Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki

My hubby and I have been eating at little Greek restaurants since we were first dating.  I would alternate between lamb and chicken gyros with extra tzatziki sauce.  I found this recipe over at Closet Cooking and just had to give it a try.  It was easy and very flavorful. My hubby walked in the door from work and said our home smelled like a Greek restaurant. That was quite a compliment!  The tzatziki can also be served as an appetizer dip with pita chips and fresh vegetables.


Chicken Gyros:
1 lb marinated, grilled chicken breast strips (see below)
1 batch tzatziki (see below)
6 pitas or flatbread
shredded romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced


Chicken Marinade:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 T Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 sprigs fresh oregano, removed from stem
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


Place rinsed chicken in a large zip lock bag.  In a medium bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients.  Pour marinade over chicken, zip up bag, and shake bag to coat all chicken.  Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.


Tzatziki: 
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, grated over colander
1 cup Greek yogurt (2 - 6 oz. serving cups)
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
2-3 T fresh dill, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)


Peel and remove seeds from cucumber, then grate over colander and let water drain.  Place grated cucumber in paper towels to squeeze out excess water.  Add to a medium bowl with remaining ingredients and whisk together.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to let flavors combine.


Grill chicken on indoor or outdoor grill until cooked through.  Slice into strips.  Assemble gyros by layering tzatziki, chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and more tzatziki on top.  Enjoy!