Chicken Gyros (Yee-Roh)

NEWSFLASH! Chicken gyros are just as good as regular normal delicious wonderful lamb gyros.  Ok, this might not be 100% true (coming from a major gyro lover), but they are a good, healthier substitute! I think this was the first time I actually ate a chicken gyros, and slightly altered this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything (good blog). You begin by mixing up a Greek inspired marinade AND your own Tzatziki! I served this with a basic Greek chop salad of cucumber, tomato, feta and red onion.  Made me feel like I was in Greece! (jk)

Servings:  2

Size:  Ingredients below split in half, 5 oz of chicken

Points Plus: 10 pp

Level of Difficulty:  Medium

Prep Time: 1 hour 10 mins, including marinade time

Cook Time:  10 mins

Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredients:

Tzatziki sauce:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

For the chicken:

2 tsp. minced garlic

Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tbsp.)

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

Salt and pepper

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

To assemble:

Pita bread, one split in 1/2

Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced

Red onion, sliced thin

Directions:

Shred the cucumber and wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Don't over salt! Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, 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.

Spray a non-stick pan and sauté chicken until cooked through. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Broil pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, and sliced onions. Serve immediately. Also feel free to add chopped romaine and diced tomatoes if you have them, which I didn't!

Tip: Marinades such as this are a great way to spice up (not literally) your boring run-of-the mill chicken.  You could use this marinade without the pita and serve with a salad and veggie side OR use to top a simple Greek salad of tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and feta.

XOXO - Katie