Greek Chicken-Stuffed Pitas

First of all, I have to say that these were actually supposed to be chicken gyros, but I couldn't find pocketless pitas in my grocery store. Therefore, they became Greek chicken-stuffed pitas. Ah, well -- it certainly didn't affect the flavor at all, which was pretty amazing.

I've seen this recipe floating around on a lot of blogs recently, and I was really excited to try these. There's quite a bit of prep work invovled, so this is perfect for a weekend meal. The chicken is tender and flavorful thanks to the marinade, and the tzatziki sauce is completely addictive. I served these with Greek-style potatoes, and I even dolloped some of the tzatziki sauce on those (it was delicious!). Joe, Andrew and I all really liked these, and I will definitely be making them again!

Greek Chicken-Stuffed Pitas
source: slightly adapted from elly says opa!

1.25 pounds chicken pieces

4 cloves garlic, smashed

Juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper

Tzatziki sauce (recipe follows)
Sliced tomatoes

Sliced red onions

4 pitas (pocketless for gyros; sadly, I could only find pita pockets)

1. Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

2. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then saute until cooked through.

3. Heat the pitas. Top (or, in my case, stuff) each pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, onions.

Tzatziki Sauce
source: adapted from elly says opa!

16 ounces plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)

1 cucumber, seeded

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Salt and a little pepper

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

1. Strain yogurt using a cheesecloth over a bowl (if you don’t have that, a strainer lined with a coffee filter will work) for several hours or overnight to get out as much moisture as possible. (I used Greek yogurt, which has already been strained, so I skipped this step.)

2. Peel and seed the cucumber. Shred the cucumber and squeeze them in a clean towel to get as much moisture out as possible.

3. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate 30 minutes or more before serving so flavors can meld. Before serving, drizzle a little olive oil over the top.