Chicken Gyros!

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Source:

http://ellysaysopa.com

*Warning! This picture does not do the gyro justice.  I obviously liked the yogurt sauce a bit too much and smothered my gyro with it.  I also overpacked my gyro so much that I couldn't even fold it in half. Woops!*

Okay, just a little over two months ago my husband and I were eating authentic chicken gyros in Greece almost everyday for 10 days.  Needless to say, I was wary of how good these were going to be in comparison to the mouthwatering Greek gyros.  Well, they were absolutely amazing!!  They are so close to the original that we were shocked and ate up every bite within a couple of minutes (we didn't even talk!).  I actually liked that this recipe is healthier than the authentic ones but you don't miss the fattening ingredients (full fat yogurt, chicken cooked with skin, dark meat, etc.). The original recipe suggests not to use nonfat  yogurt, but I promise the consistency and taste was just as good with the brand of yogurt we used. 

Try this recipe, you will not be disappointed! 

Thanks to two of my favorite bloggers, Annie Eats and Elly Says Opa for sharing the recipe! (links to their blogs above)

Ingredients for Tzatziki Sauce: 

• 16 oz plain nonfat GreeK yogurt (I used Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt and it is the thicket nonfat yogurt I have ever eaten.  This will be the only yogurt I buy from now on!)
• 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded 
• 3-4 gloves of garlic (remember that I love garlic)
• 1 tsp of white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (I used the juice of half a lemon)

Ingredients for Chicken: 

• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped/smashed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp of red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 heaping tsbp of plain nonfat yogurt (Oikos!)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano 
• Salt and pepper 
• 1 1/4 lbs of boneless skinless chicken (or 3-4 pounds if you wanted to eat as much of it as we did!)

To Assemble: 

• Pita bread (get something thick, more like flat bread, and preferable organic of course)
• Fresh tomatoes, seeded and deiced
• Red onion, sliced thin
• Baked french fries seasoned with salt and pepper 

Directions: 

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl.  Let strain for several hours or overnight (I did it for about 24 hours), to remove as much moisture as possible. 

Shred the cucumber (I used a cheese grater). Wrap in a towel and squeeze to remove as much water as possible.  Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.   

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a ziploc bag.  Swoosh the bag around a bit to make sure that everything is mixed well.  Add the chicken pieces to the bag and massage the marinade all over the so that each piece is well coated.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or in a broiler.  I cooked the chicken on the griddle to get some grill marks and then finished cooking it in the oven.  Once the chicken is complete, let it rest for a few minutes, and then cut it into strips. 

Heat the pitas in the toaster or oven, with a little olive oil on top if desired.  Serve immediately and get ready for your mouth to water!! 

Enjoy :)