Are you craving some traditional Greek street food? There’s nothing more classic than gyros! This Chicken Gyro Recipe will make you feel like you’re right at the Greek festival!

So how do you really pronounce Gyro? As a Greek, I often find myself correcting people on the proper pronunciation of this famous Greek dish. The proper way to say Gyro is “yee-ro” not gi-row or guy-row…it is YEE-RO!

In Greece a gyro is customarily made with pork or chicken and served on an oiled, lightly grilled piece of pita, rolled up with sliced tomatoes, chopped onions, lettuce, and french fries, topped with tzatziki sauce. (Side note, my mouth is watering thinking about having this last year in Crete, while dining in the port area in the city of Chania. Oh, but I digress….) At Greek Festivals, a gyro is usually made with meat cooked on a spit and is absolutely one of the most popular food choices. It’s typically a combination of beef and lamb seasoned with a variety of Greek spices, and sliced off as the Gyros are prepared to order.

Our Chicken Gyro Recipe has lots of flavor and is perfect for a casual dinner or backyard barbecue with family and friends. We hope you enjoy it and that it becomes a favorite for you and your family! Kali Orexi!

P.S. Remember…..yee-ro!

HOW TO MAKE OUR CHICKEN GYRO RECIPE

Prepare all ingredients for Chicken Gyro Marinade
Prepare Chicken Gyro Marinade by combining extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, Greek oregano, paprika, ground cumin, salt and pepper into a small mason jar and shaking vigorously. Set aside.
Cut chicken breast into small, evenly sized cubes.
Place cut up chicken breast in a zip lock bag and pour Chicken Gyro Marinade into bag. Coat all chicken pieces well with the marinade and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more.
Place 6 wooden skewers into water to soak.
Remove marinated chicken from refrigerator and thread 3-4 pieces of chicken on each skewer.
Grill chicken skewers for 10-12 minutes, or until done, turning once in between.
Brush pita bread with extra virgin olive oil and place on grill for 2-3 minutes, or until done, turning once in between and careful not to burn pita bread. Serve chicken and pita bread with our Tzatziki Sauce, sliced tomatoes, and sliced red onions.

HOW LONG SHOULD I ALLOW THE CHICKEN TO MARINATE?

As with any marinade, the longer the better, but a minimum of one hour is best to allow the flavors of the seasonings to develop. If you are able to plan ahead and marinate the chicken in the morning to serve later in the evening that is best.

WHY DO I NEED TO SOAK THE WOODEN SKEWERS?

Wooden skewers can burn easily over a hot grill. Soaking them in warm water for 10 to 30 minutes before threading will keep the skewers from cooking along with the food.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TYPE OF PITA BREAD TO BUY?

There are a variety of pita breads available in the supermarket that include white, whole wheat, and even gluten-free. Greek pita bread, typically used for gyros and souvlaki is pocketless and thicker. Of course, if you have the time, nothing is better than freshly made pita bread! In the coming weeks we will be making our own pita bread so be looking out for that!