Salad with chicken gyro

Delicious Chicken Gyro Salad Recipe

This vibrant Chicken Gyro Salad serves a hearty 6, or up to 8 if you’re entertaining a crowd. Prepare to spend 45 minutes to 1 hour on this delightful dish.

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (approx. 3 pounds)

For the Tzatziki Dressing:

• 2 cups (554 grams) plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt
• 1 hothouse or English cucumber, unpeeled (about 1 pound)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Assembly:

• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• About 1 pound small to medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 hothouse or English cucumber, chopped
• 4 large pitas (about 1/2 for each person), or as needed

Cooking Instructions

Prep the Chicken

In a spacious freezer bag, combine all the chicken ingredients. Massage the bag, ensuring that each piece of chicken is coated evenly. Allow it to marinate for at least 20 minutes, or up to a full day for optimal flavor.

Create the Tzatziki Sauce

In a medium bowl, place the Greek yogurt. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, removing the seeds. Grate the cucumber onto a clean dishcloth and squeeze out the excess moisture to avoid a runny dip. Add the cucumber into the yogurt along with the lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well and adjust seasonings to your taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the Fresh Salad Ingredients

On a platter, artfully arrange the chopped lettuce, sliced onion, diced tomatoes, and cucumber. To mellow the onions, you may want to drizzle them with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of vinegar and salt, allowing them to pickle slightly.

Cook the Chicken

Preheat your grill to high or use a grill pan set to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about 5 minutes on the first side, until nice grill marks form. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. Keep in mind that cooking times will vary based on chicken thickness and temperature. Once cooked, move the chicken to a cutting board to rest for a couple of minutes.

Bring it All Together

While the chicken rests, toast your pitas on the grill for a minute or two. Slice the chicken into thin strips and cut the pitas into wedges. Serve everything family-style on the platter with vegetables and enjoy a delicious meal together. This is a dish you’ll want to whip up all summer long!