Chicken Gyros On The Souvla

Want to learn how to make a Greek chicken gyros recipe on the souvla? This has to be one of the best ways to cook chicken! The marinade soaks deeply into the chicken thighs, and the rotisserie cooking method gives you outrageously juicy chicken. 

If you love the look of this recipe, you’ve got to check out my chicken kontosouvli. I’ve also got a delicious recipe for lamb gyros and, of course, classic charcoal chickens on the rotisserie!

What is Greek chicken gyros?

Firstly, gyros/ yiros is meat cooked on a spit rotisserie. Typically, this happens vertically (via gas cooking), but you can also do it horizontally, like I do, over charcoal. 

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Chicken Gyros On The Souvla (Recipe Link In Bio) #gyro #chicken #greekfood #recipe #bbq #foryou #fyp

♬ original sound - Nikolopa A - Nikolopa A

The chicken meat gets sliced and usually wrapped in pita bread with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki sauce, and all those good Greek things. 

You can also just cut the meat and eat it on an open plate with salads and sauces. 

Why you’ll love this recipe for chicken yiros

Here’s why this is my go-to recipe for succulent, utterly flavourful chicken:

• Flavour explosion: The marinade seeps deep into chicken with layers of savoury, tangy, and aromatic flavours.
• Leftovers for days: I mean – you could eat it all week long!
• Tender and juicy: Chicken thigh fillets are used, as they are inherently more tender and succulent than other cuts. Slowly cooking the chicken on the souvla keeps the meat moist and juicy, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth texture. By the way, a souvla is also known as a spit rotisserie.
• Authentic Greek: Enjoying a gyro made with traditional Greek ingredients and cooking methods transports you to the streets of Greece. Let’s go!
• Versatility: Greek Chicken Gyros on the souvla can be customized. Whether you prefer yours with fresh veggies, tzatziki sauce, or a sprinkle of feta cheese, the options are endless, my friends. 
• Super social: Cooking gyros on a souvla is a festival all on its own. Gathering around the grill with friends and family, savoring the aroma of the roasting chicken. 

Ingredients needed to make chicken yiros on the spit rotisserie

Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe: 

• Chicken thigh fillets: Choose boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets for juicy and tasty gyros. Thigh meat works best for this dish due to its tenderness and ability to stay moist during cooking.
• Greek olive oil: Choose a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for authentic Greek flavour. It not only adds richness to and also keep the chicken moist during grilling.
• Mustard: Dijon mustard adds a tangy and slightly spicy flavour to the marinade. Use it in moderation to avoid overpowering the other flavours.
• Fresh garlic cloves: Fresh garlic adds tons of robust flavour to the marinade. Using minced garlic helps disperse the garlic taste through the meat. 
• Dried oregano: The dried form works well in marinades, releasing its earthy and slightly floral notes. This is a very well-known (and loved) herb in Greece.
• Seasoning: Salt and pepper is super important in this chicken gyros recipe – getting the chicken well-seasoned is key.

Top tips for making chicken gyros on the souvla

Here are some top tips for making delicious chicken gyros on the Cypriot souvla:

• Choose the right cut: Choose boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets for the juiciest and most flavourful gyros. Thigh meat holds up well to the slow roasting process on the souvla and remains tender and succulent.
• Stabilize the chicken: If your chicken starts to misbehave and whip and spin around while cooking, use skewers to keep it in place. Just remember to soak them first so they don’t burn. 
• Marinate overnight: For maximum flavour infusion, marinate the chicken overnight before cooking. This allows the flavours to penetrate the meat thoroughly. 
• Skewer on the spit properly: Thread the marinated chicken thigh fillets onto the souvla skewers tightly and evenly, ensuring they are secure and won't slide around during cooking. This helps to ensure even cooking and prevents the chicken from falling off the skewers. The chicken pieces should be jam-packed together. 
• Rest before serving: Rest the meat for a few minutes before serving it. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. 

How to serve this Greek chicken gyros on the souvla 

Here are my favourite ways to serve this gyros:

• Classic gyro: Serve the sliced chicken gyro meat wrapped in warm, soft pita bread along with toppings such as sliced tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce. Add a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese for extra flavour.
• Yiros platter: For a deconstructed version, arrange the sliced chicken gyro meat on a platter alongside warm pita bread. Add lots of different toppings like cucumber slices, olives, roasted red peppers, PLUS bowls of tzatziki sauce and tarama for dipping.
• Greek salad: Turn your gyro into a Greek salad by layering sliced chicken gyro meat over a bed of crisp lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and Kalamata olives. Drizzle with a lemon-olive oil dressing and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Guys, you’ll never look back.
• Loaded fries: Pile crispy French fries or Greek-style roasted potatoes onto a plate and top with sliced chicken gyro meat, crumbled feta cheese, diced tomatoes, onions, and a dollop of tzatziki sauce. Don't forget to add feta cheese!
• Gyro bowl: Create a gyro bowl by serving the sliced chicken gyro meat over a base of fluffy rice or quinoa. Top with your favourite Mediteranean ingredients like roasted vegetables, chickpeas, feta cheese, and a dollop of hummus or tzatziki sauce.
• Gyro tacos: Fill soft corn or flour tortillas with sliced chicken gyro meat and top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, and a drizzle of tzatziki sauce. Serve with lime wedges and some hot sauce.
• Gyro pizza: Use sliced chicken gyro meat as a topping for homemade pizza. Spread a thin layer of tzatziki sauce or hummus on the pizza crust, top with the gyro meat, red onions, tomatoes, and feta cheese, and bake until golden and bubbly.
• Mezze platter: Create a mezze platter with an assortment of Greek-inspired appetizers like this spanakopita spiral, tiropitakia (Greek cheese triangles),stuffed grape leaves, olives, hummus, and sliced chicken gyro meat. Serve with warm pita bread for dipping and sharing.

And if your looking for the ingredients that I used in my short video, here they are below

• 7kg chicken thigh fillets
• 350ml Greek olive oil
• 3.5 tablespoons mustard
• 7 garlic cloves crushed
• 9.5g oregano
• 98g salt
• 10.5g black pepper ground

📖 Recipe