In a previous post you may have seen me mention us having this for dinner:
Well, today, we did it again:
Except this time I tweaked a few additional things with the recipe that made it more suited to our taste. It was so good. There was less acidity overall so you could really taste the spices in the chicken, and the tzatziki was creamier, crunchier and more garlicky, which I absolutely loved.
We were so eager to dig in that we didn’t even bother taking proper photos this time haha. Jacky and I both liked it better than the first time I made it, so to ensure I remember what I actually did, I’m writing this down.
This recipe is a mix between this one by Cooking Classy and this one by Modern Honey with my own changes based on what we had in the fridge. 100% would recommend and plan to make it again regularly.
This recipe makes about 4-5 gyros. For the greek yoghurt, I tried a 0% fat one the first time and a Fage 2% fat lactose free one the second time. I much, much prefer the consistency and richer flavour of the Fage 2% fat greek yoghurt for this dish.
For the chicken:
- 2 Large skinless, boneless chicken breasts – approx 2lbs
- 1/4 Cup greek yoghurt
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
For the gyros:
- Greek pita flat bread (we got these)
- Tomatoes, diced
- Cucumber, diced
- Red onion, finely diced
- Chopped parsley
- Chopped cilantro, romaine lettuce, feta cheese, olives (all optional)
For the tzatziki:
- 1/3 Large cucumber, julienned
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 Cup greek yoghurt
- 3 Cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 very large pinch freshly chopped parsley (don’t be shy. I prob put 2-3 Tbsp worth or something)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Step 1 – marinade the chicken.
> Dump everything ‘for the chicken’ except the chicken into a large ziploc bag, seal bag and massage marinade ingredients until it’s all mixed together. Taste a little to see if there’s enough seasoning – if not, add more salt & pepper to taste.
> If necessary, halve your chicken breast crosswise for greater uniformity of thickness throughout. I did this both times, which is why it looks like I have 4 pieces of chicken breast on the plate.
> Put your chicken breast into the ziploc bag of marinade, massage the marinade onto the chicken so it’s all covered
> Squeeze out the air from the ziploc bag, seal it then leave it to marinade in the fridge for 2-3hrs.
> After 2hrs-ish, you are ready to make everything else, so take the chicken out of the fridge and leave to continue marinading at room temperature (approx 30min) whilst you prep your tzatziki ingredients and heat up your grill.
Step 2 – prep the tzatziki and gyros ingredients.
> Julienne your cucumber and put it in a bowl
> Mix in your tsp of salt and set it aside, resting at room temperature approx 15-30min. The salt will draw out water from your cucumber.
> Dice your tomatoes (use whatever tomatoes you like – if you’re using roma, dice 1-2. If you’re using grape or cherry, dice more), cucumber and red onion, and chop your romaine or whatever else for serving. Set aside.
> Chop your parsley – set aside some for the tzatziki and leave the rest for serving.
Step 3 – cook your chicken.
> Brush your grill/skillet lightly with olive oil and preheat on medium heat
> Once hot, cook your chicken on the grill (pouring on any excess marinade) and cook, flipping as necessary, until the chicken is just cooked through or it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. If the chicken is spitting a lot, turn your heat down a little.
> Once chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, turn the heat up to high and let it char on both sides – this should be very quick and take no more than 1-2mins. Keep a close eye on your chicken at this point so that you don’t end up overcooking it.
> Remove from grill and cover with foil for 10min or whilst you make your tzatziki sauce.
Step 4 – make your tzatziki.
> Take your bowl of julienned cucumber and pour out the water, then squeeze your julienned cucumber dry using some paper towels – it’s okay if a little water is left, but try to squeeze out as much water as possible.
> Put it back in the bowl, then add the rest of the tzatziki ingredients and mix together well. I just used a spoon to mix it.
Step 5 – heat up your pita and assemble your wraps.
> We just heated ours up in the toaster oven according to instructions.
> Uncover your cooked chicken breast and slice into strips
> Put all your wrap ingredients in the middle of the table, assemble it however you want and enjoy! I like mine with heaps of tzatziki, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and parsley. And a few slices of chicken of course!
Muchos love,