This Chicken Gyro Bowl recipe is one of my all time favorites! It’s packed with bright and colorful ingredients AND flavors. The marinade for the chicken makes it exceptionally tender and incredibly flavorful! The bright and zesty flavors in the rice and cucumber tomato salsa are perfection. Rounding out this bowl with feta and tzatziki sauce make it the perfect meal.
I adore this recipe and could eat it on repeat! Truly. It’s one of my favorites. It’s infused with incredible Mediterranean flavors and packed with the perfect blend of protein, fresh vegetables and carbs. You really can’t go wrong. This is one of those recipes that’s perfect for any occasion; entertaining guests, girls lunch, family dinner, meal planning, and best of all… leftovers!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- A complete meal in one – There are veggies, protein and carbs all in one bowl!
- Healthy – This recipe is light, fresh and such a great balance of protein and carbs.
- Perfect for meal prep – This recipe is so easy to portion out and meal prep!
- Fast – This is an easy meal to prep in advance, if needed. But even if you’re preparing and cooking all at the same time, it only takes 10 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook the chicken, and then simply assemble the bowls. It only takes 30 minutes from start to serve!
What is Gyro?
Gyro is a popular Greek street food similar to a wrap. It has so much flavor! It features meat that has been well seasoned. Chicken, pork, lamb or beef are most traditionally used. The meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie and shaved thin. The bread that wraps the meat and filling is traditionally a warm naan. The other fillings are typically tomatoes, onions and tzatziki. When the day comes that I travel to Greece, this will be the first thing I eat. This savory street food is the inspiration behind my Chicken Gyro Bowl!
Recipe Notes
This Chicken Gyro Bowl recipe is as simple as promised! Just 10 minutes of prep, cook the chicken, then a quick bowl assembly for a family friendly healthy meal everyone will love.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make this delicious, Mediterranean-inspired chicken bowl to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken Thighs– 2 lbs of bonelss, skinless chicken thighs are about 6 thighs. You could use boneless skinless chicken breasts to cut calories, but the thighs are more flavorful.
- Greek Yogurt – Greek yogurt is an excellent tenderizer and flavor infuser for meats. Be sure to use plain greek yogurt. Any brand works! For a dairy-free marinade, use dairy-free plain yogurt instead.
- Lemon Juice – You’ll use lemon juice in the marinade and in the rice.
- Red Wine Vinegar – This adds bright flavor, but also helps to tenderize the meat.
- Greek Seasoning – Grab any greek seasoning mix from the store or try making your own! I absolutely love this homemade Greek seasoning. I’ll make a large batch and keep it on hand for other greek-inspired dishes.
- Garlic – You can press fresh garlic or use jarred, minced garlic.
- Long Grain White Rice
- Fresh Herbs- Parsley & basil
- English Cucumber – English cucumbers are thinner than regular cucumbers.
- Red Onion
- Roma Tomatoes – You can also use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes for a sweeter flavor.
- Romaine
- Feta Cheese– You can get crumbled feta, or you can get a block and crumble it yourself.
- Tzatziki – Tzatziki can typically be found in the deli or dairy sections of most stores. I love making my own tzatziki and using any extra for a veggie dip!
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Lighter Greek Bowl– This is already such a healthy bowl, but if you’d like to lighten it up a bit you could use brown rice or quinoa, instead of white rice, and add more romaine to your base.
- Gyro Chicken Kabobs– Drizzle the skewered chicken with tzatziki, fresh lemon juice, sprinkle on feta or chopped parsley.
- Dairy Free Greek Bowl– Substitute dairy-free plain yogurt and omit the feta for a completely dairy-free dish!
- Chicken and Veggie Mediterranean Bowl– This recipe already has several flavorful veggies. However, if you’d like to add a few more traditional vegetables to the bowl to add more nutrients, you could always sprinkle in some diced bell pepper, kalamata olives, artichokes or chickpeas.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Chicken Gyro Bowls.
Combine diced tomato, cucumber and red onion in a bowl and mix.
Cook rice per package directions, then mix in lemon juice, parsley, basil and salt.
Cut chicken thighs into small pieces, then mix in a bowl with greek yogurt, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, greek seasoning and garlic.
Skewer the chicken tightly together onto 4 skewers, then place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
In each bowl, create a base of herb rice and romaine lettuce.
Top with chicken, cucumber tomato salsa and crumbled feta. Drizzle tzatziki over each bowl.
Recipe Tips
- Marinate, if time! – If you have the time to marinate your chicken, even 30 minutes to an hour, it’ll make your chicken so much more tender and flavorful. The longer, the better.
- Chicken temp – Be sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F
- Small Chops – Think “salsa” when you’re dicing your vegetables. You don’t want them too big or chunky for this bowl recipe. You’ll want to be able to get a little bit of everything into each bite.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Buy pre-chopped red onion – Save yourself some time and buy pre-chopped red onion. You can find this in the produce section of most grocery stores,.
- Jarred minced garlic – If you don’t have the time to peel and press your garlic, I love to keep a jar of minced garlic in the fridge just for this purpose. It’s so convenient!
- Buy pre-cooked rice- Grab pre-cooked rice from the grocery store and save yourself minutes!
- Prep ahead – Take a few minutes to prep earlier in the day or even the day before to save yourself at meal time. You can go ahead and chop your romaine heads and put them in a resealable bag. You can also pre-make the cucumber tomato salsa and keep it in an airtight container. Go ahead and trim and cut the chicken thighs, make the yogurt marinade, and mix altogether. It’ll be super tender when you cook it after having marinated throughout the day!
What to Serve with Greek Chicken Gyro Bowls
Since this protein based dinner has the delicious flavors of the Mediterranean, it will pair well with many of your favorite Greek side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Greek Layered Dip– If you can’t get enough of the delicious greek flavors in the easy gyro bowl, this dip recipe will do the trick! Pair it with pita chips, pita bread, naan or your favorite crackers for a fun side dish. Who says dip can’t be a side?
- Garlic Bread
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Chicken Gyro Bowl Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Chicken Gyro Pitas– Cut up your leftover chicken a bit more than it already is. Add any and all leftover ingredients into a pita pocket. Top with a bit of this lemon vinaigrette for more bright lemon flavors.
- Chicken Gyro Naan Pizza– I love to use naan as a pizza base! Drizzle a little olive oil onto the naan, sprinkle on some greek seasoning and top with your leftover chicken, feta and veggies. This Mediterranean Flatbread with Chicken recipe has some additional suggestions for toppings!
- Chicken Gyro Salad– Skip the rice, pull out more romaine or other favorite greens, and make the best tasting greek chicken salad! Drizzle on this healthy balsamic vinaigrette for the perfect tangy topper!
- Chicken Gyro Stuffed Potato– Have you ever made a baked potato in the instant pot? It’s so easy! Give it a shot and stuff it with your leftover chicken, feta and veggies. A dollop of the plain greek yogurt would be good, as well.
Recipe FAQ’s
Chicken breasts vs chicken thighs?
They are both great for different reasons! Chicken breasts are leaner, higher in protein and lower in calories. Chicken thighs are more flavorful, juicy and are more cost efficient. Chicken thighs are also rich in B12 and iron.
Why is greek yogurt a good ingredient in marinades?
Greek yogurt is an excellent tenderizer! It infuses flavor into the meat and helps it to be exceptionally moist, juicy and tender.
More EASY Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy Chicken recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
Chicken Gyro Bowls
Ingredients
For the chicken gyro meat:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¾ cup greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons greek seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the herb rice
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
For the bowls
- 1 english cucumber, finely diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
- 2 small romaine hearts, chopped
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 tablespoons tzatziki
Instructions
To prepare chicken gyro meat:
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.If using wooden skewers, soak them in water.
- Cut each chicken thighs into 4-6 pieces, about 1½-2 inches wide, trimming off any excess fat or tissue.
- In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, greek seasoning, and garlic together.Place the chicken in the yogurt mixture and toss until the chicken is evenly coated.Skewer the chicken tightly together onto four skewers.
- Place chicken skewers on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F.Remove from oven and slide meat off of skewers.
To prepare herb rice:
- Cook rice per package directions.
- Once done, mix salt, lemon juice, parsley, and basil into the rice.
To assemble the bowls:
- Combine the diced tomato, cucumber, and onion in a bowl and mix.
- In each bowl, create a base of herb rice and romaine. Then top with chicken, cucumber tomato salsa, and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle a tablespoon of tzatziki over each bowl.
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