Chicken Gyros
We first saw these done on a foody programme on the telly and so we tried to cook them. It turns out that we didn’t quite get that recipe right so we tried again. This recipe works for us. If you are wondering what the word ‘gyros’ means, it is (apparently) Greek meaning turn. Originally these chicken gyros would have been cooked on a vertical rotisserie similar to that used for a doner kebab, but these gyros can safely be cooked in the oven. In order to simulate the original way of cooking them we soak a wooden skewer for an hour or so before cooking and then we cut an onion in half and push the skewer through it vertically and then skewer each piece of meat onto the skewer turning 90° each time we add a piece of meat. The really are delicious served with tzatziki, thinly sliced red onion, slided tomatoes and pickled chillies.
Chicken Gyros
Ingredients
- 750 g Chicken Thighs boneless and skinless
- 300 g Greek Yoghurt
- 5 cloves Garlic grated
- 6 tbsp Olive Oil old slag is fine!
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tbsp Oregano dried
- 1 tsp Sweet Paprika
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl large enough to hold the marinade mix and the chicken thighs. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside
- Place each thigh between two sheets of baking paper and bash them out until they are evenly 1cm thick. Add the thighs to the marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight
- One hour before you are going to cook the gyros, soak a wooden skewer in water to ensure it won't burn during the cooking process. Cut an onion in half and when the skewer is soaked, push it through the onion so that the skewer stands vertically. Place in an oven proof roasting dish
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, Gas Mark 4. Shake any excess marinade off the chicken thighs and then push them onto the skewer rotating through 90° for each thigh (this will help to ensure it doesn't topple over in the over, although if it does it isn't a disaster!). Place in the preheated oven for 1½ to 2 hours until the thighs are cooked through and the edges are just a little charred
- Slice the gyros vertically (as you would a doner kebab) and serve in warm pitta breads with tzatziki, thinly sliced onion, sliced tomatoes , pickled chillies and a lemon wedge squeezed over everything. Enjoy!
