Learn how to make delicious chicken gyros at home! Our chicken gyros is juicy and tender, rolled in homemade Greek pita bread, with yogurt mustard sauce, marinated tomato, and many aromatics.
*This recipe is updated from the original published in December 2020. It has new photos, updated ingredients, new method and instructions.
If you’re a fan of our delicious Chicken Gyros, you’re in for a treat with our Pork Gyro, Greek Souvlaki With Pita, and Gyro Bowl!
Why this recipe sings
Here is what you need
For the meat
- Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless.
For the marinade
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic cloves
- Honey
- Fresh lemon juice
- Fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary & sage
- Dried oregano
- Dried mustard
- Sweet paprika
- Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and chili flakes
For the yogurt mustard sauce
- Greek yogurt
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Garlic clove
- Lemon juice
- Wine vinegar
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
For the marinated tomatoes
- Red onion finely diced
- A large ripe tomato.
- Red bell pepper finely diced
- Fresh basil leaves minced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt to taste
For serving
- Greek Pita bread— in the US, it is also called flatbread. I usually make my own. Quality pita bread, ideal for souvlaki, can be found at good grocers. Naan bread works wonderfully for this recipe. Pita pockets and a large tortilla are fine.
How to make chicken gyros at home
Marinate
In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients well.
Cut the chicken into halves lengthwise and transfer to the bowl.
Make sure the chicken is completely coated. Allow it to marinate for at least an hour or overnight.
Make the tomato filling
Dice tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Mince the garlic. Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Add one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon of olive oil. Add some fresh herb leaves and a generous pinch of dried oregano. Season with sea salt to taste. Allow the tomato filling to sit while you cook the chicken.
Make the yogurt mustard sauce
In a bowl, add the yogurt, mustard, olive oil, lemon, vinegar, honey, sea salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix all the ingredients with a wire whisk until smooth. Check the sea salt and pepper and add more if necessary. Taste and adjust the acidity with extra lemon or vinegar. You can use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator, tightly covered in a glass container.
Thread the chicken into skewers
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F.
Roll the chicken fillets and thread them onto the skewers. They should be tightly placed together.
Cook the chicken
Place the skewers in a roasting pan, pouring the rest of the marinade over them. Add two tablespoons of water to the pan.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Halfway through baking, flip the skewers.
Cut the gyro
Place the skewers on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, slice the meat lengthwise onto the skewer as thin as possible.
Toast the pita
You can warm up the pita bread for a minute or two over medium heat using a frying pan. Brush each pita with olive oil on both sides and toast for 2-3 minutes.
Toast in the oven. Place two racks in the oven, one in the middle and another right under it. Place a baking sheet in the lower rack to catch any drippings. Brush a little olive oil on both sides of the pita bread. Place it directly on the first rack. Warm the pitas until they start to brown but are still soft, 1-2 minutes. Don’t overcook it!
Assemble
- Place a pita bread on a piece of parchment paper ⅓ larger than the pita.
- Spread one tablespoon of the yogurt sauce all over the pita.
- Add some chicken gyro right in the middle.
- Add some tomato filling and drizzle more yogurt mustard sauce.
- Fold the souvlaki to create a sandwich. Wrap it in the parchment paper. Fold the extra paper nicely under the souvlaki to secure it. Enjoy!
Additional cooking methods for souvlaki at home
Using a cast-iron grill pan: Place the pan over high heat and wait for it to get hot. Add a little olive oil, and cook the chicken skewers one at a time. Cook on all sides, but don’t flip the chicken too much. Don’t move the chicken often, allowing each side to develop some char.
*A regular cast iron pan will work just as well
Cook on a charcoal grill. If you are fortunate to own one, this is the method you should use to produce the best results. The same rules apply here. Grill the chicken until it has nice charred edges and is still tender and juicy inside. There should be no pink in the middle at all.
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Chicken Gyros With Pita
Ingredients
for the marinade
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2-3 garlic cloves sliced
- 2-3 fresh herb leaves rosemary, thyme or sage
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
the meat
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs skinless & boneless
For serving
- 4 Greek pita bread
For the tomato filling
- ½ red onion diced
- 1 large ripe tomato diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- sea salt to taste
For the yogurt mustard sauce
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients well in a large bowl.
- Cut the chicken into halves lengthwise and transfer to the bowl. Make sure the chicken is completely coated. Allow it to marinate for at least an hour or overnight.
Make the tomato filling
- Dice tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. Mince the garlic. Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Add one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon of olive oil. Add some fresh herb leaves and a generous pinch of dried oregano. Season with sea salt to taste. Allow the tomato filling to sit while you cook the chicken.
Make the yogurt mustard sauce
- In a bowl, add the yogurt, mustard, olive oil, lemon, vinegar, honey, sea salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix all the ingredients with a wire whisk until smooth. Check the sea salt and pepper and add more if necessary. Taste and adjust the acidity with extra lemon or vinegar. You can use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator, tightly covered in a glass container.
Thread the chicken into skewers
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F. Roll the chicken fillets and thread them onto the skewers. They should be tightly placed together.
Cook the chicken
- Place the skewers in a roasting pan, pouring the rest of the marinade over them. Add two tablespoons of water to the pan. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Halfway through baking, flip the skewers.
Cut the gyro
- Place the skewers on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, slice the meat lengthwise onto the skewer as thin as possible.
Toast the pita
- You can warm up the pita bread for a minute or two over medium heat using a frying pan. Brush each pita with olive oil on both sides and toast for 2-3 minutes.Toast in the oven. Place two racks in the oven, one in the middle and another right under it. Place a baking sheet in the lower rack to catch any drippings. Brush a little olive oil on both sides of the pita bread. Place it directly on the first rack. Warm the pitas until they start to brown but are still soft, 1-2 minutes. Don’t overcook it!
Assemble the souvlaki
- Place a pita bread on a piece of parchment paper ⅓ larger than the pita. Spread one tablespoon of the yogurt sauce all over the pita. Add some chicken gyro right in the middle. Add some tomato filling and drizzle more yogurt mustard sauce. Fold the souvlaki to create a sandwich. Wrap it in the parchment paper. Fold the extra paper nicely under the souvlaki to secure it. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are running out of time and can’t make the yogurt sauce, mix 1/3 cup of mayonnaise with 1/3 cup of Dijon mustard. It’s an excellent substitute for the sauce.
- The same goes for the tomato mix. Cut tomatoes into wedges and slice some onions, and you are good to go.
- You can use chicken breasts. Cut the chicken breasts into long strips about ½ of an inch thick and marinate for at least an hour in the fridge.
Nutrition
My son just ordered a Chicken Souvlaki Gyro from a local restaurant a few days ago, and absolutely loved it. I’m so thrilled to find this recipe (perfect timing!) to be able to make the dish for him at home, too! Thanks for the clear instructions and helpful tips!
Thank you, Shelley! Hope you will enjoy making it at home. x Jenny
We’ve loved Greek food for a long time and after touring Greece and enjoying the local delicacies, we were completely addicted. This recipe reminded us of that trip. Thank you!
I love the way these wraps are presented. Something I’d pick when having a long walk and enjoy it slowly. It looks so yummy
This souvlaki is really good. Hope you will enjoy it. Thanks so much!
OMG this is my kind of recipe. Easy to make, and I can just imagine how delicious it is to eat. I know this would be a hit for dinner any night of the week.
I hope you will love the souvlaki, Gloria. Thanks so much!
What a healthy alternative to burgers here. So many flavors here. Thanks for sharing
Thank you Kushigalu x
Omg this looks so good! I love Greek food I could eat this all day every day!
Thank you so much Veronika!
I love chicken gyro and make it quite often. Love your flavor combination, will try to make it next week!
Thank you, Veronika!
My family and I loved eating souvlaki on our trip to Greece 2 years ago. Your version with the honey mustard aioli is amazing-definitely take things up a notch!
Thank you so much!
I was wondering what to make with chicken before the year ends… well, this recipe is a fantastic option! Super yum 🙂
Thank you, Elaine! I hope you will love the souvlaki!
I absolutely love souvlaki. I like that you used the chicken thighs. I do the same. Love how tender and succulent the morsels are! Also doing it in a cast skillet is wonderful! You get your crispy bits and makes them so juicy!
Well done!
Thank you so much Loreto!