Gyros are a common street food accessible at every Halal truck and many Greek restaurants.
It is a Greek recipe that is typically wrapped in pita filled with pork and topped with tzatziki sauce, cucumbers and tomatoes.
It became extremely popular in the 1970s and made its way to NYC and Chicago during that time.
Pork can be replaced with different kinds of meat including chicken, lamb or beef. It is usually spiced with oregano, cumin, thyme, rosemary or similar spices and marinated in greek yogurt to give the meat a burst of flavor.
After marinated, the meat is typically put on a rotisserie, but can also be made on the stove-top at home.
The tzatziki sauce and salad provides the gyro with a light and refreshing taste to complete the dish.
If you want to make this recipe for yourself, follow the steps below!
Recipe
- Place the Marinade ingredients in a bowl and massage to mix. Add the chicken and massage to cover all the chicken in the Marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours, ideally 12 hours and no longer than 24 hours.
Make the Tzatziki
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Coarsely grate, then wrap in paper towels and squeeze to remove excess liquid.
- Place cucumber in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients then mix to combine.
Make the Salad
- Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Cook Chicken
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan over medium high heat.
- Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through (cooking time depends on size of chicken).
Assemble Gyros
- Get a pita bread or flatbread (preferably warmed) and place it on a Top the pita with salad, chicken and Tzatziki.
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thigh fillets, boneless skinless
- 4-6 pita breads/flat breads
Chicken Marinade
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Tzatziki Sauce
- 2 cucumbers, grated
- 1-1/4 cups Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
Salad
- 3 cucumbers, diced
- 1/2 red onion
- 3 tomatoes, deseeded and diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
