Chicken Gyros with a homemade tzatiki cucumber sauce is hands down our favorite family meal.  The best part is that it comes together in about 30 minutes.  Pieces of chicken are marinated in a lemon juice and olive oil marinade before being grilled.  Wrap the chicken gyros in pitas and serve with a delightfully fresh yogurt cucumber sauce for a light yet filling summer meal.

Just about a decade ago I spent a summer living and studying in Athens, Greece.  Just about every day for lunch I would stop at a little restaurant on my way home from campus and pick up a souvlakia.  Souvlakia looked like what Americans call “gyros” only instead of lamb it was almost always made with pork that was seasoned slowly roasted on a rotating skewer.  The slouvakia was served wrapped in a pita stuffed with meat, french fries and tzatiki and then sprinkled with paprika. It was divine.

These chicken gyros are technically my version of a cheater souvlakia.   Since I don’t own a large roasting skewer, I use a grill to cook the meat.  The spices aren’t exactly the same, but it the gyros are delicious in their own right. And the homemade tzatiki cucumber sauce is just amazing. I like dip french fries in it!

This recipe is for just over one pound of chicken, but we always triple it because we want leftovers!

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Yield: 2-3 gyros

Chicken Gyros with Tzatiki Cucumber Sauce

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Chicken is marinated in lemon juice and olive oil marinade before being grilled.  Wrap the chicken gyros in pitas and serve with a delightfully fresh yogurt-cucumber sauce for a light meal.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut in to 3" strips
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2" wedges
• 1/4 cup, olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 Tablespoon oregano
• 1 garlic clove, mashed in to a paste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tzatiki Sauce:
• 1 cup, whole fat Greek style yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, mashed in to a paste
• 1/2 European cucumber, seeded and very finely diced

Instructions

1. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and garlic in a bowl.
2. Add chicken and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Let stand for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine all ingredients for tzatiki sauce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
5. Cook chicken and onions on a grill over high heat, turning once or twice, until tender and cooked through.
6. Serve chicken with pitas and sauce.

Notes

Double or triple recipe as needed.