Chicken Gyros

I think about a gyro, a lot. Not sure what it is about it, but I do. I think a little about gluttony, and then the power of the smell of the onion over powers that thought. Maybe it is the pita bread, the olives, the yogurt dipping sauce that is oh so divine, or maybe it is all of that wrapped up with a crispy french fry, but gosh darn it it is hard to shake off my mind some times.

That’s why we do this. Together. This is not your lamb gyro (still thinking about it), but it is something a little more accessible. It is a chicken gyro. Super easy, especially if you are making this with boneless and skinless chicken thighs (which I did not). I had to remove the skin and debone all the chicken in this particular recipe but it was well worth it.

There are a few components. There is sauce, there is salad, there is bread, and there is grilled chicken. When it all comes together it’s a thing of beauty and you might not ever miss that lamb gyro ever again.

This is a great weekend dish or when you are having friends or family around the grill, for sure.

Let’s get started.

For the chicken and marinade:

• 6-8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• generous pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• cracked black pepper, to taste
• Warm Pita bread

Ingredients for the salad:

• 1 roma tomato, seeds removed, quartered and chopped
• 1/2 seeded cucumber (or regular), chopped
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• salt to taste
• cracked black pepper to your liking
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, minced

Ingredients for the tzatziki, the dressing:

• 1/2 seedless cucumber, grated, and strained of liquid
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• pinch of salt
• pinch of black pepper

Start by doing all of the preparation. Make the dressing for your chicken by combining everything in the chicken ingredients into a mixing bowl and coat well. Cover and let this marinate for at least 3-5 hours (sigh).  Make the salad as well as the tzatziki and let that marinate. Cover and refrigerate.

When you are ready for chicken, you have choices. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, or grill (which I do) until cooked at temp. Golden and delicious, plus you get the smokiness from the charcoal. Let the chicken rest, then thinly slice, pouring any juices over the sliced chicken. While that is happening, heat your flatbread or pita.

Now you are ready to serve.

Warm flatbread, a generous slathering of tzatziki, chicken, and topped with the salad. Fold and roll, baby. Fold and roll. Hope you enjoy.

P.S. I’m around but my eyes have been trashed from cancer so it’s difficult to see the screen and focus. Love you ya’ll. Enjoy!