Greek Lemon Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki
The best thing about my Eating Around the World Adventure is the discovery of new foods I would never have ever tried, if I hadn't started this journey. Gyros, what can I say about this recipe, it is perfect. This flavour combination is just spectacular. The chicken teamed with the salad, topped with the tzatziki, wow, and then the homemade pita bread, it is just so good.
This Greek Lemon Chicken Gyros is a great recipe for entertaining. It is really fast to prepare, and you can make things in advance. If you can barbecue it, then you can cook all the chicken in one go and then you can just lay everything out on the table and everyone helps themselves.
This recipe is a combination of three recipes, the lemon chicken comes from an Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook, the Tzatziki from Helena & Vikki Mourselllas' cookbook, Taking you Home xx and the Salad comes from Recipe Tin Eats, a blogger I follow.
With the chicken I like to butterfly open the thick bits, so the chicken is the same thickness all the way across.
If pan frying the chicken, I preheat my oven to 180C, and as I work in batches I keep the cooked chicken warm in the oven whilst I fry off the rest. The first batch in the case I cook 1 minute less per side, so it continues to cook in the oven, not overcook, only the final batch I cook perfectly on the stove top.
The Pita Bread can be made in advance and reheated, if needed.
The Tzatziki keeps well for one week in the refrigerator. This Tzatziki recipe makes way more than you need, but we love it, so we love making extra for the next few days to snack on.
The Salad can be made a few hours in advance.
This Greek Lemon Chicken Gyros is a great recipe for entertaining. It is really fast to prepare, and you can make things in advance. If you can barbecue it, then you can cook all the chicken in one go and then you can just lay everything out on the table and everyone helps themselves.
This recipe is a combination of three recipes, the lemon chicken comes from an Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook, the Tzatziki from Helena & Vikki Mourselllas' cookbook, Taking you Home xx and the Salad comes from Recipe Tin Eats, a blogger I follow.
With the chicken I like to butterfly open the thick bits, so the chicken is the same thickness all the way across.
If pan frying the chicken, I preheat my oven to 180C, and as I work in batches I keep the cooked chicken warm in the oven whilst I fry off the rest. The first batch in the case I cook 1 minute less per side, so it continues to cook in the oven, not overcook, only the final batch I cook perfectly on the stove top.
The Pita Bread can be made in advance and reheated, if needed.
The Tzatziki keeps well for one week in the refrigerator. This Tzatziki recipe makes way more than you need, but we love it, so we love making extra for the next few days to snack on.
The Salad can be made a few hours in advance.
Recipe
Greek Lemon Chicken:
½ cup (125ml) olive oil
½ cup (125ml) lemon juice
1.5kg chicken thigh fillets
2 teaspons dried oregano
2 teaspoons coarse cooking salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 medium lemon, cut into wedges
Pita Bread:
500g self raising flour, plus extra, for dusting
500g Greek Yoghurt
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
½-1 tablespoon sea salt
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Tzatziki:
Makes 3 cups
3 cloves marinated garlic
2 small Lebanese cucumbers
1 tablespoon chopped dill, to taste
500g plain Greek Yoghurt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tomato and Cucumber Salad:
3 tomatoes , desseeded and diced
3 cucumbers , diced
1/2 red spanish onion , peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
½ cup (125ml) olive oil
½ cup (125ml) lemon juice
1.5kg chicken thigh fillets
2 teaspons dried oregano
2 teaspoons coarse cooking salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 medium lemon, cut into wedges
Pita Bread:
500g self raising flour, plus extra, for dusting
500g Greek Yoghurt
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
½-1 tablespoon sea salt
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Tzatziki:
Makes 3 cups
3 cloves marinated garlic
2 small Lebanese cucumbers
1 tablespoon chopped dill, to taste
500g plain Greek Yoghurt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tomato and Cucumber Salad:
3 tomatoes , desseeded and diced
3 cucumbers , diced
1/2 red spanish onion , peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
Make the tzatziki: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan forced, place the garlic on a tray and roast for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Grate the cucumber, squeeze out as much juice as you can.
Place the cucumber, dill, yoghurt, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mash the garlic cloves on your chopping board and add the bowl.
Mix the tzatziki to combine. Refrigerate to chill.
Grate the cucumber, squeeze out as much juice as you can.
Place the cucumber, dill, yoghurt, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mash the garlic cloves on your chopping board and add the bowl.
Mix the tzatziki to combine. Refrigerate to chill.
Make the Pita Bread: Place the flour, yoghurt, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Add a little water if the mixture seems too dry, or more flour if the mixture seems too wet.
Tip the dough onto a clean work surface and dust it with a little extra flour. Knead the dough for 1 minute then divide into 10 equal portions.
Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the pieces of dough into small circles (about 14cm diameter). Roll them out thin as they puff up when frying.
Place a frying pan over medium heat, spray the pan with the cooking spray, place the pita in the pan and spray the pita. Repeat this process for every pita bread. Cook each flatbread for a couple of minutes on each side or until lightly chargrilled, and serve hot.
Tip the dough onto a clean work surface and dust it with a little extra flour. Knead the dough for 1 minute then divide into 10 equal portions.
Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the pieces of dough into small circles (about 14cm diameter). Roll them out thin as they puff up when frying.
Place a frying pan over medium heat, spray the pan with the cooking spray, place the pita in the pan and spray the pita. Repeat this process for every pita bread. Cook each flatbread for a couple of minutes on each side or until lightly chargrilled, and serve hot.
Marinate the chicken: Blend or process oil and juice until thick and creamy.
Combine chicken, oregano, salt, pepper and half the lemon mixture in a snap lock bag, reserve the other half for basting while cooking. Mix it all together, let it marinade for 30 minutes.
Combine chicken, oregano, salt, pepper and half the lemon mixture in a snap lock bag, reserve the other half for basting while cooking. Mix it all together, let it marinade for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the salad: Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Cook the chicken: Cook skewers on heated oil grill plate (or frying pan), brushing frequently with remaining lemon mixture until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per side.
Assembling the gyros: If your chicken thighs are large, you may need to slice them.
Get a pita bread (preferably warmed) and place it on a plate.
Place some tomato and cucumber salad down the middle of the bread, then top with chicken and Tzatziki.
Roll the wrap up and eat or you can eat it with a fork and knife if you prefer no mess, but I say embrace the mess.
Get a pita bread (preferably warmed) and place it on a plate.
Place some tomato and cucumber salad down the middle of the bread, then top with chicken and Tzatziki.
Roll the wrap up and eat or you can eat it with a fork and knife if you prefer no mess, but I say embrace the mess.
Enjoy!
