Of all the great meals that I had on my vacation in Greece a few years ago perhaps the most memorable one was the chicken gyros from a small shop in Plaka. The shop was so small that it was really just a window in the street where you ordered and then you got to eat while walking down the street. The gyro was easily the best that I have ever had! What stood out about the chicken gyros was that there was roasted red peppers layered in amongst the chicken.
Proper gyro meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie with layer upon layer of chicken and it would not be very feasible to make at home but you can certainly reproduce the flavours! In general a gyro consists of the rotisserie meat, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki all wrapped up in a pita. In place of the rotisserie style gyro meat I decided to go with some grilled chicken souvlaki . Souvlaki is basically grilled skewered meat (Who doesn’t love that?) that is marinated in a lemon, garlic and oregano marinade and it works really well in gyros! Making the chicken souvlaki is dead easy, you simply mix the marinade, marinate the chicken and grill! Whenever I make this I am taken back to that trip to Greece on the streets in Plaka with the gyros with chicken, tomatoes, onions, tzatziki and the roasted red peppers.
Update (July 30 2015): Since I was making grilled chicken souvlaki I took the opportunity to update the photos for this recipe!
The original photo from 2009:
Grilled Chicken Souvlaki
A tasty Mediterranean lemon, garlic and oregano skewered grilled chicken that’s perfect in pitas, salads or right off the stick.
ingredients
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced/grated
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
directions
- Marinate the chicken in the mixture of the remaining ingredients in the fridge for 30 minutes to overnight.
- Skewer the chicken and grill it over medium-high heat, about 2-4 minutes per side.
Chicken Souvlaki Gyro
Pitas stuffed with tasty grilled chicken souvlaki, tomatoes, onions, creamy tzatziki, feta and roasted red peppers.
ingredients
- 2 pitas, cut in half with pockets opened
- 1 pound chicken souvlaki, warm
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup tzatziki sauce
- 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
- 2 roasted red peppers, sliced (optional)
directions
- Assemble the gyros and enjoy.
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As you saw when in Greece, the chicken souvlaki and gyro are almost always present and on offer beside the pork versions. Love them both!
Humm, yes I remember the gyros from greece gorgeous! I also had some in Germany as there is an important immigrant population that can cook them superbly (and sell them). i'd noticed that you'd been to Santorini as well, amazing place!
You gyro looks awesome! This post totally put me in the mood for some Greek food today
Chicken is my favourite. Never tired of eating it.
I'm planning to make a lamb gyro tonight. I make lamb patties, grill them, and then slice them in the bias as thinly as gyro meat to replicate the real thing. It's delish!
That is one of my favorite dishes! when I was in Greece I ate that every 2 days… Delicious looking!
Cheers,
Rosa
I love me some gyros! These look so beautiful!
Are you under a Peter spell or a Greek spell????Looks good either way!!!
Great gyro! the roasted red pepper must really elevate this to a glorious meal-on-the-go!
I love gyros. I may make this with some chicken thighs I need to use up. Thanks!
Greek flavors are definitely some of the best. Good replication!
Lovely, lovely summer food!
I love gyros!
Love it. Souvlaki is one of my all time favorite things.
I've been cooking chicken souvlaki and other diet food a lot the past weeks as I am eating light, only I don't find the time to post them. I've been making mine in the sauteing pan just as you describe them with peppers and onions and other times with mushrooms and they come out really good. Yours looks very tempting.
Oh Kevin – that is my kind of Gyro. Love the extra sauce and the perfectly cooked chicken. MMMMM.
Man oh man that looks mouthwatering!
You know I just love everything you make. Yummy!
It's always difficult to re-create recipes from vacations in faraway places. However, it looks as though you have done an awesome job of coming up with a delicious recipe!
The gyro looks too good to be true. It's the tzatzki and roasted peppers combo. Great dishes.
i can tell just by looking at that meat that it's delicious. gyros are a favorite, but souvlaki's good too. heck, all greek food is magnificent.
Yummy~ This looks sooo moist and delicious! Perfect for a summer evening! Great photos as always!
Love souvlakis! your assembled end product looks fantastic.
Now I've got a craving for Greek food. It's actually been a while since I've last had a gyro. i think think this may have been a sign.
These look delicious – gyros were my favorite meal in Greece; my study abroad group practically lived on them. π
Beautiful. I can't wait to make these!
That chicken souvlaki looks amazing!! Your pictures and presentation always looks so beautiful!!
I am drooling over this recipe π
The wonderful part of your recipe is that you can prevent them from being cooked dry. I really like this recipe. Thanks, Kevin.
Looks fantastic, i need to take a trip π
Okay, that tzatziki is making me drool–seriously!
This is one of my favorite Greek meals! I definitely need to try your recipe and make it at home.
kevin – looks fabulous!
Oh Kevin, be still my heart! These look so very good!
I would love to go to Greece, just for the food! You did a great job with your re-creation, it looks delicious!
I always loved how in Greece they come with a few fries tucked in.
Simply delicious souvlaki!I like the gyros as well. Yum!
Oh, it looks perfect, I've been craving Greek food lately!
I love gyros! Haven't tried one with roasted bell peppers before,thouh This looks amazing.
These look delicious! I love a good gyro! Greece is on my list to visit next time I can actually get away on vacation. ;p
Just a big ol' YUM!
hmmmm…..Surely i am going to cook it.
Mmmm Yum – Kevin that looks delish!
I love gyros and yours looks good.
You know that souvlaki is my favourite Kevin:D
This is may favorite pita sandwich!!! I don't eat traditional gyros often b/c they are really heavy and I'm trying to cut back on the heavy foods (especially in the summer!), but I LOVE marinated chicken souvlaki on a pita w/ all the yummy stuff, especially tzatziki!!! Great job and thanks for making me drool at 9:30 in the morning!!!!
YUM!!
now, this is nice and delicious!
YUM!!! Those look GREAT!
Chicken souvlaki with tzatziki is one of my favourite summer dishes and brings back memories of my trip to Greece years (and years and years) ago. I think they taste better in Greece, but that might just be the sunshine and views.
Excellent! That sounds mouthwatering… I absolutely love Gyros! You did an awesome job!
I made the chicken kebabs tonight (only change was to up the amount of yogurt) and oh my was this yummy! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hey Kevin
Is the oregano in this recipe dried or fresh?
Amanda: I used dried oregano.
Hey Kevin
These were wonderful, even hubby loved them and he's a finicky chicken eater! I'll blog about them soon π thanks!
Made the chicken souvlaki yesterday for a party and it was a huge hit. Fantastic flavors! Thanks!
Just fabulous!
Just fabulous!
I made the salad version of this and it was soooo good. Will make again.
Niki
Santa Cruz
Kevin, I don't have a grill. Do you have any suggestions for cooking the chicken with a different method?
Anonymous: A grill pan will work, otherwise broiling would be your best option. Enjoy!
Made this a few weeks ago as kabobs on the grill – they were fantastic!
Let's just say YUM!!!!
Perfect for summer, and perfectly grilled!!!
I love the new pictures! This looks fantastic and like something I can easily do. Thank you so much, Kevin! I will look to see if you posted the creamy Tzatziki recipe. If not, please share it! Hugs
Sue Stevenson: Here is the tzatziki recipe: https://www.closetcooking.com/2007/05/tzatziki-sauce.html
I question all the people saying that looks mouthwatering. To me it looks burned. Black meat is burned. Good recipe though, if you cook it just a bit less.
I'm so glad i came across this recipe! Just by looking at it, i could already tell that it's delicious and rich in flavor. Although this is the first tie I've heard about souvlaki and gyros. I have always been a chicken lover and this dish makes me love it even more! I love the mix of the ingredients that you used and the procedures are easy to follow. I also stumbled upon an article at http://goo.gl/4eg9y2 which i was able to refer to for the dishes that i will prepare for my friend's birthday next week. This dish would be the highlight of the night.Thanks for sharing this recipe! I hope to read more from you soon. Thumbs up!
Greetings from Souvlaki/Gyro land:) Your recipe is a very close to the real gyro which uses the vertical rotisserie, like you correctly mentioned.
That small shop in Plakadoes have the best gyro & souvlaki in town. When, I rarely though, go to central Athens, I always make it a point to go to that small shop to have chicken gyro or souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce.
Thaks for sharing this easy way to make it at home!