Baked Chicken Gyros

I studied abroad in Athens during college. Oh it was a real hardship – historical monuments, museums, bank holidays, island hopping – I’m surprised they managed to squeeze class in there!

At the time I was living with other students from my university in a small apartment building.  There was a small plaza down the street from us which had the world’s best bakery as well as a great Gyro shop. We ate there so often we began to measure prices in units of gyros – that bag costs 10 gyros! That hostel is only 6 gyros, what a steal!

I miss that place – it used to pile fresh French fries to top off an already perfect sandwich.  Seriously, if you’ve never had an authentic gyro, you don’t know what you’re missing. The meat is slowly roasted on a split, and thin slivers are cut off to order. No sitting around and getting tough for this meat. I honestly don’t even know what meat I was eating at the time; I just pointed to whichever spit had the least amount on it (on the theory that the locals had probably been eating it the most, so clearly it was awesome) and hoped for the best.

You’d be surprised how often this method works, just make sure not to think too hard about what you could be eating. That way leads to madness and possibly upset stomachs.

In any case, when I found this recipe I had to give it a try. It was a good choice. Chicken marinated in yogurt plus tzatziki and onion? Pretty delicious, but you’ll definitely want to make sure to brush your teeth after eating!

Baked Chicken Gyros

From A Bitchin Kitchen 

I ate these for lunch and dinner across a week with no problems. Luckily yogurt loves to be refrigerated and the chicken holds up well to reheating. Feel free to half the tzatziki recipe though – it makes a ton of extra! Personally I love the stuff so I don’t mind it sticking around (and slathering it on anything that isn’t running away from me), but not everyone may have my taste for it.

Ingredients

Chicken

1 very large chicken breast cut into quarters or 2 small chicken breasts halved

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Sandwich

4 pitas, warmed for 20 seconds in the microwave between damp paper towels

1/2 onion, diced

Lettuce

1/2 tomato, diced (I didn’t include because I couldn’t find one that looked good)

Tzatziki

16-ounces non-fat Greek Yogurt

1 cucumber, peeled, and finely diced

1/2 – 1 teaspoons minced garlic (1-2 cloves)

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice to taste

Equipment

Baking sheet, aluminum foil, paper towels, mixing bowls

Create the marinade: Add the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, and oregano together in mixing bowl and whisk together. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Make the tzatziki: Use copious amounts of paper towels to squeeze the diced cucumbers to remove as much water as possible. Repeat if necessary. In a medium bowl, combine cucumbers with garlic, Greek yogurt, white wine vinegar, and seasoning. Cover with a lid and place in fridge.

Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350. When chicken is done marinating, place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until cooked thoroughly and juices run clear. Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes after baking, then slice into thin strips.

Assemble the sandwich: Create your gyro by spreading tzatziki on pita and topping with chicken, tomatoes, onions, and other seasoning. Wrap sandwich in foil greater transportability and an easier job of keeping it together long enough for you to eat it.