Cade’s Chicken Gyros

For Cade’s chicken gyros, the chicken is marinated in a tangy yogurt sauce loaded with garlic, lemon, fresh herbs and spices. Then it is baked and piled into soft pita bread and topped with veggies, feta and creamy tzatziki sauce!

Alright, so Cade has reentered the kitchen and I’m beyond thrilled because he knocked this one out of the park!! I cannot get enough of the juicy, succulent chicken and I’m just sure we can find more uses for it than just gyros. Scroll down to see some of my ideas.

How to Pronounce Gyros

Let’s start with how NOT to say “gyros”…basically don’t say it how it looks! It is not pronounced jai-rohs. Though I’m sure everyone would know what you were ordering if you did say it that way. The correct way to pronounce “gyros” is yee-rohs.

What is a Greek Gyro?

A gyro is sandwich typically made with either lamb, pork, beef or chicken (or some combination of the those) on pita bread topped with tomato, red onion, lettuce and tzatziki sauce. It’s eaten like a wrap. It makes a great lunch or dinner.

Ingredients for Chicken Gyros

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need for this gyro recipe. The measurements of each can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Chicken Thighs: You want them to be boneless and skinless and chicken breasts also work fine. Chicken thighs just tend to have more flavor.
• Plain Greek Yogurt: adds flavor to the marinade and helps tenderize the meat. It also makes the marinade thick so it sticks to the chicken when you bake it.
• Garlic: the purpose for garlic is always to add flavor and you’ll want a lot of it in this recipe!
• Olive Oil: adds richness to the marinade and also helps it not stick when baking
• White Wine Vinegar: adds tanginess and flavor
• Lemons: fresh is a must and you’ll want the juice and zest for maximum flavor
• Oregano: fresh is definitely preferred here, if you have to use dried then use 1 teaspoon
• Parsley: same story as the oregano
• Herbs de Provence: Italian seasoning also works too, and this is a dried herb blend
• Salt: adds flavor
• Smoked Paprika: adds a delicious smokiness to the chicken
• Black Pepper: adds flavor and a little heat
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: use as much or as little as you want for the heat on the chicken

For the Gyros:

• Small Campari Tomatoes: You could use type of tomato you want but I love the size and flavor of the campari tomatoes!
• Red Onion: slice them super thin, they add so much flavor and beautiful color to the gyros
• Parsley: adds a delicious pop of freshness to the finished gyro
• Pita Flatbreads: you can buy these at the groce

Tzatziki Recipe

This tzatziki recipe is made with creamy Greek yogurt, cucumber, tangy lemon juice and zest, garlic and bright pops of fresh herbs.

I went on a date my first summer home from college and the guy took me to a hole-in-the-wall Greek restaurant with the most delicious fried potatoes and tzatziki (pronounced Tsaht-ZEE-kee). It was perfectly crunchy, fried and indulgent with this light and refreshing sauce. I have been sold ever since!

I have said many times how much of a sauce/dip lover I am, and this one is my latest obsession. We use it on homemade gyros, of course, but I also love it as a dip for fresh veggies or pita bread. It’s also great as a spread on sandwiches or as a dressing for salad.

Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients

The ingredients are so simple, but the combination of them all makes such a refreshing and tasty sauce. Here is what you will need:

• Plain Greek Yogurt: you can use full fat, low fat or fat free, but the fat free doesn’t hold up quite as well and definitely stick with Greek yogurt
• Lemon Zest and Juice: you’ll definitely want fresh lemon juice for this recipe and you can’t beat the flavor you get from the zest
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: a good quality olive oil is recommended
• Garlic: grab a whole head of garlic and either press the clove or finely grate it so that texturally you don’t know it’s there but you still get that unmistakable flavor
• Cucumber: always use English cucumbers because they are less seedy and a little sweeter
  • PRO TIP: I tried grated and minced and I much prefer grated.
• Sea Salt: adds flavor
• Dill: fresh and chopped…I don’t recommend dried, just not the same
• Mint: fresh and finely chopped

How to Make This Tzatziki Recipe

1. Prepare the cucumber: grate it and then squeeze as much of the liquid out of it as possible using paper towels, cheesecloth or a thin dish towel
2. Prep the other ingredients: zest and juice the lemon, mince the herbs and garlic
3. Create the sauce: whisk all the ingredients together
4. Let is rest: cover the sauce and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour so all the flavor can meld together

Tips for Success

We have tried different combinations and tried to cut some corners here and there, but we have found that fresh ingredients are critical! Fresh lemon and fresh herbs!

Use English cucumbers instead of regular cucumbers. You don’t need to peel them and the seeds are so tiny that you don’t even notice them.

Squeeze the living daylights out of that cucumber! You want the fresh flavor of the cucumber but you don’t any of the liquid or it will cause your tzatziki sauce to be watery and separate.

After you’ve mixed everything together, let it rest in the refrigerator so all the flavors can combine. It really does make a huge difference! Y