Name: Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast; 1 cup plain greek yogurt; 3 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp red wine or rice wine vinegar; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp dried oregano; 3 tsp za'atar; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp cumin; salt and pepper (to taste); 1 green bell pepper (seeds and ribs removed, sliced); 1 white or red onion (sliced); 4 whole pita bread or naan; 1 cup romain or iceberg lettuce (chopped); ½ cup cherry tomatoes (halved); ½ seedless cucumber (sliced thin); ¼ cup red onion (sliced thin); ¼ cup crumbled feta; ½ large cucumber (grated); 3 tbsp kosher salt; 1 cup plain Greek yogurt; 3 tbsp lemon juice; 1½ tbsp fresh dill; 2 cloves garlic (minced or grated); ½ tsp black pepper; salt to taste; ⅓ cup crumbled feta (optional)

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Transport yourself to Greece, or at least your favorite local Greek restaurant, with just some prep work and a sheet pan! That’s right, make amazing chicken gyros on a sheet pan right from your oven! Layer juicy marinated chicken with roasted peppers and onions on a nice warm pita. Top it with some crisp cold veggies and an amazingly simple homemade tzatziki and you have yourself a delicious and light lunch, way better than any cold cut sandwich you can assemble.

Yogurt Marinated Chicken

The star of this show is the amazing yogurt marinated chicken. Yogurt? That’s right, yogurt! This of it the same way you’d think of marinating in buttermilk for fried chicken. The enzymes and cultures in the yogurt help to tenderize the meat, while also locking in tons of moisture. To make there marinade, combine:

1 cup plain greek yogurt
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine or rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 tsp za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice blend of dried oregano, thyme, and/or marjoram, with sumac)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Now, slice 1lb of boneless skinless chicken breast into thin strips and place in the marinade. Ideally, you can let this sit overnight, but even just a quick 20 minutes if you are short on time works! Once you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place one onion, thinly sliced, on one side in a row, and a sliced green bell pepper on the other side. Place the marinated chicken in the middle. Try to keep everything in a flat even layer, and use a second sheet pan if it gets too crowded. Bake on the top rack for 17-20 minutes to get a nice golden brown color on the chicken. Turn on the broiler for 2-3 minutes if desired to get crispy brown corners.

Tzatziki and Gyros!

While the chicken and veggies are in the oven, let’s get everything together for our gyros, staring with the tzatziki. This is a traditional middle eastern sauce/dip paired with proteins and wraps. It beings with a cucumber. Grate half of a seedless cucumber into a fine mesh strainer. Optional: line the strainer with cheese cloth. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of salt over the grated cucumber. This will help draw out the excess moisture. Allow the cucumber to sit for 10-15 minute to release a lot of the moisture. Rinse the cucumber to remove the excess salt, and then squeeze in a cloth/cheesecloth, or paper towel to remove as much of the liquid as possible.

Next, in a bowl, add the grated cucumber and these tzatziki sauce ingredients:

3 tbsp kosher salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tbsp lemon juice
1½ tbsp fresh dill
2 cloves garlic minced or grated
½ tsp black pepper
salt to taste
⅓ cup crumbled feta (optional)

Stir to combine and season to taste. Feta isn’t traditionally in tzatziki, but I add a little to mine for fun! Chill in the fridge until ready to use. When the chicken and veggies are done, we can assemble! Start by layering a piece of warm pita bread or naan with chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and a few cucumber sliced. Top with the warm chicken, peppers and onions. Sprinkle on some crumbled feta and dollop on as much tzatziki as you like.

This recipe will make about 4 pretty stuffed gyros, so feel free to store the chicken and veggies for later in the week, or serve up gyros for the whole family’s lunch. I also like to make a little bit extra tzatziki to serve on the side (and load it up for each bite!). The flavors of the tzatziki, combine with the lemon, za’atar and other seasonings in these sheet pan chicken gyros will instantly transport you across the pond, at least in your mind during lunch!

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