Greek Chicken Gyros

Takeout WHO??? Once you try these homemade Greek Chicken Gyros, you’ll never want to order Greek food from a restaurant again.

Chicken Gyros and we actually go way back. Although we are Bulgarian, our family and we lived on the Island of Crete for many years following our Dad’s Olympic career in water polo. While living there, we experienced true Greek home cooking. Our mom learned how to make authentic Greek dishes from the women in Greece, which inspired most of the Greek dishes we cook and share on our page.

Recently, we saw a video of our friend Maria using her vertical gyro spit and it immediately inspired us to dust ours off, which had been sitting in our basement. We are happy we did because we created the most homemade Greek Chicken Gyro recipe that transported us right back to our childhood and will transport you to those cobblestone streets surrounded by whitewashed buildings glistening under the Mediterranean sun as well!

What stands out

When we say this is the juiciest chicken that will ever grace your mouth, we mean it! Juicer than girl’s night gossip, these Greek Chicken Gyros are meticulously seasoned and roasted to perfection. The chicken is marinated in a combination of savory, tangy and herbaceous flavours, stacked on a spit and slow-roasted until the exterior develops a slight caramelized char while the inside remains tender and succulent. Serve this Greek Chicken Gyro on a warm pita with creamy tzatziki or on top of a salad or bowl – we promise you, you’ll never want to make chicken thighs any other way!

What is a Gyro?

A Greek Gyro, or “Gyro,” is a popular Greek dish made of seasoned meat (often beef, lamb, pork, or chicken) cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The meat is then thinly sliced and served wrapped in warm pita bread, with toppings such as tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce – a creamy yogurt and cucumber sauce. Sometimes, Gyros also include lettuce, french fries, or other veggies.

The word “Gyro” comes from the Greek word for “turn” or “rotate,” describing the method used to cook the meat. The meat is stacked in a cone shape on a vertical spit, where it slowly cooks and browns as it rotates. This method allows the meat to cook evenly while remaining juicy, resulting in the most tender and flavorful meat.

How to Prepare

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).

In a bowl mix chicken, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, lemon zest, and oregano. Marinate for at least one hour.

Thread marinated chicken thighs onto a Vertical Gyro Spit Plate rotating each one opposite from the last. Cover the top thigh with a small piece of foil to prevent burning.

If you don’t have a Vertical Gyro Oven Plate create your own spit by cutting an onion in half, placing it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil, and positioning two wooden skewers vertically into the onion.

Place the gyro plate in the oven and add water or stock to the base of the plate for the sauce.

Bake for 1-1.5 hours or until fully cooked.

Remove from oven, let it rest and then cut.

Kitchen tip

Enjoy a chicken gyro with sides like loaded Greek fries, pita with tzatziki, or on a Greek salad.

Swaps

Feel free to mix and match these variations to create your own twist on this Greek Chicken Gyros recipe! Don’t forget to let us know in the comments how it turns out!

1. Instead of chicken thighs, you can use other meats like lamb, pork, or even beef. You may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly based on the type of meat used.
2. Experiment with different marinade ingredients such as lemon juice, yogurt, vinegar, paprika, or cumin to add different flavors to the gyro.
3. Mix up the spice blend by adding or substituting spices such as paprika, cumin, coriander, or thyme.
4. Get creative with your gyro toppings and serve with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, feta cheese, or pickled vegetables.

Serve it with

• Our Greek Bowl
• Some Easiest Most Tzatziki
• Our tasty Greek Lemon Potatoes
• A beautiful Greek Salad Feta Board
• Traditional pita bread or in lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.

Questions

Can we use chicken breast for this recipe?

Yes, but the cooking time will be significantly shorter, and white meat tends to be drier. We always recommend using thighs.

What type of Gyro Plate do you use?

We love our mark Vertical Gyro Oven Plate! You can do it without this, but it makes it so much easier.

What can we use if i don’t have the gyro dish?

If you don’t have a mark Vertical Gyro Oven Plate, cut an onion in half, place it on a baking sheet lined with mark parchment (or foil) and position two wooden skewers vertically into the onion and voila, you made your own spit and don’t need to buy one!

What can we use instead of honey dijon mustard?

You can choose to omit it altogether or substitute it with regular Dijon mustard mixed with a hint of honey in the marinade.

Can we use yogurt to marinate our thighs?

Yes, you can add yogurt to the marinade and make it your own. However, most places in Greece do not use yogurt for Gyro.

What type of salt do you use?

We use mark Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is to taste so please always taste and adjust as you cook.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1.3kg total
• ⅛ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
• 6 cloves minced garlic, or 3 very large ones
• lemon zest, two lemons zested
• ½ tablespoon salt, you may need less if using regular table salt
• dry oregano, to taste
• 1 cup water, or stock (for the bottom of the pan)

Equipment

• Vertical Spit USA
• Vertical Spit Canada
• Redmond Real Salt
• Nakiri Knife
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cup

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).
2. In a bowl add the chicken, olive oil, honey Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, lemon zest, and oregano. Mix well. You can marinate for a minimum of one hour (even overnight for best results).
3. Once marinated, take the Vertical Gyro Spit Plate and thread the chicken thighs making sure to rotate each one opposite from the last.
4. Note: if you don’t have a Vertical Gyro Oven Plate cut an onion in half, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment (or foil) and position two wooden skewers vertically into the onion and voila, you made your own spit and don’t need to buy one!
5. Now, place the gyro in the oven and add 1 cup of water or stock to the base (which will create our sauce).
6. Tip: you can pierce a small piece of foil making sure to cover the top chicken thigh as it will start to burn first on the top as it bakes.
7. Bake for 75-90 minutes or until fully cooked. Mine took exactly 1.5 hours.
8. Take it out of the oven, let it rest and cut! You can enjoy this chicken gyro with loaded Greek fries, on pita with tzatziki, on a Greek Salad and so much more!

Kitchen notes

Protein Alternatives:

Instead of chicken thighs, you can use other meats like lamb, pork, or even beef. You may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly based on the type of meat used. Other Marinades: Experiment with different marinade ingredients such as lemon juice, yogurt, vinegar, paprika, or cumin to add different flavors to the gyro. Alternative Spice Blends: Mix up the spice blend by adding or substituting spices such as paprika, cumin, coriander, or thyme. Toppings: Get creative with your gyro toppings and serve with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, feta cheese, or pickled vegetables.