Chicken Gyros
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So I have seen Greek places in the mall’s food court that sell gyros, but I’ve never had one before. When I saw this recipe for chicken gyros on My Kitchen Cafe using the soft wrap bread recipe I shared yesterday, I had to try it. So this is my first experience with a gyro. Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe adapted the recipe from Annie’s Eats who got it originally from Elly Says Opa!. This recipe has been around and it turned out tasty. I have to admit however, I’m not sure I’ll go to the effort of making the sauce again. I didn’t find all the additions to the sauce that much more flavorful.
Next time, I’ll just use the Greek yogurt or sour cream and mix in some garlic and maybe a dash of lemon. Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe cooked her meat on the stove top, chopped into bite sized pieces with fresh onion and tomato. I left my chicken in whole breasts and cooked it on my outdoor grill. Then once the chicken was cooked, I just cut it into strips. In addition, I cooked my red onion on the grill. I love what grilling does to vegetables.
Also along with today’s recipe for chicken gyros, I have a give away from Stonyfield for some free organic Greek yogurt.
They are the ones who make Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. They’ve been nice enough to give me coupons for free yogurt for my readers. I have 3 to give away. One of you will get a free 16 oz yogurt and two of you will get two 5.3 ounces containers of yogurt. Greek yogurt is much creamier than regular yogurt. They strain the whey (liquid) from it which makes it extra creamy. It’s also great for cooking because it’s less likely to curdle when heated.
Greek yogurt is also lower in lactose. Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt has 0% fat, just 80 calories per 5.3 oz.-serving, twice the protein of regular yogurt, and fewer carbohydrates. Also because it’s organic, Oikos is also better for the earth. Not a bad snack! It even comes in plain, vanilla, honey, blueberry, and strawberry. To enter to win the free yogurt leave a comment on today’s post about why you love yogurt and if you have ever tried Greek yogurt by Friday at Midnight Mountain Standard Time. I will announce the winner in my Saturday post.
Chicken Gyros
Real Mom Kitchen
Ingredients
For the tzatziki sauce:
- 16 oz. plain yogurt not fat free unless it is Oikos or another Greek-type yogurt
- ½ hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber peeled and seeded
- 2-3 cloves garlic pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Extra virgin olive oil
For the chicken:
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (I left them whole, cooked them on my outdoor grill, then cut the into strips)
Instructions
- To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible. (You won't believe how much liquid drains from the yogurt - it makes the yogurt much thicker and creamier. If you want to splurge on Greek yogurt, like Oikos, you won't need to strain it like this.)
- Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (Melanie sauteed them in a hot skillet, I cooked mine on the grill) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.
