Greek Chicken Gyro Bowls (Printable)
Tender marinated chicken and fresh veggies served with creamy tzatziki over aromatic rice.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
02 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
06 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
→ Tzatziki Sauce
11 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
12 - ½ cucumber, grated and excess liquid squeezed out
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried dill
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
17 - ¼ teaspoon salt
18 - Black pepper, to taste
→ Bowls
19 - 2 cups cooked basmati or jasmine rice
20 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
21 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
22 - ½ red onion, thinly sliced
23 - ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
24 - ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
25 - 1 lemon, cut into wedges
26 - Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
27 - Optional: warm pita bread, cut into wedges
# Steps:
01 - Combine olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Greek yogurt, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, up to 2 hours to enhance flavor.
02 - In a small bowl, mix Greek yogurt, grated cucumber with excess liquid removed, olive oil, dill, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined. Chill until serving.
03 - Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until fully cooked and golden. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four bowls. Arrange sliced chicken, cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced red onion, Kalamata olives, and crumbled feta on top. Drizzle generously with tzatziki sauce.
05 - Add lemon wedges and fresh parsley over each bowl. Serve with warm pita bread if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The chicken is impossibly tender because the yogurt in the marinade does something magical—it keeps everything moist while the spices do the work.
- You can prep the tzatziki and marinate the chicken in the morning, so dinner comes together in about 20 minutes flat.
- It tastes restaurant-quality but costs a fraction of takeout, and everyone at the table feels like they're eating something special.
02 -
- Don't skip squeezing the liquid from the cucumber for tzatziki or it will separate and look broken by the time you serve it—I learned this the embarrassing way.
- If you're cooking for people who don't like raw red onion, slice it thin and soak it in lemon juice for 10 minutes to mellow it out and make it less harsh.
- Cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water, and your entire bowl tastes instantly more cohesive and delicious.
03 -
- If you buy your feta in a block instead of pre-crumbled, it tastes exponentially better and gives you much better texture in the bowl.
- Make the marinade and tzatziki the night before and you've basically already made dinner—just cook the chicken and assemble, and you look like a hero.