Best Greek Chicken Gyro Recipe (2024)

This chicken gyro recipe is easy and exceptionally delicious. The yogurt marinade makes the chicken extra flavorful and juicy. Stuff it into a pita with fresh veggies and homemade tzatziki for a fabulous Greek feast!

If you’ve been around for a while, you know we like our chicken recipes to be flavorful. Greek recipes definitely satisfy that craving for more bright flavors. From chicken souvlaki and one pan Greek chicken and rice to easy baked Greek chicken, every single dish brightens up our taste buds and takes us to the shores of the Mediterranean! Now, if you love the gyro from your local Greek restaurant, this homemade chicken gyro is going to be one of your favorite recipes!

Why this recipe works

Gyro (pronounced Yee-ro) is a classic Greek dish that’s commonly made with chicken, lamb or beef stacked and cooked on a rotating spit, similar, but still different from doner kebab. That’s what you can usually find in Greek restaurants. I’ve put together this delicious and homemade chicken gyro recipe that’s easy, doesn’t require a pit, and is packed with all those delicious Mediterranean flavors.

We use yogurt marinated chicken tenders that’s cooked to perfection and nestled in a pita with homemade tzatziki, tomatoes, onions and other fixings. One bite and you’ll never look back!

This is the perfect weeknight dinner since it's so fast and easy. You can marinate the chicken ahead of time and simply cook it when you're ready to have dinner.

The best part? You can make it at home in a pan, no grilling or pit required!

Ingredients and substitutions

• Chicken tenders: You can also use thinly sliced chicken breast or chicken thighs for this recipe. Chicken tenders are just the right size and cook pretty fast.
• Yogurt: What makes this the best chicken gyro recipe is the yogurt marinade. Yogurt is a great addition to the marinade because in addition to making the chicken tender and delicious, it forms a crust around it which results in that nice golden color, which you can also find in our Greek chicken marinade, grilled chicken sandwich and shish tawook recipe.You can use Greek or regular yogurt as long as it's plain and not flavored. Whole milk yogurt is preferred.
• Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds such nice and bright flavor to the chicken.
• Olive oil: A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for more flavor.
• Garlic: I use about 4 cloves of garlic, but you can add less.
• Spices: For this recipe you need dried oregano, salt and pepper. I used dried oregano, but you can also use fresh.

How to make chicken gyro

1. Prepare the marinade: In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken tenders to the marinade and gently toss them to make sure they’re covered with the yogurt mixture on all sides. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least one hour up to 24 hours.
2. Sear the chicken: Heat olive oil in a quality non stick pan and bring the chicken out of the fridge. Wait for the oil to get shimmery but not smoking.
   Once the olive oil is hot, take the chicken tenders using a pair of tongs and make sure to shake off any excess yogurt marinade. Place the chicken tenders in the pan and sear for about four minutes until it’s golden brown. Flip and sear on the other side for five minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
3. Assemble the gyro wraps: Spread some homemade tzatziki on a warm homemade pitaand add the chicken. Top with tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and red onion.

Variations

You can make this homemade gyro recipe simply on the stove top in a pan or in the oven. And if the weather permits, grilling would be a great option too.

Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat it with non stick cooking spray. Place the chicken tenders on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes and flip halfway through.

Grill: Heat up the outdoor grill and make sure the grates are oiled lightly so the chicken doesn’t stick. Shake off the yogurt off the tenders and place them on the grill. Grill for 5 minutes on each side or until it’s fully cooked.

Serving suggestions

Beside the usual veggie fixings such as tomatoes, red onion and parsley that come with pita when making a gyro wrap, you can also serve this Greek dish with other delicious side dishes such as Mediterranean salad or traditional Greek salad.

In addition to salads, there are other side dishes we love to serve with this dish such as Greek potatoes, briam, fried eggplants, Greek lemon rice, melitzanosalata and skordalia.

Frequently Asked Questions

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