Much to my dismay, I have never been to Greece. I really couldn’t tell you if this is something they eat there or not. All I know is that these are labeled as “greek” and I love them. Gyros are typically a “sandwich” made of meat roasted in a vertical spit. But hey, I make do with what I can. It’s hard to say which one I liked better… The beef was delicious and savory. The chicken was juicy and tender. And much to my surprise, my husband enjoyed these!
I made homemade pitas to go along with these… That was a lot of work. But these pitas were AMAZINGLY soft and delicious. They didn’t quit “crisp” up like I wanted. I tried a variety of methods to get them browned on the outside. Some worked, some different. I may have to go back to the drawing board on that one. Or maybe use my pizza stone next time!
The tzatziki sauce is delicious with crackers, in wraps, and as a general purpose sauce. Feel free to make some up for your next party. It is simple, easy, and delicious. When searching for a traditional tzatziki sauce recipe, I found some recipes call for oregano in the sauce. Upon more investigation, I guess traditional tzatziki sauce actually has dill, not oregano. You learn something new every day! I enjoyed the “coolness” of the dill much more versus the oregano. This recipe is the one I will be using from now on! I did add a little bit of lemon juice to give it a zing, it’s optional.
PrintGreek Chicken & Beef Gyros with Tzatziki
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Chicken Marinade
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Onion (or Beef) Marinade
- 1½ tablespoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ tablespoons sweet paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 1 1/2 lbs. beef stir fry meat
- Tzatziki Sauce
- ¼ lb. cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ oz. fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 lb. Greek yogurt
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all chicken marinade ingredients. Place in a ziplock bag and marinate overnight or for several hours.
- Combine all onion (or beef) marinade ingredients. Place one half in a ziploc bag and the other half in another ziploc bag. Marinate the onions in one bag, the beef in another overnight or for several hours. If you are not using beef, just make half the marinade.
- Once you are ready to cook the meat, the chicken breasts can be grilled, baked, or pan fried until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The beef can be browned in a large skillet with the onions.
- While the beef and/or chicken are cooking, make up the tzatziki sauce. Place the cucumber in a fine strainer, salt it abundantly and let it stand for 5 minutes. Squeeze all the excess water out of the cucumber.
- Add the garlic and olive oil to a food processor and blend until it forms a smooth paste.
- Place the cucumber, garlic paste, dill and yogurt in a big bowl along with some salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.
- To assemble the gyros, place some beef or chicken, marinated onions on top of a homemade or store bought pita. Top with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, and feta cheese if desired.
Notes
- For a great Homemade pita recipe, visit Annie’s Eats: http://www.annies-eats.com/2008/08/10/pita-bread/
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Next week I will be sharing a simply DELICIOUS recipe for a White Wine Margarita. I’m not a tequila girl, so I subbed white wine and spiced it up a bit! I also have a post about putting sweet corn up for the freezer, so stay tuned for that!
