Whenever I get a craving for gyros but want to eat something healthier and lighter, I turn to these chicken pitas and tzatziki sauce. I marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs and then roast them off in a hot oven. The chicken gets crispy and browned on the outside and stays juicy and tender on the inside. I slice it thin, pile it into a warmed pita, top with some crisp veggies and slather it with cool, creamy, homemade tzatziki sauce. I just love it. Heaven in a pita. I made this as a quick weeknight meal, so I used store bought pitas, but if you have some extra time on your hands, I recommend making homemade pitas. As luck would have it, I have the perfect recipe right here: Homemade Pita Bread.
Chicken thighs rubbed with paprika, oregano, cumin and olive oil. Marinated and ready for the oven.
Homemade tzatziki is so easy to make – you’re a fool if you buy it in a store. I grated some cucumber, a clove of garlic and mixed it with a cup of Greek yogurt. Season to taste and boom – you’re done. That’s it. Chill in the ‘fridge until you need it.
Beautifully browned and crispy roasted chicken thighs. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes until thinly slicing.
The finished product. Soft, warm pita, juicy chicken, crisp veggies and cool tzatziki. That’s all you need.
One more look…
Roasted Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 5 thighs)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pitas
- 1/4 of a medium cucumber
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- Romaine lettuce, shredded
- Red onion, thinly sliced
Directions:
- Rub oil on chicken thighs.
- In a small bowl combine oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Rub spice mixture evenly onto chicken thighs.
- Place in a resealable plastic bag and marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- While chicken marinates, grate cucumber and garlic using a cheese grater or microplane. Stir cucumber and garlic into Greek yogurt. Season with pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place marinated chicken thighs in a foil-lined, shallow pan.
- Roast for 20 – 25 minutes until chicken is cooked throughout.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices. Toss slices with any pan juices.
- Before assembling, warm pitas in the oven for 5 minutes or until soft.
- Place chicken slices onto pita, top with a little tzatziki sauce. Top with lettuce, red onion and more tzatziki sauce.
Tagged: chicken, chicken gyros, easy weeknight meals, fast meal, greek, gyros, homemade gyros, pitas, tzatziki sauce, weeknight meal
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