Easy Greek Chicken Gyros

These Chicken Gyros are Greek marinated chicken stuffed in homemade naan and topped with fresh tzatziki sauce! So good!

Chicken gyro wrapped in foil on a wooden board.

Why You’ll Love This

I have found my new favorite chicken meal!!!!  This chicken gyros recipe is amazing!

You can make your own naan flatbread or use store-bought naan.

They are packed with a fresh flavor and are really easy to make!

They are a healthy meal to feed the family.

Some of our other favorite chicken recipes are Smoked Chicken Wings, Parmesan Chicken Tenders (no breadcrumbs), BBQ Chicken Thighs with Bite-Through Skin, and Orange Chicken Kabobs.

What goes in Gyros?

  • Marinated and grilled chicken
  • Tzatziki sauce
  • Thinly sliced lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions
  • Flatbread, pita bread, or pita wrap

Greek Chicken Marinade Ingredients

  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Oregano
  • Salt and black pepper

The marinade for this chicken gyro recipe is so flavorful.  I have been known to just marinate chicken with this recipe and serve it with a salad.

Greek marinated chicken on wooden skewers and stacked on a light plate.

How to Make Greek Chicken Gyros

We marinated and then skewered the chicken tenders for the grill. I prefer a chicken tender to a solid chicken breast.  

They tend to lend more marinated flavor and more char to the meat. You can also use chicken thighs. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

To marinate the chicken, I place them in a zip-top bag. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken and toss in the lemons.

Add the olive oil, garlic cloves, oregano, salt, and pepper. Turn the chicken to coat evenly, close the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

You can also marinate the chicken in a large bowl but be sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap.

To cook the chicken. Remove chicken from the marinade and grill over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side or until juices run clear.

Chicken gyro on a wooden board.

The tzatziki sauce is the key for me in this recipe.  So fresh and flavorful. Who loves tzatziki as much as I do? I will put it on everything!

What Goes in Tzatziki for Greek Gyros?

  • Plain yogurt, sour cream, and mayonnaise – You can use only Greek yogurt.
  • Hothouse cucumber – Or English cucumber.
  • Garlic, dried dill, fresh parsley
  • Fresh lemon juice and white wine vinegar
  • Salt to taste

Typically Greek tzatziki sauce is made with Greek yogurt or regular yogurt and cucumber. But I find the sour flavor to be too overpowering for my taste.

So I make it with added mayonnaise and sour cream, reducing the amount of yogurt. I recommend the full-fat versions, but you can certainly use low-fat products as well.

To make the homemade TZATZIKI SAUCE: In a food processor, grate cucumber (or box grater). Place grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or strong paper towel and squeeze excess moisture out.

Mix all sauce ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Serve over Gyros with tomatoes, onions, and lettuce.

Homemade naan flatbread on a red and white striped towel.

The first few times I made this recipe, I was too intimidated to make the naan flatbread recipe.  I just served it with store-bought warm pita bread.

But then I made naan from scratch, the way to go, in my opinion.

Chicken Gryos on a wooden board

If you have the time go ahead and brave the naan flatbread recipe.  It wasn’t that difficult and was a million times better than store-bought.

To Assemble

Place the grilled chicken on pitas or flatbreads, top with desired amount of diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and sliced red onions, drizzle the yogurt sauce over the top and serve.

You can wrap them in parchment paper or aluminum foil for easier handling.

Sides to Serve

We serve these alone because they are a complete meal. But if you like, serve them with a Greek Salad or a Greek Pasta Salad.

You can also serve it with homemade hummus or easy Mediterranean dip and pita chips.

Tips

  • If using large chicken breasts, butterfly them to make two thinner chicken pieces. You will achieve way more marinade flavor this way.
  • You can use store-bought tzatziki sauce instead of making homemade.
  • You can also cook the chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
  • I personally don’t recommend baking the chicken tenders in the oven. You won’t achieve the nice char or crispy brownness you would from the grill or a skillet. And you run the risk of drying the chicken out.

Variations

  • Use chicken thighs instead of chicken tenders or chicken breasts.
  • You can also use beef or lamb. Use a beef flank steak or skirt steak, and marinate it for a minimum of 1 hour. Grill until lightly charred, about 4 minutes on each side. Choose lamb sirloins, and grill for 6 to 10 minutes on each side, depending on how well done you like your lamb.
  • Top with some crumbled feta cheese.
  • Add some more toppings, such as diced cucumbers, roasted red peppers, and chopped kalamata olives.
  • Keep it low carb and serve the grilled chicken over a salad using the tzatziki sauce as the dressing.

FAQs

Can this be made ahead of time?

You can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours before grilling. You can also prepare the toppings and store each of them separately in the fridge.

Storing Leftovers

Place the grilled chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave. It’s best to assemble the gyros when you want to eat them. If stored already assembled, the naan bread with become soggy.

Freezing

You can let the grilled chicken cool completely, place it in a freezer safe airtight container, and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat.
You can also freeze the raw chicken in the marinade for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then cook the chicken according to the recipe.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

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Chicken Gryos - Greek marinated chicken, stuffed in homemade naan, topped with fresh tzatziki sauce! So good!

Easy Greek Chicken Gyros Recipe

Greek marinated chicken, stuffed in homemade naan, topped with fresh tzatziki sauce! So good!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 866kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

CHICKEN

  • 2 medium lemons cut into wedges
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 8 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 3 lbs. chicken breasts or tenders boneless, skinless

TZATZIKI SAUCE

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1 whole hothouse cucumber finely grated, squeeze off juice
  • 2 tsp. garlic 2 cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. dried dill or fresh
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar

Instructions

Chicken

  • Gently squeeze lemons into a large resealable plastic bag, leaving lemon wedges in the bag. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and shake. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2- 4 hours turning occasionally.
    2 medium lemons, 1/3 cup olive oil, 8 cloves garlic, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 3 lbs. chicken breasts
  • Remove chicken and grill at 400 degrees F for about 5 minutes on each side, until juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Tzatziki Sauce

  • In a food processor grate cucumber (or hand grate). Place grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze excess moisture out. Mix all sauce ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
    1 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayo, 1 whole hothouse cucumber, 2 tsp. garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. dried dill, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar

Assemble Gyros

  • Place a couple of chicken tenders on top of the flatbread, drizzle with the tzatziki sauce, and top with desired amounts of diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and sliced red onions.

Notes

The longer you marinate the chicken the juicier and tastier it will be.
You can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts that have been cut down into thinner pieces.
Make Ahead – Marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours before grilling. You can also prepare the toppings and store each of them separately in the fridge.
Storing and Freezing – Let the grilled chicken cool completely, place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can freeze the cooked chicken or raw chicken in the marinade. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 866kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 77g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 252mg | Sodium: 1706mg | Potassium: 1564mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 42.2mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 3mg

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42 Comments

  1. I’ve never made gyro’s at home and that definitely needs to change because I love them! Thanks for sharing with us at #FoodieFriDIY – hope to see you again this week!

  2. I love Gyros…I only ever get them when the fair comes to town…going to have to try this, looks easy with the chicken instead of lamb!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Hope to see you again tomorrow! Pinned!

  3. Screaming YUMMY! Love greek food. Thank you so much for linking up to Share With Me. I hope to see you again tomorrow for another great roundup! #sharewithme5 stars

  4. That is delicious my hubby would like this, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning and tweeting.

  5. I love a good chicken gyro, these sound amazing, I will have to try the homemade naan bread, yum! Thanks for sharing at What’d You Do This Weekend?!

  6. Definitely going to be making this! This is a favorite meal of mine! Looks wonderful! Thanks for linking up and sharing at Celebrate It!

  7. Homemade bread is always better than store bought! I’m definitely going to try this out, especially since I have a bread baking fascination lately. Thanks for sharing with us at he Friday Funday Blog Hop! <35 stars

  8. This looks amazing! I love gyros, but don’t make them at home. Now I can! 🙂
    Thanks for sharing your recipe, and I believe I will try that homemade naan too. It simply looks so much better than packaged pita bread.

  9. Oh wow, yum! These look delicious! Pinning and tweeting. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us this week for Brag About It!

  10. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a gyro. They look really easy to make! I’m going to have to try it for something new. 🙂 (visiting from the While I’m Waiting link-up)

  11. I learn to love gyros when we went on a holiday to Greece! This one looks so tasty and seem easy to make too! Thanks for sharing the recipe! #sharewithme

  12. Now it’s been a long time since I have eaten chicken gyros – back in the days when I used to live in Greece. I really fancy trying this to bring some of those wonderful memories back.

  13. These look great!! Thanks! I am going to try these and share them with my son-in-law who is doing a lot of cooking these days. (I will not likely make my own flatbread, however.

  14. I love gyros, we ate loads when we were in Greece in October. Yummy! I bet the flatbreads don’t even compare to shop bought pittas. Shop bought pittas are so dry and the flatbreads look so fluffy and delicious. Pinning this for next time I have people round for a Greek dinner. I can serve it all up on the table and people can help themselves.

    Sally @ Life Loving
    #TuesTalk

  15. YUM! I love chicken gyros! We make these a lot in the summer when we’re grilling everything!

  16. Definitely pinning this – love gyros and don’t have a good recipe to make them at home. So fresh and flavorful:) (visiting from #BragAboutIt)

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