Grilled Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
A Grilled Chicken Gyro spread is perfect for summer – it feeds a crowd + 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 the grilled chicken!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 464kcal
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
NOTE: Nutrition info is only for the chicken with the marinade and the tzatziki sauce.
NOTE: This can be made in a grill pan on the stove, or baked in the oven if you don't have a grill/don't want to grill. For the oven, cut the chicken breast before marinating, into 2-inch chunks. Marinate as usual and cook on foil-lined baking sheets (don't crowd the pans) at 450 degrees F for 8-11 minutes. Cut into one of the bigger pieces to make sure the chicken is done.
NOTE: You can double or halve this recipe if you need to feed a larger or smaller crowd.
Nutrition
Calories: 464kcal