RECIPE: Chicken Gyros and Easy Tzatziki

• Features, Food & Drink, Recipes
• 4th July 2024
• Cumbria Guide

Chicken Gyros and Easy Tzatziki

Make these Greek-style chicken gyros on the barbecue or grill, served with warm pittas to stuff with tomatoes, onion, tzatziki and chips. Perfect for a summer gathering!

Serves: 6-8    Prep: 40 mins    Cooking time: 1 hr (plus at least 1 hr marinating)    

Ingredients:

• 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Chicken gyros marinade

• 500g Greek yogurt
• 2 lemons, juiced, ½ lemon zested
• 100ml olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, very finely grated or crushed
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

To serve

• Pitta breads
• Chips
• 2 red onions, halved and finely sliced
• 4 tomatoes (plum work well) halved and sliced

Method:

1. First, whisk all the marinade ingredients together with 1 tsp salt in a large bowl or, better still, a large plastic container that has a lid. Open out each chicken thigh, cover with a piece of baking parchment and flatten it with your hand, then lift off the paper and cut the thigh in half. Tip into the marinade and mix so it’s completely coated. Cover, chill and marinate for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs – the longer, the better.
2. Thread all the chicken onto two skewers so that both skewers go through each piece of meat, packing down tightly as you go to make a compact kebab.
3. Light a lidded barbecue, and let the flames die down. Once the coals have turned ashen, pile them up on one side with a single layer of coals scattered around the other side. Lay the chicken kebab on the side of the barbecue with only a few coals underneath. Put the lid down and cook for 45 mins, turning every 15 mins. To finish, lift the lid and roll the kebab over to the hotter side to char the meat, turning it every few minutes until well browned and cooked through. Prise the chicken pieces apart in the centre to check they’re cooked, or use a digital cooking thermometer – it should read 70C or more. Leave to rest for 5-10 mins.
4. Bring the kebab to the table and carve into thin slices with a serrated knife. Pile the carved meat into the warm pittas, then the sliced red onions and tomatoes, chips and tzatziki.

Easy Tzatziki

Serves: 6-8    Prep: 15 mins (no cook)

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved and deseeded
• 500g Greek yogurt
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• small handful of mint leaves or dill sprigs, finely chopped

Method:

1. Coarsely grate the cucumber along the length to create long strands, tip into a sieve set over the sink or a bowl, mix in a large pinch of salt and set aside for 10 mins. Tip the yogurt, garlic, vinegar and olive oil into a bowl and season with black pepper.
2. Squeeze as much liquid out of the cucumber as you can using your hands, then stir through the yogurt mixture along with the mint, taste for seasoning and serve. Can be made a day ahead and chilled – just give it a good stir before serving.

Recipe courtesy www.bbcgoodfood.com

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