Description
This Easy Chicken Gyros recipe features tender marinated chicken cooked to perfection, served in warm pita bread with fresh lettuce, a vibrant cucumber salad, crumbled feta cheese, and a creamy homemade tzatziki sauce. A flavorful and satisfying Mediterranean-inspired meal that’s quick to prepare and perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins, cut thick ones in half lengthwise
- ½ cup olive oil
- juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
Assembly
- white or whole wheat pita bread
- crumbled feta cheese
- green-leaf lettuce
- 5-Minute Tzatziki Sauce (prepared separately)
Cucumber Salad
- ½ cucumber, sliced or chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- pinch of fresh dill, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Marinade: Stir together all the marinade ingredients including olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cracked black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, minced garlic, garlic powder, and Herbs de Provence until well combined.
- Marinate Chicken: Add the chicken tenderloins to the marinade, toss to coat thoroughly, cover tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours for deeper flavor.
- Prepare Cucumber Salad: While chicken is marinating, combine sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and fresh dill if using. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
- Cook Chicken: Preheat a grill or skillet over medium heat. Use tongs to transfer the marinated chicken onto the hot cooking surface and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side until fully cooked through and browned.
- Assemble Gyros: Lay out pita bread and layer with green-leaf lettuce, cooked chicken, cucumber salad, crumbled feta cheese, and drizzle with 5-Minute Tzatziki Sauce.
- Serve: Fold the pita over like a sandwich or roll it up tightly. Serve immediately and enjoy this fresh, flavorful chicken gyro.
Notes
- Using fresh herbs: Replace dried Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning with 1 teaspoon each of finely chopped fresh thyme, oregano, and parsley for a vibrant fresh herb flavor.
- Cucumber choice: Use a regular cucumber or the remaining half of an English cucumber if you’re using the other half for homemade tzatziki sauce.
- Add peppers: For added sweetness and texture, sauté bell pepper slices and add them to the gyro filling.
- Marinating time: While 30 minutes is enough to infuse good flavor, marinating up to 2 hours will enhance the taste further.
- Cooking surface: You can cook chicken on a grill or a stovetop skillet depending on what’s available.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 gyro
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
