Chicken Gyros

These are so yummy that I have made them 3 times now. I even tried to make my own pitas... the pitas were delish but A LOT of work, so I found a place here in Birmingham that makes their own pitas and have cheated every since! If you are interested in making your own pitas, visit this link. Just a warning, your kitchen gets really messy and it seems to take a while! However, it is very rewarding and fun....

My basic review of these is that they are all about Summer. Nice and light, and have a wonderful taste. Love them for lunch and dinner and always serve them up with extra taziki sauce!

Chicken Gyros- adapted from Annie's Eats, Originally from Elly says Opa!

For the tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:

4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin (I hate raw onion, so never add, but if you desire, then do so!)

Directions:
To make the tzatziki sauce:

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained 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, red pepper flakes, 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.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. I cooked mine under the broiler after I cut it into bite size pieces. About 5 minutes, then take out and flip over, put back under broiler and cook about 4-6 minutes, watching the chicken closely. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Heat pitas (Spray with some spray oil and then popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.