The Greek-Style Chicken Gyro

Did you ever get a hankering for a Gyro and there was just no place near to go? Watching them cooking and basting the stacked lamb and chicken with aromas that made your mouth water. Well, search no more. Make it yourself! All you need for a successful dish is a stainless-steel Vertical Skewer (aka Brazilian Vertical Spit) with 3 removable spikes. I got mine on Amazon for around $18.00 and it was well worth the investment. Not only did I use it to make my Chicken Gyros, but I can now use it for Al pastor which is a Mexican dish. This can be cooked either in the oven or on the grill with only the outside burners.

Here is your Shopping List:

1. Stainless Steel Vertical Skewer

2. 1-1/2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken thighs

3. 1 Cup Greek yogurt

4. 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

5. ¼ Cup good Olive Oil

6. 3 garlic cloves (mashed)

7. ¼ Cup lemon juice (should be 1 lemon)

8. 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

9. 2 tsp Cumin

10. 1 tsp paprika.

11. 4 Gyros

12. Shredded Lettuce

13. Sliced Tomatoes

14. Tzatziki Sauce (purchased store bought, but you can make your own)

15. Thinly Sliced red onion

Pat the chicken dry. In a small bowl mix all ingredients. Stir well. Add the chicken thighs and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to four hours (I did it overnight occasionally turning them to coat evenly).

Preheat oven or grill to 375 degrees. Grease the vertical spit with cooking spray. Layer each of the thighs. Take a small piece of foil and place above the last piece of chicken to avoid burning. If cooking in the oven, I suggest that you take a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the spit on top. Bake on the lower rack of the oven and bake for 1-1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Make sure to baste the chicken with the juices to help keep a crusty exterior. Remove from oven and while still on the spit, slice in a vertical direction from top to bottom. Spread some tzatziki sauce on the Gyro, add the Chicken, Onion, Tomato, Lettuce and another dollop of tzatziki sauce.

OPA!

Here’s a little Fun Fact… What is a Gyro, anyway? Well, the Greek word means turn, round or rotation, hence the method of cooking or grilling on a vertical rotisserie that spins. But did you know that it is commonly mispronounced as “gee-ros,” “jee-ros” and “jai-ros”? It is actually pronounced “yee-ros” (‘ye” as in Year and “ros” as in Ross). There you have it and yes, the ‘g’ is silent (just in case anyone wants to argue that)!