Greek Chicken Gyros
Feature boneless chicken thighs in a traditional Greek gyro marinade which gets cooked to tender perfection using a vertical gyro spit.
Servings: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 8-12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 lemons juiced
- 7 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1.5 tbsp dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock for bottom of the pan
For the gyro toppings:
- 4 pita bread lightly toasted
- 1 batch tzatziki
- 2 roma tomatoes sliced
- 1/2 red onion sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of one hour (no longer than 8 hours).
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Once marinated, spray the vertical gyro spit with nonstick spray. Stack the chicken thighs on top of each other, rotating each one opposite from the last. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the base of the pan.
- Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 90 minutes or until fully cooked through.
- Remove from oven and spoon sauce from the bottom of the pan on top of the meat for extra flavor. Slice chicken into pieces right off the spit before serving.
- To assemble gyro, spread tzatziki generously over lightly toasted pita. Top with desired amount of sliced chicken, tomato and red onion. Fold in half like a taco and enjoy!
Notes
- Prevent Burning: place a piece of foil over the top of the gyro stack (like a hat) to prevent burning. I prefer a bit of the charred pieces but if you don’t, you’ll want to cover the top with foil.
- Stove Top or BBQ Cooking Method: heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat (or heat your grill) and grill the chicken on both sides for about 4 minutes per side (or until internal temp reaches 165 F).
- Oven Cooking Method: spray or oil a nonstick baking sheet and preheat oven to 400 F. Place chicken thighs on baking sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes.
- Make Your Own Vertical Gyro Spit: cut a large onion in half and place the flat side down on a baking sheet. Place two wooden skewers, standing upright, in the oven so it looks like a two-prong fork. Thread the chicken thighs vertically onto the skewers and now you have a makeshift gyro spit.
- Marinated and cooked greek chicken gyros will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.