These chicken gyros are a great healthier dinner than a takeaway, and just as delicious.

Makes 8 Skewers

What are Gyros?

Gyros, also known as gyro in the English-speaking world, is meat cooked on rotisseries like a doner kebab. The meat is cooked as it turns vertically allowing the juice and fat to trickle down the rotisseries and baste the meat as it cooks. The name gyros means “turn” or “circle” in Greek.

Meat for Gyros

In Greece the usual meat for Gyros is pork, however, beef, lamb and chicken can also be used. Normally, the meat is sliced and served on pitta bread with salad vegetables and fried potatoes. The quintessential Greek dip, Tzatziki also features in gyros.

I’ve never met anyone with a large vertical rotisserie in their kitchen so creating an authentic gyro at home, might prove impossible. However, skewering the chicken and broiling under an overhead grill will also achieve a delicious, almost perfect, replica.

Greek Yoghurt

Greek yoghurt contains lactic acid which helps tenderise the meat, however, do not marinade the meat for too long or will begin to turn mushy. The yoghurt will also help the meat colour and caramelise as the sugars in the milk begin to caramelise.

Skewers

This recipe needs 8 metal skewers. The method uses metal as they hold heat better and help ensure more even cooking of the meat. However, wooden skewers will also provide adequate results. However, both skewers would benefit from being soaked in water to prevent them from charring while under the grill. This charring will be more noticeable with wooden skewers.

Ingredients

4 Medium Chicken Breasts, Diced

Greek Marinade

2 Tsp Salt

2 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Tsp Ground Cumin

1 Tsp Ground Paprika

2 Tsp Oregano

Juice from 1 Lemon Juice

100ml Greek Yogurt 

To Build

1 White Onion, Deseeded and Diced

1 Cucumber, Deseeded and Diced

4 Tomato, Deseeded and Diced

1 Little Gem, Roughly Chopped

4 Flatbreads

30g of Tzatziki, to serve

Method

1. In a medium bowl mix the diced chicken breast with the Greek marinade ingredients and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Preheat an overhead grill.
3. While the grill gets hots, pull the chicken from the fridge, and begin skewering the meat onto long metal skewers. This recipe should yield 8 skewers.
4. Place the skewered chicken onto a grill tray lined with kitchen foil, and place it under the hot grill. Grill the chicken for 16-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Turn the skewers at least once, to brown on all sides.
5. Once done, lightly toast the flatbread on the same tray as the chicken, then serve loaded with the diced vegetables and a healthy dollop of tzatziki.