Chicken Tzatziki Wraps – Greek Yoghurt Gyros Recipe

Greek Chicken Wraps with fresh Mediterranean flavours. We make everything from scratch for these chicken tzatziki wraps, including the sauce, marinade and salad. Serve it all up as a “Make your own wrap” meal for a delicious dinner option for the family.

Equipment Needed:

• Sharp Knife and Chopping Board: To prepare the chicken, salad and herbs.
• Large Bowl: You’ll need a large mixing bowl for mixing and marinating the chicken.
• Medium Bowl: A medium mixing bowl will be needed for preparing and storing the salad.
• Small Bowl: Use a small mixing bowl for making the tzatziki sauce.
• Grater: Use a box grater with a fine grating option to prepare the cucumber and cheddar cheese.
• Measuring Equipment: Digital measuring scales, cups and measuring spoons will help you to accurately weigh out the ingredients which will give you the best result.
• Large Spoon or Spatula: Used for mixing the marinade and cooking the chicken.
• Cling Film (Plastic Wrap): Used to cover the marinating chicken in the bowl for storage in the fridge.
• Large Frying Pan or Large Non-Stick Skillet: Used for cooking the marinated chicken chunks.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breasts: Four large chicken breasts are usually plenty to feed a hungry family, but you can decide if you need to scale this up or down.
• Greek Yoghurt: Used both in the chicken marinade and in the tzatziki sauce. Where possible, try to stick to Authentic Greek yoghurt and not Greek-Style yoghurt. I use a full-fat yoghurt for the best results and rich flavour, but you can also use a light version.
• Garlic: The fresh garlic flavour really stands out. However, you can also use roasted garlic for a slightly milder flavour.
• White Wine Vinegar: Acts as an acid component (giving a slight tang) but also helps to tenderise the chicken in the marinade.
• Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: Gives a bright summery flavour that goes well with the garlic and herbs.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness to both the marinade and the tzatziki sauce.
• Dried Oregano and Dried Coriander: This combination brings that Mediterranean flavour to the dish. You can also use fresh herbs of the same variety, just use a little more (dried herbs are more concentrated in flavour).
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Used as a seasoning throughout the dish.
• Cucumber: A key component in both the Greek tzatziki sauce and salad. Just be sure to scrape the middle part out with a spoon before grating it for the sauce. The middle part holds a lot of liquid. Don’t forget to squeeze the grated cucumber well before adding to the tzatziki too, otherwise the excess liquid will make the sauce too runny.
• Mint: A little fresh mint compliments the sauce well, but you can leave it out if you’d prefer.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Adds sweetness and juiciness to the salad. You can quarter the tomatoes whole or scrape out the seeds in the middle. This is personal preference.
• Fresh Parsley (or Dried Parsley): Adds a fresh, herbaceous flavour to the salad.
• Flatbreads or Wraps: You can choose to make your own, buy them readymade or use pita bread, the choice is yours.
• Cheddar Cheese: A little sprinkling of cheese on top of the chicken works really well, but you can omit this if you prefer.
• Sliced Jalapenos: Adds a spicy kick to the wraps for those who enjoy extra heat. These are another optional extra.

Substitutions and Additions:

Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.

Substitutions:

• Chicken Breasts: You can choose to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as an alternative.
• Vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar instead.
• Tomatoes: You can use regular tomatoes or plum tomatoes if you wish.
• Cheese: Try substituting with feta cheese for a different flavour.

Additions:

• Red Onion: If you like onion in your Mediterranean salad, feel free to finely slice a small red onion and add it in.
• Lettuce: You can add some shredded lettuce to your wraps.
• Bell Peppers: A slice red bell pepper can work well as an addition too!
• Olives: Add sliced Kalamata olives to the salad or the wraps for an added kick.
• Fries: Make these just like Chicken gyros wraps and add in some potato fries too!

Step-By-Step Guide – How To Make Chicken Tzatziki Wraps

• Mince the garlic and grate the lemon zest. Chop the chicken breasts into small chunks.
• In a large bowl, combine Greek yoghurt, minced garlic, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, dried oregano, dried coriander, black pepper, and sea salt.
• Add the chopped chicken breast chunks to the marinade and mix until fully coated.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

• Slice the cucumber vertically, scrape out the seeds, and finely grate it. Squeeze out excess liquid and place the cucumber in a medium bowl.
• Mince the garlic and add to the bowl with Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, olive oil, and mint.
• Mix everything together thoroughly and season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

• Dice the cucumber and cherry tomatoes.
• Finely chop the parsley.
• In a medium bowl, combine diced cucumber, diced cherry tomatoes, and chopped parsley.
• Season with sea salt and black pepper, toss gently to mix.

• Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the marinated chicken chunks along with the marinade.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and chicken is browned and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

• Optionally warm the wraps or flatbreads.
• Spread a generous amount of tzatziki sauce on each wrap.
• Top with cooked chicken chunks.
• Spoon tomato and cucumber salad over the chicken.
• Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and add sliced jalapenos if desired.
• Fold the wraps over and serve immediately.

• Marinating is Important: For maximum flavour and juicy chicken, don’t skip the marinating time. The chicken will be tender and full of flavour, which you will miss out on if you skip this step.
• Cook Chicken Until Browned: Cook the marinated chicken until it is nicely browned on all sides and cooked through. When you start to fry it, there will be a lot of liquid, cook it over a medium heat until this disappears.
• Warm the Wraps: Heat the flatbreads or wraps slightly before assembling the wraps. Warm pitas taste much better. You can use the oven or a microwave to do so.

Storage

• Storage: I don’t recommend storing assembled wraps as they will become soggy with time. Store the components separately. Everything can be kept in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 2 days.

• Freezing: The salad, tzatziki and marinated chicken do not store well in the freezer. The cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 2 months, however you may find the texture changes slightly. Defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight before reheating. Wraps can also be frozen on their own and warmed before use.

Reheating: Reheat cooked chicken in a skillet over medium heat until hot throughout. Alternatively, microwave in short intervals, stirring in between.