Chicken Gyros Recipe
This chicken gyros recipe is one of our favorite weeknight dinners, bringing all the flavors of Mediterranean street food to our kitchen with a lot less work! Serve the chicken in pita bread, over rice, on top of salads, and so much more.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup yogurt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Cut your chicken (thighs or breasts) into thinner pieces if possible so they stack nicely on the skewers.1 ½ pounds boneless
- Whisk the marinade ingredients in a bowl.3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/3 cup yogurt, Juice of 1 lemon, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Coat the chicken well, cover, and refrigerate. Minimum 1 hour or ideally overnight.
Prepare the Spit / Stand
- If using the Amazon stand: choose the spike(s) you’ll use (it comes with 3 removable spikes: 8”, 10”, 12”).
- Assemble base and spikes so they’re stable. Make sure the spikes are securely attached.
- (Optional) Line the base or tray with foil, lightly oil it to make cleaning easier. The base is designed to catch drippings.
Stacking the Chicken
- Thread the chicken pieces onto the spike(s). Try to alternate orientation to distribute thickness – e.g. long side, then the other direction, etc.
- If you have onion halves or similar (optional), you can put one onion half at the bottom, then stack chicken, then onion or another vegetable at the top to help with moisture and browning. (Some shawarma recipes do this.)
Cook the Chicken
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Place the assembled spit with chicken in the oven, standing vertically in its roasting pan or base so drippings go into the tray below.
- After about 30 minutes, rotate the spit 90 degrees (if possible) so that the sides get even exposure to the heat. Baste (brush) the outer layers of chicken with drippings to keep them moist. Then continue to cook, rotating and basting every ~30 minutes until done.
Finish Cooking / Check Doneness
- Continue roasting another 30-60 minutes or until the outer layers are reasonably browned/charred, and the internal temperature at the thickest part (near the spike) reaches 165°F (74°C).
Rest & Slice
- Remove the chicken from oven, let the meat rest a few minutes.
- Slice/shave off the outer cooked layers (vertically from top downward).
Serve
- Serve in pita or flatbread, add tzatziki or garlic sauce, veggies (tomato, onion, lettuce), pickles etc. Use the drippings / pan juices to drizzle or mix in for extra flavor.
Notes
*If you don't have a spit, arrange the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 229IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
