Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Recipe

Some nights, it takes everything in you not to order takeout for dinner . But the next time you have a craving for Mediterranean food, consider this recipe for chicken gyros with tzatziki from Sonja and Alex Overhiser’s new cookbook, A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together .

“Greek gyros are in our personal hall of fame of favorite foods,” the authors write, “especially after trying them years ago on the sun-drenched island of Santorini. This chicken version is fun to whip up and comes out brilliantly, with pillowy soft pita and crunchy veggies all drenched in cool tzatziki.”

If you have help, divide and conquer by having one person make the pickled onions while the other makes the pita, then the chicken and vegetables respectively. You can also prepare the tzatziki and pickled onions a day ahead so they can deepen in flavor in the fridge before serving.

^{Excerpted from A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together by Sonja Overhiser and Alex Overhiser, © 2024. Published by Chronicle Books. Photographs © Shelly Westerhausen Worcel.}

Classic Biftekia and Chips Recipe

579 calories

16g fat

58g carbs

51g protein

23g sugars

Pickled Red Onions (makes 2 cups)

3 cups thinly sliced red onion (1 medium onion, 10 to 12 ounces)

¾ cup white vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Tzatziki

1 cup peeled, grated English cucumber (about ½ large cucumber)

1 small garlic clove, grated

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh dill, plus more for serving

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Chicken Gyros

2 large chicken breasts (1 to 1½ pounds), cut in half horizontally and cubed

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup minced onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 pita

1 romaine heart, chopped

1 cup English cucumber, sliced into half-moons

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Pickled red onions or 1 handful sliced red onion

1. Make the Pickled Onions: Put the red onion in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over high heat, heat the white vinegar, ¾ cup of water, the sugar and kosher salt. Whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved and the mixture starts to simmer, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the brine over the onion slices and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. Transfer the onions and brine to a covered jar. They will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

2. Make the Tzatziki: Put the grated cucumber in a clean dish towel and squeeze tightly over a sink to remove excess liquid. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber with the remaining tzatziki ingredients. If the sauce is very thick, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until it’s smooth and creamy (the thickness of the yogurt varies by brand). The tzatziki will keep in the fridge for up to one week.

3. Make the Chicken Gyros: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the oregano, salt and pepper.

5. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and browned at the edges, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn down the heat to low and add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Cover and cook, without stirring, for about 3 minutes. Stir and remove from the heat.

6. Immediately before serving, place the pita directly on the oven grates for 2 minutes until warm, then wrap them in a clean towel. To serve, place portions of the romaine, chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes and pickled onions on each warm pita and fold it around the fillings. Top them with tzatziki and extra dill.