#1,579: Chicken Gyros

Allison and I are huge gyro fans in this house...huge!  It's often what we both pick for our birthday meal (sad but true).  So when I found this healthier recipe for chicken gyros, I was excited to try it.  I made it all in the morning and then went out for the day.  Then when we got home, the sauce was already done and the chicken just needed to go in the oven or on the grill (grill...I always choose grill!).  

Brian said he thought this looked gross in the marinade and I wasn't sure he was going to eat it, but I'm sure happy to report that we all enjoyed it. Now with that said, only Allison and I used the tzatziki sauce (delicious by the way) but everyone else enjoyed the chicken with the pita (which we also threw on the grill).  I will definitely make this again!  And I'll top it with some grilled red onion and tomatoes...but my family was hungry and the goal was to get this on the table fast (photo was compromised b/c of it  lol).  

Tzatziki sauce:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. 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. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  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, olive oil, 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. (I let mine marinate in the fridge for about 8 hours)

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. (We grilled our chicken).