The Running Chef

These chicken gyros are healthier than a greasy takeaway kebab and way more delicious. It’s packed with flavour that makes it feel indulgent. Yet, it’s high protein count fuels your recovery, helping you to train harder.  

What are Gyros?

Gyros, also known as a gyro in the English-speaking world, is a popular Greek street food dish made from meat cooked on a rotisserie, similar to a doner kebab.  The meat is cooked as it turns vertically, allowing the juice and fat to trickle down the rotisseries and baste the meat as it cooks.

In Greece, the usual meat for Gyros is pork; however, beef, lamb and chicken are also used. Usually, the meat is sliced and served on pitta bread with salad vegetables and fried potatoes. The quintessential Greek dip, Tzatziki, also features in gyros.

Fun fact: It’s pronounced “yee-ros” and means “turn” or “round” in Greek, referring to the rotating spit cooking the meat.

Now, I’ve never met anyone with a large vertical rotisserie in their kitchen, so creating an authentic gyro at home might prove impossible. However, skewering the chicken and broiling under an overhead grill will also achieve a delicious, almost perfect, replica.

Why They’re Perfect For Runners

Chicken Breast – You can use any other meat in place of chicken, or chicken thighs. However, chicken breasts offer a lean source of complete protein supporting muscle repair, growth, and recovery.

Greek Yoghurt – Greek yoghurt is thicker than natural yoghurt. You’ll often find Greek-style yoghurt sold in UK supermarkets, which refers to a strained yoghurt made outside of Greece. Yoghurt features here twice: in the marinade and the tzatziki.

Fresh Salad – Don’t spare the tomato, cucumber, onions and lettuce. They offer hydration and are rich in vitamins. They also add elusive fibre to your diet, without the dreaded higher calories.

Flatbreads – I use Deli Kitchen’s Greek-style flatbreads for these chicken gyros, but you can use any brand you prefer or these homemade pitta breads if you’d like. They add a source of carbohydrates, helping to replenish glycogen stores after a workout.

Chicken Gyros

These chicken gyros are healthier than a greasy takeaway kebab and way more delicious. It’s packed with flavour that makes it feel indulgent. Yet, it’s high protein count fuels your recovery, helping you to train harder.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 48 minutes mins

Servings: 8 Skewers

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: greek

Calories: 228

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the Chicken

• 4 Medium Chicken Breasts Diced
• 2 Garlic Cloves Crushed
• 2 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Tsp Ground Paprika
• 2 Tsp Oregano
• Juice from 1 Lemon Juice
• 100 ml Greek Yoghurt

For the Tzatziki

• 200 ml Greek Yoghurt Deseeded
• ½ Cucumber
• 5 g Mint Finely Chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove Finely Chopped
• Juice of ½ Lemon

To Build

• 1 White Onion Diced
• 1 Cucumber Deseeded and Diced
• 4 Tomatoes Deseeded and Diced
• 1 Cos Lettuce Roughly Chopped
• 4 Flatbreads

Method

 

1. Marinate the Chicken: In a medium bowl, mix the diced chicken breast with the other marinade ingredients and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Make Tzatziki: Grate the cucumber using the large side of a box grater and squeeze out the liquid. In a bowl, combine the yoghurt, dry cucumber, mint, and garlic. Add lemon juice and stir until combined. Season to taste.
3. Build the Chicken: Preheat an overhead grill. While the grill heats up, remove the chicken from the fridge and begin skewering the meat onto long metal skewers. This recipe should yield eight skewers.
4. Cook the Chicken: Place the skewered chicken onto a grill tray lined with kitchen foil, and place it under the hot grill. Grill the chicken for 16-20 minutes, or until it is cooked through. Turn the skewers at least once to brown on all sides.
5. Build: Lightly toast the flatbread on the same tray as the chicken, then serve it loaded with diced vegetables and a generous dollop of tzatziki.