This is a little time consuming, but so worth the effort.
Make the Tzatziki Sauce the night before and it will be awesome. I also like to marinate the chicken first thing in the morning. Spicy potatoes or greek potatoes go well with this recipe.
CHICKEN GYRO
(serves 4)
Marinade Ingredients:
*3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing (not vinegar)
*3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
*1 tablespoon dried oregano
*1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
*4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients:
*1/2 seeded, shredded cucumber
*1 teaspoon kosher salt
*1 cup plain greek yogurt
*1/4 cup sour cream
*1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
*1 teaspoon dried dill
*1 teaspoon olive oil
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
*1/8 teaspoon dried basil
*1/2 teaspoon fresh onion, minced
*sea salt to taste
*ground black pepper to taste
*dash of cayenne pepper
Pita Filling Ingredients:
*4 large pita bread rounds
*romaine lettuce, cut into 1/4 inch slices
*1 small red onion, thinly sliced
*1 tomato, halved & sliced
*1/4 cup kalamata olives (optional)
*1/4 cup pepperoncini (optional)
*1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Tzatziki Sauce Directions:
~Toss cucumbers with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
~Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
~Place salted cucumber into a colander.
~Place colander over a bowl.
~Squeeze the cucumber until the liquid has drained from the cucumbers.
~In a medium bowl, mix yogurt, sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and olive oil.
~Season with garlic, dill, oregano, basil, marjoram, and minced onion.
~Stir in drained cucumber in to sauce.
~Season with sea salt, ground pepper & cayenne pepper.
~Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (I like mine to sit overnight).
Marinade Directions:
~In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinaigrette, lemon juice, oregano & 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
~Place chicken into a zip-loc bag.
~Pour marinade over chicken, seal bag, & refrigerate at least 2 hours (I normally marinate mine all day).
Directions:
~Mix tomatoes, onions, with a dash of sea salt, ground pepper & a dash of garlic powder.
~Allow to sit for 1-2 hours, covered & in the refrigerator.
~Preheat stovetop grill over medium-high heat.
~Remove chicken from marinade and grill, about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until done.
~Discard remaining marinade.
~Remove chicken from grill, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
~Slice chicken into thin strips.
~Brush pita lightly with olive oil.
~Grill pita bread, until warm, turning frequently to prevent burning.
~Spread cucumber sauce over warm pita.
~Arrange chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato, olives & pepperoncini, and feta cheese over pita, fold in half & enjoy.
Variations:
-if you don't have a balsamic vinaigrette, use 3 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic vinegar.
-if you don't have plain greek yogurt, use plain yogurt and strain it for a couple hours to remove the extra liquid.
-add some cheddar cheese over chicken.