Greek Chicken Gyros with Fries

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A truly authentic Greek Chicken Gyros is only complete when served stuffed with chunky seasoned Fries. The flavors and textures that Fries add to the Chicken Gyro is simply amazing, and it is no wonder this dish has been a favorite for both Greek locals and the millions of tourists who flock to that beautiful part of the world every year. In fact, this dish may be one of the best dishes you can enjoy as a tourist. It’s ridiculously filling, it is so easy to prepare, and it’s portable! Ordering a tasty Gyros at a street vendor then walking around taking in the sights is a rite of passage in Greece!

While the idea of jumping onto the next plane out to Athens is appealing, for most of us this is not a reality. The good news is that you can re-create this experience at home with this delicious Greek Chicken Gyros recipe. Complete with the mandatory Fries!

How to make authentic Greek Chicken Gyros

While the addition of French Fries truly makes the dish authentic, the priority for this dish must be the Chicken. The amount of flavor you can infuse into this Chicken by creating a beautiful Greek marinade is unbelievable. That is the secret to a great homemade Chicken Gyro. Let those Chicken pieces swim in a marinade for at least 2 hours (we recommend an overnight marinade) to infuse as much flavor as possible into it

For our marinade we are sticking with ingredients that are synonymous with Greek cuisine. The marinade includes a combination of Greek Yoghurt, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Garlic, and Parsley. This flavor combination is unmistakably Mediterranean, and the flavors it brings to your palate will instantly transport you the Greek coastline, guaranteed!

Making the marinade

Preparing the marinade for our Greek Chicken Gyros is very easy. Simply combine the Greek Yoghurt, Lemon Juice, Garlic, and Parsley along with a generous amount of Salt. We like to add all of the ingredients into a large Ziploc bag and mix it all up there. We’ll add the Chicken straight to the bag, so there’s less cleaning up to do, and it’s far less messy

What type of Chicken to use

If you’ve ever been to a Greek restaurant where they’ve got those massive rotating meat vessels loaded up with Chicken you’ll notice it is always the same cut. That is, Chicken Thigh. You 100% need to be using Chicken Thighs for this recipe. It not only is the most flavorful cut of Chicken, but it is a lot more forgiving in the cooking process

If you overcook it, it’s still going to taste great and be beautiful and tender. Especially if you prepare the Chicken over an open flame (which is the optimal way to cook it in this instance), the high heat is going to be managed well with Chicken Thighs

The best way to cook the Chicken is over open fire. However, the classic Frying Pan works well too!

I think out of all the proteins you can cook over an open flame; Chicken is the one that (for me) produces the best flavor. There’s something about that charred, charcoal flavor that works so well with a beautiful piece of Chicken

Don’t get me wrong, Beef, Pork, and even Fish are all great on the open fire. However, in terms of the complete transformation of flavor, I don’t think Chicken can be beat. So, if you have the means we highly recommend cooking your marinated Chicken over an open flame. Cook it over very high heat to get a beautiful, charred result!

If you don’t have access to an outdoor grill, or it’s the middle of winter and the idea of grilling in the snow isn’t for you (some people do this!!) then you’ll still get an amazing result using the trust frying pan

Just crank the heat until scorching hot, add a little bit of Oil to the pan and give the Chicken a good cook throughout. The Chicken is going to stay ridiculously moist due to the Yoghurt in the marinade doing it’s job

Completing the Chicken Gyros with delicious filling and a Tzatziki Sauce

The Authentic fillings that are included in a Greek Chicken Gyros typically include shredded Lettuce, Red Onions (usually sliced raw), Sliced Tomatoes, those crispy golden French Fries, and Tzatziki Sauce. You can deviate a little from this combination if you like, however for a true authentic flavor we recommend sticking with the classics

Use whichever Lettuce and Tomatoes are in season and available in your local area. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with good old Iceberg Lettuce and Vine-Ripened Tomatoes for this dish. Shred the Lettuce so it’s easy to sprinkle over the Gyros. For the Tomatoes, remove the core and the excess liquid, then slice it up and season with some Salt and a little bit of Lemon Juice

Tomatoes are always best when served at room temperature. You’ll get much more flavor from them this way. So, it’s good to prepare the Tomatoes in advance and let them sit in a separate bowl while you cook the Chicken

Making a beautiful Tzatziki Sauce to pair with the Gyros

This famous Greek Sauce is a Yoghurt-based sauce that is flavored with Garlic and Lemon Juice. Typically, it’s also finished with some thinly sliced Cucumber for a bit of added freshness. The sauce cuts through the richness of the Chicken extremely well, and adds a beautiful bright and tangy flavor to the dish

It’s one of the easiest sauces to make too. No cooking involved. Simply combine the Greek Yoghurt, Lemon Juice, Cucumber, and chopped Garlic in a bowl and mix well. Hit it with a bit of Salt for seasoning and you’re good to go!

If you want to learn more about Tzatziki Sauce you can check out our dedicated recipe here

Finally, those delicious golden Fries!

Adding French Fries to a Chicken Gyros is what they do in Greece, and it’s what you should do at home! You can add any kind of Fries you like; however, we prefer the thick-cut ones that are smothered with seasoning. They add a beautiful body to the Gyros, as well as a great crunchy texture

We recommend using Frozen Fries and simply heating them up in the oven or air fryer if you have one. You can make your own Fries from scratch, however this process will take more than 1 day, as you’ll need to cook the Fries then freeze them before cooking them again. If you are interested in making your own Fries from scratch then check out our recipe here. Otherwise, frozen is more than suitable!

Finally, the Bread

Finding good quality bread to wrap your Gyros in can be challenging at times. You want to avoid that thin Pita bread and avoid using any kind of Tortilla or Wrap. Instead, try to get your hands on some Authentic Greek thick cut Fluffy Pita Bread. The thicker texture helps to keep the ingredients all in one place, and tastes amazing in the dish

Slightly heat the bread before adding all the ingredients to it. You can do so by laying the bread straight onto the grill or in a frying pan over medium heat. Give it about 1 minute on each side until it’s toasty warm, but still pliable so you can wrap it up

Greek Chicken Gyros with Fries Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Chicken Thighs
• 4 large Greek Flatbread / Pita
• 1 cup Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
• 3 large Tomatoes, deseeded and roughly chopped
• ½ Red Onion, sliced
• 150g / 5 oz. Frozen Fries
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• 1 tsp. Neutral Oil (eg: Vegetable or Canola Oil)
• Salt
  
  

Chicken Marinade Ingredients

• ½ cup Greek Yoghurt
• 1 tbsp. Fresh or Dried Parsley, chopped
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
  

Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. Greek Yoghurt
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Zest of ½ a Lemon
• 3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely diced
• 1 tbsp. Cucumber, finely diced
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Add the marinade ingredients into a Ziploc bag or large bowl and mix well. Add the Chicken and massage the marinade into the Chicken. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight
2. When ready to cook, remove the Chicken from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature
3. Prepare the Onion, Lettuce, and Tomatoes and place them in separate bowls for serving. Add the Lemon Juice and a pinch of Salt to the Tomatoes and mix well then set aside
4. Prepare the Tzatziki by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and mixing through well. Set aside until ready to serve
5. Cook the Frozen Fries per the package instructions. Alternatively, you make our own Homemade French Fries here
   
   

Cooking the Chicken and preparing the Gyros

1. Heat an outdoor grill or large frying pan over medium / high heat with a little bit of Neutral Oil. Once hot, add the Chicken and cook for 4 minutes until it begins to char
2. Flip and cook for a further 4 – 5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Remove from heat and allow to rest before cutting into bite-sized pieces
3. Add the Flatbread / Pita to the heat for 1 minute on each side to warm through
4. Serve each component of the dish family style at the table so people can build their own Chicken Gyros
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Allow the Tomatoes to come up to room temperature for the best flavor
• We recommend not overstuffing the Gyros. It is very easy to do so and makes it difficult to eat
  
  

That is the recipe for your very own homemade Authentic Greek Chicken Gyros, complete with the mandatory crispy Fries inside!

If you enjoyed this recipe, we’ve got loads more dishes inspired by the cuisine from the Mediterranean. Here are a few of our favorites that we encourage you to check out:

• Cucumber Dill Salad with Mint and Feta
• Mediterranean Barley Salad with Roast Vegetables
• Tomato Mint and Couscous Salad
• Heirloom Caprese Salad
  
  

Happy Cooking!