita bread (in the oven or microwave). Add a bit of shredded lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, and chicken on top. Drizzle with a generous amount of tzatziki and feta cheese, if desired. Fold the gyro* in half and serve.
*Follow my instructions below if you'd like to learn how to fold the gyro.
How to Fold Chicken Gyro
Basically, you fold the bread in half and use paper or aluminum foil to help it hold its shape. Aluminum foil is the easiest method, so that’s what I am using. Here is an instructional video:
How to Serve Chicken Gyros
It’s very popular to serve Chicken Gyros with tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce on Pita bread. However, I also love adding shredded iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, and feta cheese (!). Topping a gyro with fresh feta crumbles really takes it to the next level. Whichever toppings you choose, you won’t be disappointed.
Is Chicken Gyro Healthy?
Having the occasional Chicken Gyro can be a part of a wholesome and healthy diet. Loaded with lean chicken breast and fresh vegetables, this sandwich is very filling. Tzatziki sauce is made out of yogurt and cucumber, so it is light and full of probiotics. If you’d like to make your Chicken Gyro even healthier, use whole wheat pita bread and oven-bake the chicken instead of frying it.
Can I bake the chicken for Chicken Gyro?
Yes. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes, at 375º F, until the chicken is fully cooked.
Hi Chicken Lovers! I bet you'll enjoy these recipes, too:
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Chicken and Yellow Rice Skillet
- Chicken Rice Casserole
- Cabbage and Chicken
Chicken Gyro
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 1 lb. chicken breast sliced into ½-inch strips
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
- 1 medium clove garlic pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Gyro:
- Pita bread
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced cucumbers
- Sliced onion
- Feta cheese
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and add all of the marinade ingredients. Mix it well, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Make the tzatziki. Grate the cucumber and squeeze the excess liquid out with your hands. Discard the liquid. Place the cucumber in a mixing bowl with the rest of the tzatziki ingredients and mix well.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken slices and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Make the Gyro! Warm the pita bread (in the oven or microwave). Add a bit of shredded lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, and chicken on top. Drizzle with a generous amount of tzatziki and feta cheese, if desired. Fold the gyro* in half and serve.
Carmita says
This Gyro turned really well, the chicken was very flavorful and the tzatziki was delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Tania Sheff says
Thank you, Carmita!