By Chef Alli
Blue-Ribbon Chicken Gyros
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins
4 pitas
Marinade
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. olive or avocado oil
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
3 small cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbs. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Toppings
¼ cup tzatziki sauce (recipe below)
½ red onion, thinly sliced
leaf or iceberg lettuce, very thinly sliced or torn
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, chopped
Instructions
Place the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag; massage the bag to combine, then add the chicken. Seal the bag, placing it into a bowl and then into refrigeration; marinate 4-6 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to make the gyros, remove the chicken from refrigeration. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Cover a baking sheet with foil; brush generously with olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out so the pieces aren’t touching.
Bake the chicken, uncovered, on the center rack for 15-18 minutes or until fully cooked throughout and edges are beginning to crisp.
Remove the cooked chicken from the baking sheet to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop into bite-sized pieces.
Warm the pitas in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to make them more pliable. Top the pitas with some of the chicken down the center, then spoon some of the tzatziki over the top.
Garnish with red onion, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Fold the pitas around the filling and enjoy at once.
Tzatziki Sauce
2 English cucumbers, peeled
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. fresh minced dill or 1 tsp. dried dill weed
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Using a hand-held grater, grate the cucumbers into a small bowl; add 1/4 tsp. kosher salt to it and combine, letting it rest for 10-15 minutes. This draws out much of the excess moisture from the cucumber helping ensure the tzatziki sauce is creamy and not watery.
After the salted cucumber has rested, place it into the center of several layers of paper towels (or use cheese cloth) and wrap it up; using your hands, gently squeeze as much excess liquid out of the cucumbers as you can.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth; fold in the grated cucumber and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-6 hours before serving to let the seasonings meld.
