Chicken Gyros and Greek Salad

This recipe for chicken gyros has been making the rounds on my cooking board for weeks. Not only is it easy to make but the results are absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious.


I'm sure fresh pita would be even better but SP managed to find some really good pita at the supermarket, the pocketless kind like the recipe states. Mmmm. The tzatziki is addictive. I marinated the chicken overnight for added flavor and juiciness (and because if I marinated it when I got home we'd be eating at 10pm).

I served the gyros with Greek salad:


I mixed chopped romaine, feta, kalamata olives, chopped tomatoes, red onion and cucumbers together with red wine vinegar, oil, and oregano.

Chicken Gyros
Elly Says Opa!

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 batch of tzatziki
sliced tomatoes
sliced red onion
4 (pocketless) pitas

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the broiler (or grill, or pan on the stove). Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.

Meanwhile, heat your pitas. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, onions.

Tzatziki

1 32oz. container of plain Greek yogurt
1 hothouse cucumber or 2 regular cucumbers, seeded
3-5 cloves garlic–depending how garlicky you like it, crushed
1-2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
salt and a little pepper
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Peel and seed the cucumber. Shred the cucumbers and then squeeze in a towel to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible.

Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight, if possible, or at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.