Today, I’m sharing one of the best things I know how to make in the summer – a Grilled Chicken Gyro spread! It’s perfect for the Fourth of July – you can feed a lot of people with this, and it requires very little work! We’re grilling chicken in a Greek-inspired marinade, and filling our warm, grilled naan bread with lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, homemade tzatziki, and of course – the chicken! Summer cook-out perfection.
I don’t know about you, but I always get a little stumped with what to make when I need to feed a larger group of people. Actually, I sometimes get stumped on what to make for dinner when it’s just Grant + me.
Grilled Chicken Gyros to the rescue! They’re fast, require minimal work (prep or otherwise) and they’re SO tasty! Plus, how fun is a Make-Your-Own-Gyro bar??
Grilling your Chicken
First, let’s cover the grilling portion. We’re mixing together a simple marinade, and marinating the chicken for about 4 hours. Once the chicken is ready to go, heat your grill to medium high heat. Cook, monitoring the chicken and flipping it occasionally, until it’s no longer pink in the middle. Cut into any of the chicken breasts that are quite a bit smaller as soon as it they ready – if it’s no longer pink inside, remove from the grill so it doesn’t get over cooked. Continue cooking the rest of the chicken until it’s no longer pin in the middle. So simple!
Let the chicken rest for a bit before slicing it, so it doesn’t just shred. Slicing it on an angle, against the grain, helps keep the slices nice and neat, too!
Make the Tzatziki Sauce
This part requires a tinyyy bit of work but the result is a sauce SO delicious, you’ll never buy it from the store again.
First, slice your cucumber in half, and then cut each half in half, lengthwise. Scrape out the seed part from the middle with a spoon – this is important! It will keep the sauce from becoming too runny. Next, grate the cucumber and place it in a kitchen towel – squeeze out as much liquid as you can! Again, this is SUPER important to making sure your sauce has a nice, thick texture instead of being, well, a bowl of water basically.
Next, stir together the cucumber, greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and some spices. That’s it! So simple, and so so so worth the little bit of extra effort to make it at home.
Setting up a Build-Your-Own-Chicken-Gyro Spread
Now the really fun part! Get out whatever serving vessels you want – a tray, a metal pan, bowls, etc. – and fill them with all the toppings! We’re using lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, red onion, and naan bread!
Pro tip for your Naan Bread: If your grill has one of those top racks, heat the naan up there when the chicken is close to being done. Keep it covered with a kitchen towel, on a plate, until ready to eat – that way it will stay nice and toasty!
That’s all! A simple, delicious meal that’s perfect when you need to feed more people than usual. We used about 6 lbs of chicken (5 larger breasts) here, which yields about 8-10 servings.
I hope you have something fun planned for the Fourth of July – and I hope these Chicken Gyros make it onto your menu!
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Grilled Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 5-6 lbs chicken breast
- 12 medium cloves of garlic, minced I use a garlic press to quickly mince them
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 10 TBSP olive oil
- 2 TBSP dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 1 and 1/4 tsp salt
For the Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 large cucumber I like to use English Cucumbers, but you can use regular too
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 1 and 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 cups greek yogurt Use whole milk/full fat for the best results
- 3/4 tsp salt taste and add a pinch more, if desired
- 1/4 tsp pepper taste and add a pinch more, if desired
Toppings
- red onion, chopped
- feta cheese
- cucumbers, chopped
- tomatoes, diced
- fresh greens
- naan bread
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: (See recipe note if not grilling for oven directions.) Add the marinade ingredients to a gallon ziploc bag or tupperware container, and whisk to combine. Add the chicken breasts and stir/shake to combine. Marinate in the fridge for 4-5 hours.Â
- Make the Tzatziki sauce: First, slice your cucumber in half, and then cut each half in half, lengthwise. Scrape out the seed part from the middle with a spoon - this is important (see photos above)! It will keep the sauce from becoming too runny. Next, grate the cucumber and place it in a kitchen towel - squeeze out as much liquid as you can! Again, this is SUPER important to making sure your sauce has a nice, thick texture instead of being, well, a bowl of water.Add the cucumber to a medium bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. Taste, and add a bit more seasoning if desired.
- Grill the Chicken: Once the chicken has marinated, heat your grill to medium high. Cook chicken, flipping occasionally. If there are any pieces that are significantly smaller, cut into them first when they look done. If there's no pink in the middle, remove them from the grill so they don't dry out. Continue cooking the remaining chicken breasts. Our chicken breasts were medium-large and this took probably 20-30 minutes. It's better to go a tad lower on the heat because you'll get a juicier, more tender result. Cut into one of the bigger pieces - if it's done, that's a good indication that all the chicken is done.Â
- Toppings: Have someone work on chopping the toppings while someone keeps an eye on the grill. Fill bowls and trays and platters with the toppings to make a fun build-your-own-gyro spread. Toast the naan bread in the top rack of your grill (if you have one) when the chicken is closer to being done, so it stays warm. Place the naan on a platter and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm until ready toe at!
- Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Let people dish up their own gyros. This way everyone can have the parts they want and leave out any parts they don't. Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. Ditto for the tzatziki.Â
Notes
Nutrition
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