I absolutely love Greece – and I love Greek food. If you want to check out my travels to Greece click here. If you want some other Greek food inspiration click here! Since I am unable to go to Greece (at the moment), I figure the next best thing is to bring Greece to my kitchen.
Hence today, my recipe for Chicken Gyros, Homemade Pita Bread and Tzatziki aims to bring you all the flavours of Greece without the cost of the ticket price. Don’t be scared! This chicken gyros recipe is super easy. Everything can easily be made in one bowl – and homemade is always worth it! However, if you’re pressed for time, you can always get store-bought pita and tzatziki instead.
CHICKEN GYROS, HOMEMADE PITA & TZATZIKI
fresh dough. chilled yogurt. garlic. herbs
Baked Chicken Gyros, Homemade Pita Bread & Tzatziki
Though nothing can beat the flavours of the grill or the gyro spit - this recipe definitely gives justice in imitating the same juicy flavours of cheap Greek street food. Don't be put off by making homemade pita bread - it is super easy and well worth the effort!
Ingredients
Pita Bread
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2/3 cups milk (warm)
- 1/3 cup water (warm)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- extra olive oil and dried oregano for cooking
Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Mixture)
- 1 small cucumber (diced)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (use 5% fat or at least 2%)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint and dill
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Chicken Gyros
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp plain greek yogurt I used full fat
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- Salt and pepper
- 2 boneless chicken breasts
Instructions
Pita Bread
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Combine the sugar, yeast, water and milk in a bowl. Set the bowl aside for 10 minutes, until the mixture starts to froth. In the same bowl, add the flour, salt and dried thyme, mix to combine just slightly with a spatula or spoon. Add the olive oil and begin to knead the dough with your hands - adding more oil if necessary. Knead for 5 minutes.
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Ensure the dough is well oiled, and cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let the dough rest for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
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Place a pan over medium heat. Add some olive oil, a dash of oregano and some salt. While the pan is heating begin to roll out the dough into about 5 inches in diameter and cook for 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately or keep wrapped in tin foil till ready to serve. This recipe will yield about 10 small pitas or 6 large ones.
Tzatziki
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Placed diced cucumbers in a large colander and sprinkle with salt. Combine to ensure salt is evenly distributed. Let the cucumber rest over a bowl or the sink for 20 minutes to drain out the water. One complete transfer cucumbers to a large bowl.
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Add the yogurt, olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bowl, and stir to blend. Cover and let the mixture rest for 1 hour or ideally overnight. The longer the tzatziki rests the more the flavor develops. Leftover tzatziki keeps well, chilled, for about 4 days.
Chicken Gyros
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In a large bowl place the chicken and all the ingredients, stir, cover and let rest in the fridge for one hour or overnight. From here you can either grill the chicken on a skillet or bake.
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If baking preheat the oven to 220C/400F and let the chicken bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. If the chicken breasts are thicker it will take longer to bake.
If grilling, heat a skillet, or non-stick pan, on medium high heat with oil or butter and grill the chicken for 8 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Slice the chicken into strips and serve with the pita bread, tzatziki, and feta cheese.
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I ABSOLUTELY LOVED HOW THIS TURNED OUT. IN FACT, THE PITA BREAD IS A STAPLE IN MY KITCHEN SINCE IT IS SO EASY TO MAKE. I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE MORE GREEK RECIPES, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE NEXT?Â
