Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce features juicy marinated chicken, a slathering of fresh homemade tzatziki sauce, as well as crisp onions and tomatoes wrapped in a warm pita.
Do you remember the movie Platoon? It is one of my favorite war movies of all time. I am reasonably certain my one year old daughter hasn’t watched it yet, however this morning she is certainly doing her best Sergeant Barnes impersonation, kneeling on the ground with her arms raised up in the air screaming.
I guess being left for dead in a war zone, and wanting more fruit is pretty much the same thing in her mind.
What does that have to do with Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce? Absolutely nothing other than now she is down for a much needed nap, and I can get to work on this recipe!
Have you ever met someone who changed your life? I found this Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce recipe on one of my favorite blogs, RecipeTinEats.com. Nagi and her website will always be near and dear to my heart because FoxValleyFoodie.com would have never realized the success it’s seen without her. A year and a half ago this blog was nothing more than a fun hobby, however thanks to what I’ve learned from Nagi and the network of friends I’ve connected with through her, it is now a thriving business and my fulltime job. I wake up every morning having to pinch myself just to make sure the life I’m living is actually real.
Her chicken gyros are perfect for cooking on the grill; however you can certainly make this recipe on the stove as well. When cooking indoors, I use a cast iron grilling pan to add tantalizing grill marks.
The above link is an affiliate link. Any Amazon purchases made through this link helps support FoxValleyFoodie.com at no additional cost to you.
This recipe is ideal for combining with my Quick Pickled Red Onions recipe. If you are looking to jazz up your chicken gyros, the sweet and tangy onions will add a vibrant punch each bite! Quick Pickled Red Onions is one of my favorite recipes. I keep it in my back pocket for whenever I am looking to add a unique twist to a fresh dish.
Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken thighs skin and bones removed (Buy 2lbs of thigh meat already deboned if you can find them)
Marinade
- 3 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
Tzatziki
- ⅓ cup minced cucumber after squeezing out juice (1 cucumber needed)
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or red wine or apple cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or more if you want a richer sauce)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
Toppings
- 3 tomatoes sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced (or substitute my pickled red onion recipe, link below)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
To Serve
- 6 pita breads
Instructions
Marinade
- Add all ingredients for the marinade into a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place chicken thigh meat into a gallon ziplock bag and pour in marinade. Squeeze out air and seal.
- Let marinate for 3-12 hours.
Tzatziki
- While chicken is marinating, mince cucumber into fine pieces, wrap in paper towel and squeeze out juice.
- Measure ⅓ cup of cucumber and add to bowl with remaining tzatziki ingredients. Whisk to combine and let sit for at least 20 minutes, to allow flavors to meld.
Cooking
- Place chicken on a grill, or stove top, season with salt and pepper, and cook until meat reaches 165 degrees, flipping once.
- Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Warm pita bread in separate pan, or in the oven. Pita should be warmed through, but not overly crispy or blackened.
Assembly
- Cut chicken meat if needed.
- Add chicken pieces to one side of the pita, top with sliced onion, tomatoes, and parsley. Drizzle tzatziki sauce over the vegetables and fold close.
Notes
Nutritional Information
If you enjoyed reading my Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today.
Bee
If there's one way to my heart.. it's with a chicken gyro. You have won my heart and I haven't even tried it yet! I love your energy! You seem to be my kind of people.
This is my first time here; I was trying to find a blackened chicken gyro recipe because I'm from a small town and we have no authentic gyros within 45 minutes. I know. lol I've been craving one for a little over a year, and it doesn't look like I'm going to be going out of town for any time soon, so... I'm bringing the party to me!
Somehow, you've made such a daunting task (in my mind) seem easy as Tuesday dinner. Oh wait. 😁
My only question is.. how can I incorporate some blackening seasoning? I was thinking I could dice the chicken, then throw it back in with just a dash of the seasoning.. but I really don't want change anything too drastically, since your recipe appears to be pure PERFECTION already. So.. any advice? (I like a little spice, but not too much. I bought one blacken seasoning once and it was way too spicy, now I'm scared to buy more. 🙃
P.S. Thank you for what you do. 💙
Fox Valley Foodie
You could mix some of the seasonings into the tzatziki sauce to jazz it up! Otherwise, adding some onto the chicken is fine as long as you don't go overboard.
Carol
I made this for my picky daughter and her boyfriend. They devoured it. Great recipe. I am going to make it again this weekend.
Meagan
Loved the marinade for the chicken!! thank you for sharing your recipe!
Sharon
What brand of Pita Bread did you use? They look amazing!
Fox Valley Foodie
I wish I remembered, sorry!
mila
Wow... what kind words to Nagi... I am also grateful that she changed my life and got me thinking about myself and my blog in a different way...On another note...this is a fabulous recipe but most importantly... Those onions... I MUST HAVE. Gleefully drooling 🙂 xoxo
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks so much! She really is one of the most intellectually generous bloggers out there!
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
I am not kidding, I have tears in my eyes. Words fail me. Thank you - but more importantly, I am so thrilled at what you have achieved. I......I have no words. I am so happy for you! N xx
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks for being such a passionate teacher. I am confident this isn't the only blog you've transformed!
Shannon
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS RECIPE! I've tried so many new recipes on Pinterest, only to be disappointed. This not only did not disappoint, it exceeded my expectations! It was seriously the tastiest meal I've made in a long time. Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipe. I followed it exactly as written and everything about it was absolutely perfect. I served it with a side of homemade hummus. This will be a meal on our rotation for years to come! I can't wait to try more of your recipes!
Fox Valley Foodie
I'm so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know!
Ruth
THIS CHICKEN! We grilled this marinated chicken for dinner and it got double thumbs up. We will definitely be enjoying this often!
cheryl porter
Ok, I didn't get around to making this today. Can it marinate for longer than 12 hours? Or, if I cook in the crock pot tomorrow, will 8 hours be too long? Thank you!
Fox Valley Foodie
As long as the chicken stays fresh I don't see any major problem with marinating it longer.
Amber
I'm fairly new to cooking...this is gourmet, to me. I couldn't find deboned and skinned thigh meat. Just raw, with skin and bone-on. What's the best way to debone manually? Is it possible to boil, skin, and debone, then marinate and cook as instructed? Crock? Or any better suggestions?
Fox Valley Foodie
Please don't boil it. The raw bone-in meat is great. Just flip the thigh skin-side down (smooth side should face down, and the rough side should be exposed) and use a sharp knife to cut out the bone (and any cartilage around the joint). To do this, simply cut along each side of the bone, then slip your knife underneath and finish cutting the remaining connecting meat to free the bone. Don't worry if you 'butcher' it up on your first attempt, it will still taste good. You'll be able to just pull the skin right off.
cheryl porter
I just found this recipe today. I was going to ask if I could cook the chicken in the crock pot and the answer was right here! This is on my menu this week. Thank you so much!
Fox Valley Foodie
Awesome, I'm glad it worked out!
cheryl porter
Quick question, do you just use the marinade as is in the crock pot?
Fox Valley Foodie
Yes, I would.
cheryl porter
Thank you!
Nicole
The chicken came out tender, juicy and beautimous in the crock!? aaaand since I shopped before checking your reply, the boneless/skinless thighs worked out! Although trying with the skin still may be beneficial?? thanks again and I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Fox Valley Foodie
Fantastic! Thanks for the update! 🙂
Nicole
Thanks! Will do?
Nicole
This looks beautiful! I would like to cook the chicken in my slow cooker. Is there enough liquid to make this slow cooker adaptable? 6-8 hours on low? Thank you!
Fox Valley Foodie
If I was using my slow cooker, I would keep the skin on the chicken thighs for additional moisture, then just fish out any extra skin when it is done cooking. I would not use chicken breasts for this in the slow cooker because they would dry out too easily. Let me know how it works!
amallia
wow, looks so delicious, nice pictures!
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks so much Amallia!