These Greek Chicken Gyros have boldly flavored marinated chicken thighs wrapped in pita bread with tzatziki sauce, romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion. This Mediterranean favorite is easy to make at home!
Make the Best Greek Chicken Gyros at Home
I absolutely love Mediterranean flavors and these Greek chicken gyros are one of my favorite dinner recipes. I marinate the chicken in a boldly spiced yogurt marinade, then cook it till it’s juicy and tender. We serve it wrapped in warm Pita Bread with creamy Tzatziki Sauce and fresh, crisp veggies. It’s a meal I always look forward to!
I prefer baking the chicken for these gyros because it’s easy, hands-off and makes for minimal clean up. The secret is broiling the marinated thighs for a few minutes at the end for extra browning and flavor. I also tested cooking the chicken in a skillet on the stove, and found it was messier, more hands-on, and required two pans (they were a pain to clean!). An outdoor grill is not ideal for this recipe since the yogurt marinade can get messy.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs will give you much more flavorful, juicy chicken than chicken breasts.
- For the Marinade: You’ll need plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and pepper. If you prefer a dairy-free marinade without yogurt, use my Greek Chicken Marinade.
- Tzatziki Sauce: Buy it at the store or make my homemade recipe with plain Greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, fresh dill, olive oil, garlic and salt. Use English or Persian cucumbers because they have thinner, more tender skin and smaller, less bitter seeds. As an alternative you could serve these with Tahini Sauce, like I do my Chicken Shawarma.
- Pita or Flatbread: Try my easy Homemade Pita Bread Recipe or use store-bought.
- For Serving: We add thinly sliced romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onion and chopped tomato to our chicken gyros.
How to Make Chicken Gyros
Marinate the chicken: Combine the plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dried oregano, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs and coat with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. (If you are short on time, even a quick 30 minute marinade will flavor the chicken.)
Bake the chicken: Put the chicken thighs on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425° F for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Then turn on the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes for extra browning. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Make tzatziki sauce: Wrap the shredded cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Stir together the cucumber, plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, chopped dill, olive oil, minced garlic and salt.
Assemble gyros: Slice the chicken thighs into strips. To each pita or flatbread, add tzatziki sauce, sliced romaine, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, sliced red onion and chicken. Serve and enjoy!
More Mediterranean Recipes You’ll Love
I absolutely love the flavors in these Mediterranean recipes!
- Greek Salad: This would be perfect served alongside these chicken gyros.
- Mediterranean Baked Cod: A fresh, light baked fish with olives, tomato and lemon.
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki: Some of the most flavorful chicken I’ve ever tasted, it’s grilled on skewers and served with our favorite Mediterranean sides.
- Chicken Caprese Sheet Pan Dinner: A one pan meal the whole family will love.
- Salmon Patties: A favorite easy dinner, they’re golden and crispy on the edges and so good served with my yogurt dill sauce.
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Greek Chicken Gyros Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade & Chicken
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Tzatziki Sauce
- ⅔ cup (loosely packed) shredded English or Persian cucumber*
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
For Serving
- 6 pita breads or flatbreads
- 1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce
- 1 cup thinly sliced English or Persian cucumber
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
Marinate Chicken
- In a large zip-top bag (or mixing bowl), combine the plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dried oregano, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Squeeze the bag or whisk to mix.½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the chicken thighs and coat all of the chicken pieces with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. (If you are short on time, even a quick 30 minute marinade will flavor the chicken.)2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Make Tzatziki Sauce
- Wrap the shredded cucumber up in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out all excess moisture over a bowl or the sink. Place the cucumber in a medium bowl.⅔ cup (loosely packed) shredded English or Persian cucumber*
- Add the plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, chopped dill, olive oil, minced garlic and salt. Stir until well combined. Taste and add more salt, if needed, to your tastes. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 small clove garlic, ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Bake Chicken
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the chicken thighs in a single layer on the baking sheet. Discard the used marinade.
- Bake chicken in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the internal temperature registers at least 165° F on an instant read thermometer. (Chicken thighs cooked past 165° will still be tender and juicy.) Once the chicken is cooked through, turn on the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes for extra browning on the chicken. Remove from the oven and let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Assemble Gyros
- Slice the chicken thighs into strips. To each pita or flatbread, add tzatziki sauce, sliced romaine, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, sliced red onion and chicken. Serve and enjoy!6 pita breads or flatbreads, 1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce, 1 cup thinly sliced English or Persian cucumber, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
Notes
- You do not need to peel or seed the cucumber. Grate it using the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor using the shredding disc attachment.
- Alternative cooking methods: You can also grill the chicken or cook it on the stove in a tablespoon of olive oil a hot skillet over medium heat for 8-10 minutes per side, until cooked through.
