Make Ahead Chicken Gyros

Make Ahead Chicken Gyros. Oh.my.word.  I really love gyros.  I always have.  When I was in elementary and middle school, my mom and I used to go to this little tiny, “hole in the wall”, straight from Greece, Gyro place. 

It was in the mall and way tucked behind nothing and in a dark hallway.  You only went there for the Gyros.  The couple that owned it spoke, and yelled, Greek and they were to funny.  I always got a traditional gyro and a piece of baklava. 

My mom usually ordered the same.  My mom and I have the adventurous taste of the family….usually the rest of the family was snarfing down a soft pretzel dipped in cheese goo.  Not my mom and I…..we are too sophisticated for that.

These Make Ahead Chicken Gyros were so so easy to make.  I marinated the meat and made the Tzatziki sauce the night before and let the flavors really really soak in. 

And, it really cut down on dinner time prep.  The only thing I had to do at dinner time was to cook the chicken (10 minutes) and slice the tomatoes and red onions.  So easy.

I got this recipe from The-Girl-Who-Ate-Everything.com.  This truly is a healthy recipe.

Chicken Gyros Ingredients (Source: adapted from Annie-Eats Tzatziki sauce)

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 ½  teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 ¼ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
To assemble: Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Directions:
Chop  the  cucumber and wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. I did overnight.

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. I let it set overnight

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions.

Serve immediately.

 

Liked the Make Ahead Chicken Gyros? Try the Make-Ahead Egg Bake

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