Easy Greek Gyros
Insanely delicious Easy Greek Gyros consisting of juicy flavoured protein (chicken, lamb or beef), fresh tomato, lettuce, onion that is smothered in our Creamy Thick Tzatziki then wrapped in Homemade Easy Naan Bread.
Difficulty & Time: Pretty simple if I do say so myself. It utilises our naan bread but you can always use store bought pita or flatbread to cut down on time.
Versatility: Make it your own way. Change it up with chicken, lamb or beef. Like cheese? add it! What about chips or a fried egg? Add it! Try this recipe as a salad bowl too! Serve with rice and its another easy meal!
What ingredients are needed
- Chicken, Lamb or Beef: This recipe is really versatile with whatever you have available or what you prefer.
- FTF Greek Seasoning : This uses one of many seasoning mixes in our self published cookbook & ebook; First Things First: A Guide to Getting Started in the Kitchen. Its a great book, consider buying it (sales help us keep creating recipes). You can substitute for mixture of oregano, thyme, onion powder.
- Big Greek Flavours:
- Garlic: Flavour flavour flavour! Fresh garlic contains a chemical called ‘Allicin’ that is activated when it is chopped, crushed etc. It is what gives garlic it’s distinct taste and aroma. I prefer to crush cloves with a garlic crusher to increase the amount of allicin as much as possible.
- Olive oil: Possibly the most quintessential ingredient of Greek cuisine. Extra virgin oil is the least processed, it retains more vitamins and minerals and has a fruity, peppery flavour.
- Preserved lemon: Lemon usually adds vibrancy, freshness and a tangy flavour to your mouth in each mouthful BUT preserved lemon goes a step further. It can be found in stores but easily made at home with a jar, lemons and salt. I love it because gives a a tangy, umami, kind of fruity bite. Replace with lemon zest.
- Make your own ahead of time: Quarter lemons and layer in a jar with rock salt. Compress firmly and cover with lemon juice and salt. Close the jar and leave in a cool place for at least a month.
- Homemade Easy Naan Bread : Naan is a leavened, oven-baked or fried flatbread. Pita is more traditional but I cant offer a recipe for that and these Naan are so soft, pliable and delicious.
- Creamy Thick Tzatziki: A refreshingly garlicky, cucumber and Greek yoghurt sauce. We may be biased but our tzatziki is so dang good!
- Fillings: Tomato, Red onion, Lettuce – maybe try a fried egg or grated cheese.
How to make Gyros
- Prepare the Creamy Thick Tzatziki
- Strain the Yoghurt: Place the strainer/sieve on top of a medium bowl or jug. Line it with chux dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel.
- Spoon the yoghurt into the strainer/sieve and let it sit for at least 1 hour (or more) in the fridge to draw out any excess liquid. This helps create a thicker, creamier texture, the longer you leave it, the thicker it will get.
- Grate the cucumber into another dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel and squeeze out any excess water.
- Mix it all together & let flavours meld: Add the strained yoghurt into a large mixing bowl with the grated cucumber, olive oil, garlic, min, lemon juice then salt and pepper. Mix well. Let sit for at least 15-20 minutes to help the flavour meld.
- Taste and season with salt, pepper and garlic as desired.
Setting you up for success – Tips & Tricks
- Choose the right meat: This recipe includes chicken but lamb, beef and fish also work. Look for a cut of meat with a good amount of fat to keep the meat juicy and ensure not to overcook.
- Marinate the meat: Gyro meat is typically marinated in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. Let the meat marinate for at least a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.
- Serve with toppings: Gyros are typically served with tzatziki sauce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, and lettuce but you can uyse whatever you like. Add feta cheese or hot sauce for an extra kick.
- Don’t overfill: When assembling the gyro, be careful not to overfill the bread. This can make it difficult to eat and cause the ingredients to spill out.
- Warm the Naan: Warm the pita bread before assembling the gyro to make it more pliable and easier to fold.
- Enjoy immediately: Gyros are best enjoyed immediately after assembling. If you need to make them ahead of time, keep the ingredients separate until you’re ready to assemble and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
When I made this dish on our live cooking show, some community members asked:
Heck yes! You can cook the meat on a sfrying pan, bbq/grill or in the oven.
Let the cooked meat rest for a few minutes before slicing it thin. You want the meat to be paper-thin so it’s tender and easy to eat.
Traditional gyro toppings include tzatziki sauce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, and lettuce. You can also add feta cheese or hot sauce for an extra kick.
Gyros are best enjoyed immediately after assembling. If you need to make them ahead of time, keep the ingredients separate until you’re ready to assemble and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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Easy Greek Gyros
Ingredients
Greek Chicken
- 500 g chicken breast/thighs diced or sliced into strips (~2 chicken breasts)
- 2 cloves garlic minced/crushed
- 2 tsp FTF Greek Seasoning Recipe is our cookbook or use mixture of oregano, thyme, onion powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp preserved lemon, finely diced or replace with lemon zest
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Extras
- 1 cup Creamy Thick Tzatziki
- 4-8 Homemade Easy Naan Bread
- 1-2 tomato thinly sliced
- 1 cup lettuce shredded
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
Instructions
Prepare the Homemade Easy Naan Bread
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the dough and mix with a chopstick or spatula. When the dough is about to come together, dust your hands with flour and knead gently into a soft, slightly sticky dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading.
- Clean the bowl then lightly oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel (I like to use a reusable shower cap). Let sit in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until about doubled in size.
- When the dough is ready, dust the bench or silicone mat with enough flour so that it doesn't stick. Place the dough onto bench.
- Divide into 6 portions, dusting with more flour as necessary so the dough doesn't stick. Using a rolling pin, roll one of the dough balls into an oval shape about (3mm or 1/8-inch thick). Remove any excess flour. Allow the flatbreads to sit for 10 minutes before frying to proof.
- Place a large cast iron or pan over medium-high heat until hot. Gently baste each side with oil then lay the dough in the skillet and cook until the top is bursting with air bubbles and the bottom is golden and browned in spots, 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the naan and cook about 1-2 minutes more until the the bottom is browned.Remove & place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish to keep warm.
Prepare the Creamy Thick Tzatziki
- Strain the Yoghurt: Place the strainer/sieve on top of a medium bowl or jug. Line it with chux dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel.Spoon the yoghurt into the strainer/sieve and let it sit for at least 1 hour (or more) in the fridge to draw out any excess liquid. This helps create a thicker, creamier texture, the longer you leave it, the thicker it will get.
- Grate the cucumber into another dish cloth/muslin cloth/paper towel and squeeze out any excess water.
- Mix it all together & let flavours meld : Add the strained yoghurt into a large mixing bowl with the grated cucumber, olive oil, garlic, min, lemon juice then salt and pepper. Mix well. Let sit for at least 15-20 minutes to help the flavour meld.Taste and season with salt, pepper and garlic as desired.
Make the Greek chicken
- In a small bowl, combine your meat of choice (chicken, beef or lamb), FTF Greek seasoning mix, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat with olive oil. Add chicken and cook until lightly golden and opaque inside.
Bring it all together
- Place the naan on a sheet of foil or baking paper and spoon on tzatziki. Add chicken, tomato, onion and lettuce and roll up, enclosing the filling.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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So tasty! The Naan was soft and delicious and better than anything store bought. The Tzatziki was creamy and the chicken with the seasonings added just finished the dish perfectly. Another keeper. Thank you.
Forgot to say 5 stars!!