Greek Chicken Gyros

Greek Chicken Gyros . I went to Corfu, one of the many beautiful Greek islands and fell in love with the food. We had a Gyros almost every night (after already having dinner earlier in the night followed by lots drinks). They are the equivalent of the kebab in the U.K. However, the Greek Chicken Gyros were so much tastier than any kebab I’ve ever had in the UK.

Fresh, soft pitta bread is filled to the brim with souvlaki marinated meat (a choice from pork, chicken or lamb) cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, tzatziki and chips. Like all Greek food, the simplicity of the food is mirrored by extremely high quality ingredients. This recipe is my recreation of the Chicken Gyros I got in Greece. They don’t quite beat the ones I had in Corfu but were a pretty good match. The chicken marinade I came up with was my favourite part, with a garlicky, herby coating that crisps up to perfection under the grill. The chicken would be amazing cooked on a bbq too!

This has proved a popular recipe on my Instagram so I hope to see some recreations!

On a side note, if you are to visit Kassiopi in Corfu, our favourite Gyros finds were: Chill & Grill, Lekkas and the Hot Spot (the latter being open 24 hours and did a pancake version of the gyros which was amazing)

If you enjoyed my Greek Chicken Gyros, why not try out my other Chicken Recipes

RECIPE

SERVES 2

DIFFICULTY LEVEL ROOKIE

Ingredients

FOR THE PITTA

– I used a recipe from Paul Hollywoods

book “Bread”. Here is the recipe:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pitta_bread_97296

– Although it’s satisfying to make your own, shop bought pittas, flatbreads or wraps would work just as well.

FOR THE CHICKEN

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Good grind of salt and pepper
• Tablespoon each of oregano, chilli flakes, cumin and coriander
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Juice of half a lemon or about a tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Tablespoon of honey

FOR TZATZIKI

• About half a bowl of plain/Greek yogurt (I use total 3%)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Half a cucumber, seeds scraped out and flesh grated
• Tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)

FOR TOPPING

• Half a cucumber
• 2/3 tomatoes
• Half a red onion
• Cooked oven chips

METHOD

1. Heat grill to high. Bash the chicken breasts between a sheet of cling film with a rolling pin until they are the same thickness throughout and quite thin.
2. Mix together all the ingredients for the chicken in a dish large enough to fit the chicken in a single layer. Add the chicken and toss to coat. ( you can leave to marinate for up to about 8 hours at this point if you like)
3. Put the chicken under a medium grill for about 10 minutes until cooked through and starting to char. Turn half way through
4. Meanwhile, chop all the salad ingredients- tomato and cucumber can be cut into chunky pieces and the red onion finely sliced.
5. To make Tzatziki, put the grated cucumber in a bowl and grind over some salt. Leave for 5 minutes and then squeeze out the water from the cucumber. Add the yoghurt and garlic to the grated cucumbers (and the mint if using) and stir.
6. Serve by spreading some tzatziki on the pitta, arranging the salad on top and finishing with the chicken, chips and some more Tzatziki. Sprinkle over some oregano and serve! Enjoy your Greek Chicken Gyros

Here is one of the gyros we had in Corfu…

……And the amazing crepe from Hot Spot