Gyros with Greek Chicken and Homemade Greek Pita Flatbread

Published September 10, 2013. Updated December 14, 2023

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Chicken Gyros and pita flatbreads with tangy Tzatziki sauce are going to be your new favorite meal. These gyros are insanely delicious and can be filled with your favorite veggies and salad for a healthy weeknight dinner.

chicken Gryos with Tzatziki Sauce on a white plate

Homemade Chicken Gyros and Pita Recipe

Isn’t Greek food amazing? I’ve never been a huge fan until this past year. I live in the Midwest and have temporarily moved to the East coast and there is SO much more Mediterranean food here than where I’m from.

We had some delicious gyros last week at a restaurant, so it inspired me to create some at home. Yes, these pita gyros have a lot of steps and they can seem to have a lengthy prep, but if you do it all from scratch you’ll be glad you did.

Although, if you are looking to make it a little bit healthier you could simply omit the pita altogether and just make it into a salad (which is what I did the second day). Another option would be to serve it over lemon mint rice instead of pita.

Don’t get me wrong, the homemade pita is delicious, especially right when it comes off the hot skillet, but let’s be honest — we don’t often have a lot of time to make the entire meal from scratch.

A non-negotiable part of this recipe is the homemade tzatziki sauce. I make my own tzatziki sauce with Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, parsley, and dill. It’s so easy and takes only 5 minutes to make!

These homemade gyros are loaded with fresh and exciting flavors. Bland doesn’t exist in this wrap, which is one of my favorite things about it. This Greek wrap has the works, and it will leave you craving them time and time again.

Want to see how easy this gyros recipe is? Watch the video!

Chicken Gyros Ingredients

For the Greek chicken itself, you’ll need:

  • Chicken
  • Lemon
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Red Wine Vinegar
  • Red Onion
  • Garlic
  • Thyme
  • Oregano
  • Coriander

For the homemade tzatziki, you’ll need:

  • Cucumber
  • Salt
  • Greek yogurt
  • Garlic
  • Lemon juice
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Fresh parsley and dill
  • Black pepper

And to assemble the chicken gyros, you’ll need:

  • Pita bread (I’ve shared my homemade pita bread recipe below, but store-bought is fine!)
  • Diced tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, olives, feta, and so on for serving (all optional and to taste)

homemade Gyros with Greek Chicken & Tzatziki Sauce on a plate

How to Make Gyros

  • Whisk together Greek chicken marinade and pour into baggie. Place chicken in bag and let marinate 2 to 4 hours.
  • Grill chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through. Cut into strips.
  • While the chicken is marinating, make the tzatziki sauce. First toss the cucumbers with salt to help them release some juice, then add them to the food processor along with the other ingredients.
  • Pulse tzatziki sauce until smooth.
  • Assemble chicken gyro wraps with desired toppings and enjoy!

Can I Let the Chicken Marinate Overnight?

No, if you leave the chicken in the marinade for too long the acids in the vinegar and lemon juice will start breaking down the chicken. You’ll be left with tough chicken after it’s been cooked.

Can I Make Chicken Gyros with Chicken Thighs?

Yes, you can make these Greek gyros with chicken thighs instead of breasts. Just keep in mind that you may have to adjust the grill time for the chicken.

Tips for the Best Gyros

  • Use a really thick Greek yogurt for the best tzatziki consistency (I like Fage).
  • I like homemade pita fresh, but you can also freeze them for later.
  • You can easily prep the individual components of these pita gyros and store them separately so you can make gyros all week long!

More Greek Recipes You’ll Love:

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4.89 from 27 votes

Greek Chicken Gyros

The ultimate chicken gryo recipe! These are packed with flavor and all made from scratch. Dinner doesn't get better than this!
Servings: 6 people
Prep30 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Ready in: 3 hours

Ingredients

Greek Chicken

Tzatziki

For serving

  • 6 - 8 Greek Pita Flatbread , homemade or store-bought (recipe in separate recipe card below)
  • Diced Roma tomatoes , peeled and diced cucumbers, chopped Romaine lettuce, diced red onions, feta cheese, cilantro and Kalamata olives (olives optional)

Instructions

To make Greek chicken:

  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, chopped red onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, coriander and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  • Place chicken in a gallon ziploc bag, pour marinade over chicken, seal bag while pressing out excess air and transfer to refrigerator to marinate 2 - 4 hours. Remove chicken during the last 30 minutes of marinating to rest at room temperature before grilling (leave in marinade).
  • Brush grill grates lightly with oil and preheat grill over moderately high heat. Once hot, add chicken and grill until cooked through (internal temperature should register 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer), rotating once halfway through cooking.
  • Remove from grill transfer to plate and brush chicken lightly with olive oil then cover with foil and allow to rest 10 minutes. Dice into strips.

To make tzatziki:

  • Place diced cucumber in a mesh strainer or colander and sprinkle with salt, toss to evenly coat then allow to rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
  • Rinse cucumbers and place over several layers of paper towels. Squeeze some of the liquid from cucumbers (almost as if wringing moisture from a cloth). Place cucumbers in food processor and pulse to chop to desired size.
  • Add in Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, and dill and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Pulse to blend (or if you want it chunky you can simply stir the other ingredients in using a bowl and spoon so the cucumbers are chopped up more). Store in refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days.

To assemble gyros:

  • Layer chicken in a row along center of pita, top with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, red onion, feta, cilantro and tzatziki sauce. Wrap and serve.

Notes

*I just peeled the cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise, then used a spoon to scoop the seeds out and diced into chunks.
Nutrition Facts
Greek Chicken Gyros
Amount Per Serving
Calories 446 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 95mg32%
Sodium 378mg16%
Potassium 666mg19%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 39g78%
Vitamin C 5.2mg6%
Calcium 75mg8%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.
4.89 from 27 votes

Greek Pita Flatbread

Soft and delicious Greek Pita Flatbreads made from scratch. These flatbreads are perfect for making Greek Gyros.
Servings: 6 people
Prep25 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Ready in: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whisk together yeast, sugar and warm water until yeast has dissolved then let rest 5 minutes. Add in warm milk, olive oil, salt and 1 1/2 cups bread flour and fit mixer with whisk attachment and blend mixture until well combined.
  • Switch attachment to hook attachment, add in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and knead mixture on low speed until blended, then increase to medium-low and allow to knead about 5 minutes longer until smooth an elastic (dough should not stick to sides of the bowl, so add more flour if necessary).
  • Transfer dough to bowl lightly coated with oil, cover with a damp towel and allow to rest in a warm place until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
  • Press dough down and divide dough into 6 - 8 equal portions. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough out into a round (I made 6 large 8-inch pitas) on a lightly floured surface. Heat a large non-stick skillet slightly over medium heat.
  • Once hot, add flatbread and cook until bubbles begin to appear on surface and bottom is golden brown, then flip and cook opposite side until golden brown. Transfer to a large plate, cover with foil leaving a small opening for excess moisture to escape.
  • Repeat process with remaining flatbread. Store in an airtight container (best served day prepared. I'd rewarm mine wrapped in damp paper towels in the microwave).
Nutrition Facts
Greek Pita Flatbread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 280 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 2mg1%
Sodium 496mg22%
Potassium 102mg3%
Carbohydrates 48g16%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 35IU1%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

 

 

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158 Comments

  • DEE

    I tried this recipe today and I am on the fence about this one. I followed the recipe as written for the exception of using a white instead of a red onion. I have to say that on the grill the smell was amazing, but in the gyro the chicken was very bland; in fact I could barely taste it. The more I ate waiting for the symphony of flavors to hit my taste buds, I was left in the end disappointed and wondering if all the work and ingredients used were really worth both the money and the effort spent.

  • Cheryl Zell

    Followed this recipe exactly as it is. So so delicious. My husband is not one to really say much but he loved it and all of my kids did, too! So yummy!!

  • Laura W

    Amazing recipe, I make it weekly or biweekly as a meal with Greek potatoes, Greek salad, rice and warmed pita. 🤤

  • Paul

    Process the cucumber, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, then add remaining ingredients. MTC 🙂

  • Lee

    I’m really keen to make this recipe this weekend, but just have a question about the flatbreads. Will they puff and get a pocket – which is what I know as pita bread – or are they pocketless? I’m especially wanting the pocketless bread so I can make toasted pita bread “chips” with it as well, and I can’t find them in the shops at the moment.

  • Edithann schaffer

    I have made these recipes several times. Great flavors and always a a hit when I make it. I have shared it with others too.