3.06.2013

Chicken Gyros

Serves 3-4
recipe from here

Tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. plain yogurt (preferably not fat-free)
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
3-5 cloves garlic, crushed with a little salt and extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and a little pepper
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

For the tzatziki sauce: strain yogurt with cheesecloth or coffee filter over a bowl to remove as much liquid as possible (I put a coffee filter in a strainer, dumped the yogurt in, and let it sit for about 10 minutes).
Peel and seed the cucumber.  Shred the cucumber and the squeeze with a clean kitchen towel to remove as much excess moisture as possible.  This prevents the sauce from being runny.
Mix together strained yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Salt to taste.  Drizzle olive oil over top.  You can also add fresh dill or mint in the sauce; it is good with or without herbs.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving, though it is best if made the day before.

Chicken Gyros

Gyros:
1 1/4 lb. boneless chicken breast or thighs
4 cloves garlic, smashed
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
4 pocketless pitas


For the gyros: whisk together garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl.  Add the chicken and coat well.  Cover and marinate in the fridge for an hour.
Preheat the broiler (or grill).  Remove the chicken from the marinade; sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.  Broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side depending on the size and thickness of the meat.  Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.

Meanwhile, heat the pitas.  Top pita with chicken, tomatoes, and onions.  Roll and eat!

Yummy!  The only downside of this recipe is that I didn't double it.  I prepared both the tzatziki sauce and the marinade in the morning, so all I had to do at dinner time was cook the chicken and assemble the pitas.
So, if you're looking for something you can spend about 30 minutes on in the morning and forget about until 30 minutes before dinner, this might be a good call.  But learn from my error, and go ahead and double it.

3 comments:

  1. Expect don't double the yogurt sauce! It already makes a ton (at least in my experience-going to only make a half recipe of it next time). : )

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  2. I actually halved the recipe amounts you had given me and that's what I have listed ... I agree that it was a lot! But man oh man ... so delicious!

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  3. We're totally gonna try this...we love gyros but have never ventured away from just buying them at Mr. Originals :)

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