Description
Lemony Greek Chicken Pitas are the ultimate chicken dinner with a burst of Mediterranean-inspired flavor! Chicken thighs soak up a simple lemony marinade then roast until juicy, finishing under the broiler to create delicious as-good-as-grilled char. Tuck the chicken in a warm pita then top with tzatziki-inspired yogurt sauce, a pile of crispy, golden roasted fries, & whatever other Greek chicken pita wrap toppings you love most!
Ingredients
Scale
for the Lemony Greek Chicken Pitas:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Recipe Notes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lemons, zested & juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: warm pita bread (I love this homemade pita recipe), oven-roasted Greek fries (below), tzatziki-ish herbed yogurt drizzle (below), shredded lettuce, sliced cucumber, pickled red onions, crumbled feta, chopped fresh dill, etc.
for the Oven-Roasted Greek Fries:
- 2–3 gold potatoes, peeled as desired & sliced into 1/3-inch fries (approx. 1.5 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced & divided
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
for the Tzatziki-ish Herbed Yogurt Drizzle:
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (whole milk or 2% is best)
- 1 lemon, zested & juiced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- 1–2 tablespoons water
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, ensuring one oven rack is positioned in the center of the oven & a second oven rack is positioned directly under the broiler. Gather & prep ingredients according to Ingredients List, above.
- Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest & juice, garlic, & dried oregano. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Add the chicken to the bowl, tossing to coat in the marinade. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or cover & marinate in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.
- Prepare the oven-roasted Greek fries: Line a large baking sheet with foil for easy clean up as desired. Place the sliced potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Pour the olive oil, half of the lemon juice, dried oregano, smoked paprika, & garlic powder over top. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper, as desired. Toss to combine, arranging the seasoned fries in an even layer across the baking sheet.
- Roast the Greek fries: Transfer the prepared fries to the center rack of the preheated oven. Roast 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Use a large spatula to carefully flip the fries. Return to the oven to roast an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden & crisp. Remove from the oven. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over the fries & set aside for serving.
- Roast the Greek chicken: Transfer the marinated chicken to a small baking sheet. Once the fries have roasted 20 minutes & you flip them, transfer to the top rack of the oven. Roast 10-15 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the oven.
- Optional: Broil the Greek chicken: If desired, broil the Greek chicken for a crispy, browned finish (so good!). Transfer the roasted chicken to a cutting board & carefully slice into bite-sized pieces. Place the sliced Greek chicken back on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet under the broiler. Broil 4-5 minutes, carefully turning the pan halfway through, until the Greek chicken is browned & slightly crisp. Remove from the oven & set aside for serving.
- Prepare the tzatziki-ish herbed yogurt drizzle: Meanwhile, as the chicken & fries roast, prepare the yogurt drizzle. In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, lemon zest & juice, garlic, & dill. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Whisk to combine. If needed, thin the mixture out with 1-2 tablespoons water, just until your desired consistency is reached. Set aside for serving, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Assemble Greek chicken pitas & serve: Serve as desired. I like to quickly warm up pita bread by popping it directly on a rack in the warm oven for 1-2 minutes. Pile the pita high with shredded lettuce, oven-roasted Greek fries, sliced lemony Greek chicken, crumbled feta, sliced cucumber, & pickled red onion, finishing everything off with a generous drizzle of tzatziki-ish herbed yogurt. Enjoy!
Notes
- Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead? Yes. I prefer using chicken thighs in this recipe since they’re flavorful & stay really nice & juicy through roasting + broiling, but you can swap them out with breasts if you prefer. Either pound the breasts out flat or cut them in half lengthwise (butterflied) to ensure they roast up evenly. Skip broiling (Step 6), as the breast meat will dry out.
- 20-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this Greek chicken comes from prepping the lemony marinade & tzatziki-ish herbed yogurt drizzle. Whisk up either or both in advance to get a head start on your Greek chicken pitas – it takes 20 minutes, tops:
- Prepare the marinade according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The day you’d like to make Greek chicken, all you have to do is toss the chicken into the marinade – so easy! Marinate for at least 30 minutes or marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 8 hours. (10 minutes active prep)
- Prepare the tzatziki-ish herbed yogurt drizzle according to Step 7 of Recipe Directions above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.