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Our Greek inspired Chicken Gyros recipe is one the whole family begs for! It features juicy marinated chicken on a warm pita, topped with lettuce, red onion, cucumber, and easy tzatziki sauce.
Some of my other favorite chicken recipes Try Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, Chicken Shawarma Bowl, Pastalaya, and BBQ Chicken Drumsticks.
Weeknight Chicken Gyros Magic
Weeknight Chicken Gyros MagicThere are a few meals I always have top of mind that I know every single person I'm serving will LOVE, and Chicken Gyros is one of them (followed closely by Hawaiian Bowls, and Spaghetti). They are so easy and quick to make, and even the pickiest eater at the table can enjoy a “deconstructed” gyro, with some pita triangles, grilled chicken, cucumber and tomato and a scoop of humus and tzatziki on the side.
If you really want a 10/10 meal though, I strongly recommend making your own pitas. The dough is so quick to make, they only rise for 30 minutes and they are absolutely worth the extra time!
How to make Chicken Gyros:
Make Tzatziki Sauce: Combine all tzatziki ingredients in a small bowl then refrigerate (can be made 1-2 days ahead).
Mix chicken marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Marinate for at least 1-4 hours.
Grill Chicken: Heat grill to medium heat, then lift chicken from marinade, letting it drip for a few seconds before placing on hot grill. Cook on both sides for a few minutes, flipping once, until cooked through. Rest on a plate then chop into bite-size pieces.
Assemble: Toast or warm your pitas then add chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, and drizzle with homemade tzatziki sauce.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The tzatziki sauce and marinade can be mixed and stored in separate airtight containers for up to 2-3 days in advance. Chop the onion, cucumber, tomato and romaine a few hours in advance to make dinner go even quicker.
To Freeze: Place raw chicken (preferred method) in marinade in an airtight freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then cook according to recipe. Leftover cooked chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
More 30-Minute Meals:
- Salmon Tacos
- Cold Noodle Salad
- Mediterranean Meatball Bowls
- Pupusas
- Pasta Primavera
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Pimento Cheese BLT
- Mongolian Beef
Chicken Gyros
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts*
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, (or use regular)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, , or more, to taste
Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, , to taste
- 1 inch piece of an english cucumber, , peeled and finely diced
For Serving:
- 6 pitas, , or flatbreads
- 1 small romaine heart, , chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, , halved
- 1/2 of a red onion, , thinly sliced
- 1/2 of a English cucumber, , thinly sliced
- crumbled feta cheese, , optional
Instructions
- Tzatziki sauce: combine yogurt, garlic, dill, and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir in diced cucumber and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
- Chicken Marinade: Add chicken to a large bowl or ziplock bag. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Stir well to coat and marinate for 1-4 hours.
- Grill: Heat grill to medium and oil the grates. Remove chicken from marinade, letting any excess sauce drip off. Grill chicken for a few minutes on each side, flipping once, until cooked through. Remove to a plate to rest before chopping into bite-size pieces.
- Assemble Gyros: Toast or warm your pitas. Layer with a big scoop of chopped chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber and tzatziki.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe August 2017. Updated May 2020 and July 2024.
I followed the recipe exactly. Nothing about it was good 🙁
So excited to try this!! Question though… do you mind sharing which pita bread did you use specifically?
Honestly amazing! As a chef I completely love this recipe
We loved these! Easy to make, delicious, light and bright summer dinner! We added feta cheese to ours, I highly recommend that! We loved them so much we made another round after we ate up all the leftovers! Thank you!
Crowd pleaser except I toasted my spices a bit before adding to marinade and sautéed chicken breast strips then chopped for easier eating. Also found that if you roast the pita pockets a bit, they get a nice smoky flavor that enhances the chicken and tatziki sauce. Yummo.
So good!
I wish the total time for making this meal would have included the marinade time. So I thought, great this meal will only take 30 minutes total to make!
Then I saw the instructions on the marinade and sauces and that was frustrating.
Hoping this will all be just as good somehow without taking the 1-4 hours in the fridge for the marinade…
Yep! Loved it! Thanks for another family fave!
Easy. Very flavourful! The family loved!
Hi! These look amazing, I can’t wait to try!! Just a quick question, is the 402 Kcal just for one or for the six servings?
Per serving.
This recipe sounds so good! I’m interested in trying it because I don’t like regular cucumbers but I do like English cucumbers. I’m not sure what “1 small piece of English cucumber” means though. Would you be able to clarify?