Today we are going to Greece to tell you how to prepare some delicious gyros, a very popular dish that consists of marinated and sautéed meat, accompanied by a yogurt sauce and various vegetables, all wrapped in a flat pita bread. Below, the step-by-step recipe.
Like many other dishes, gyros have also evolved from their most traditional recipe to become the star of Greek street food. The meat used to make gyros can be chicken or lamb, which is roasted on vertical grills. However, since we do not have this option at home, the ideal is to use strips of the meat you like the most and sauté it in a pan.
Both the pita bread and the tzatziki sauce, we can easily find and buy in their commercial version, which will greatly simplify the work for us. However, the traditional bread for gyros is not easy to find in an ordinary supermarket. If this is your case, we will tell you how to make pita bread at home easily, because no oven is needed and I assure you that the difference will be notable.
Following our step-by-step recipe, you will get simple chicken gyros, with homemade bread and tzatziki sauce, perfect for a different and very original weekend dinner.
Recipe Information
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes (plus 8 hours for marinating the meat)
- Servings: 3 units
- Category: main dish
- Cuisine type: Greek
- Calories per serving (kcal): 930
Ingredients Table
Ingredients for the gyros
For the marinated meat:
- 400 g chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 sprig fresh cilantro
- 1 pinch of salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
For the tzatziki sauce:
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 pinch of salt
- 300 g Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the pita breads:
- 200 g all-purpose wheat flour or low-strength flour
- 50 g Greek yogurt
- 20 ml olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 10 g sugar
- 40 ml warm water
- 2 g dry yeast (or 6 g fresh yeast)
- Mild olive oil to grease the pan
To assemble the gyros:
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- A few sprigs of cilantro
- 30 ml mild olive oil
- The marinated meat
- 3 pita breads
- 3 lettuce leaves
- 200 g feta cheese
- Olives to taste for serving
Step-by-Step Guide:
- For the marinated meat, cut the meat into strips and put them in a bowl
- Add the marinade ingredients, mix well and let it marinate in the fridge for 8 hours
- For the tzatziki, grate the cucumber, add salt and let it drain for 15 minutes
- Mix the drained cucumber with the yogurt, chopped garlic and pepper and set aside in the fridge
- For the pita bread, mix the flour with the yogurt, oil, salt, sugar and yeast mixed with the water
- Knead well until you have a soft and elastic dough, cover and let it rise for about 2 hours
- Divide the dough into 3 parts and stretch it
- Heat and grease a pan, cook each bread for 2-3 minutes on each side
- Remove it and wrap it in a cloth and, if not using immediately, in an airtight bag
- To assemble the gyros, cut the tomatoes, onion and cilantro
- Sauté the marinated chicken
- Prepare all the assembly ingredients: the bread, lettuce, cheese, chicken, sauce and vegetables
- Place a lettuce leaf on each bread, the chicken, the vegetables and finally the sauce
- Close them, folding them a little at the base and sides
- Wrap them in paper and tie them so they do not open
- Add more sauce and serve immediately with some olives
Video Guide 🎥
Nutritional Facts – Chicken Gyros (per 1 serving)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 346 kcal |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 69 mg |
| Sodium | 544 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Protein | 36 g |
Note: These values are estimates based on a standard recipe (from Diabetic Gourmet Magazine) using boneless, skinless chicken breast, low-fat yogurt, whole-wheat pita, and vegetables. Actual nutrition will vary depending on the cut of chicken (e.g., using thigh meat will increase fat and calories), the type of pita (e.g., white vs. whole wheat), the amount and ingredients in the tzatziki (e.g., full-fat vs. low-fat yogurt), and added toppings or sides. Other sources report values ranging from approximately 350 calories to over 600 calories per serving
Conclusion
We fill and fold each of the breads in the same way. We add a little more sauce, cilantro and serve them immediately before they cool, accompanied with some olives to taste.