I think this is my absolute favorite meal in the world...besides pizza! Who doesn't love a good chicken gyro? This version is my quick and easy version that requires very little prep. It is my go-to when I come home late from work/instructing fitness classes and have zero energy to cook. Life hack: keep your freezer stocked with food so when you run out of "fresh food" you always have another healthy option stored away in your freezer. I like to keep individually wrapped chicken breasts, mahi mahi, broccoli, turkey bacon, and pita pockets. It is SO convenient to be able to just take one of these items out and still have something healthy to eat even if you haven't been to the grocery store recently! Now that I am done rambling...let me share this recipe!
Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (this should be enough for two gyros)
1 whole wheat pita pocket
1 roma tomato
1 scallion greens
banana peppers
dried spices: sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, thyme, oregano
EVOO or EVOO cooking spray
Directions:
Chicken: Defrost the chicken if needed. Use a paper towel to dab the chicken to ensure it is not wet. Then on a cutting board, cube the chicken into small pieces, this will help it cook faster. Once cubed, sprinkle desired amount of all the dry spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, thyme, oregano). I recommend putting a little extra cumin ;)
Then in a pan drizzle 1 tablespoon and bring to medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a minute or two then add the chicken. Depending on how small you cut the chicken, it should be fully cooked within 6-8 min. To check, after about six minutes, take a piece out and cut in half. There should be no pink in the middle of the chicken if it is fully cooked. Do not over cook! Once done, place in bowl and set aside.
Tzatziki:
Here is the link for the tzatziki, this is a larger portion to use as a dip as well. You can cut the ingredients in half or even 1/4.
https://recipesbymelbfit.wixsite.com/adrizzleofevoo/single-post/2018/02/04/Homemade-Tzatziki
Recipe is here:
Ingredients:
1 cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt (I used organic Kirkland- from Costco)
1 cup of low-fat plain Greek yogurt ( I used Mountain High--I like to mix the two because I think it tastes better but you definitely do not have to!)
1 English cucumber
5-6 cloves of garlic
Sea Salt
Fresh Dillweed
Fresh Mint
Directions:
The key to a good tzatziki is to roast the garlic! I typically peel the cloves and drizzle some olive oil on them. Then i put them on the George Foreman (if you don't have one-get one!! so easy to roast veggies on it) or oven in a cast-iron until the garlic browned. You can also just place them in tinfoil to roast. Then mash the roasted garlic with 1-2 tablespoons of sea salt in a garlic press pot until it turns into a paste. Set aside.
Take the English cucumber, chop off both ends, user a grater to grate a bowl of your choice. Then add the garlic paste and two cups of yogurt. Then chop up the dill (I usually use half of the package I get from Trader Joe's) and add it into the mix. Then chop up the mint (I prefer to only use a 3-4 mint leaves but this is up to you) and add to mixture. Set aside.
Chicken Gyro:
I like to heat up my pita pocket prior to loading it. I usually put it in the toaster on setting 3. Once heated, stuff the pita! First put in the tzatziki sauce:
Then add the chicken:
Then add the veggies: dice up the tomatoes, banana peppers, and scallion greens:
Don't forget to add some extra tzatziki on top!
