This Chicken Gyros recipe was given to me by the owner of Kalimera Souvlaki Art, a wildly popular gyros bar in Melbourne. It’s ridiculously, unbelievably, eye-rollingly good. The secret lies in a simple marinade made with just four pantry spices. Seriously!!!
Kalimera’s Greek Chicken Gyros
A couple of years ago, I did a series for Good Food Australia called Secret Recipes where I shared recipes for some of the world’s most iconic dishes, generously passed to me by the very restaurants famous for them.
The first one I did was for the great Greek gyros. I have always been obsessed with gyros, and for most of my life I have been loyal to my original recipe made with a heady yogurt-garlic-oregano marinade. I still love it, but today’s gyros recipe is something else….
It was given to me by Thomas Deliopoulos, owner of Kalimera Souvlaki Art which is a wildly popular souvlaki bar in a vibrant Greek neighbourhood called Oakleigh in Melbourne. It serves up gyros so good it has esteemed chefs like Australia’s Ben Shrewery and New York Times food critic Sam Sifton raving about it!
Thomas’ recipe has a unique marinade made only with spices – it doesn’t even have minced garlic in it – with a surprising secret – curry powder! Not enough to make it taste like curry, it just adds a layer of flavour that makes an otherwise fairly regular spice mix into something wow!
At Kalimera, the gyros is cooked the traditional way on giant vertical rotisseries layered with fistfuls of fat. I just pan-fry or BBQ it, and was originally worried this home version would be lacking. But by tweaking the spice amounts slightly (also because I am pretty sure Kalimera uses better quality spices than regular grocery stores sell), I can safely say I was wrong. I’ve made it for many people now, and everyone is nuts for it!
Thank you for the recipe Thomas! It’s seriously great. I look forward to visiting Kalimera again!
Ingredients in Kalimera’s Greek Chicken Gyros
This is an unusual mix of pantry spices that creates a magical gyros marinade – the flavour Kalimera Souvlaki Art has become famous for!
1. Kalimera’s secret chicken gyros marinade
Curry powder – Just regular western curry powder, the type you get from ordinary grocery stores. Mild, not spicy. Kalimera’s secret ingredient!
Mustard powder – Another surprising ingredient you don’t usually see in typical Greek marinades! Adds earthiness into the flavour. Dijon mustard is not quite the same but will make a decent substitute.
Sweet / regular paprika – not spicy or smoked.
Dried oregano – a Greek favours. Fresh oregano is not the same here.
Extra virgin olive oil – the liquid to make the marinade.
Salt and pepper – I use cooking salt (kosher salt is the US equivalent). If you only have table salt, decrease the quantities in the recipe by 50%, if you have salt flakes, increase by 50%.
2. COPYCAT KALIMERA GYROS SAUCE
Thomas was coy about revealing his exact gyros sauce recipe, however, he did tell me what’s in it so I made a copycat up. I think it’s pretty close! Here’s what you need:
Plain yoghurt – preferably Greek or Greek-style. Full fat is best, though low-fat will work just fine.
Whole-egg mayonnaise – This is the only type of mayonnaise I use because it has a smoother flavour than regular mayonnaise which is more vinegary and/or sweeter. S&W and Hellman’s are the brands I get. Kewpie is also ideal as it is similar in flavour. But, it’s ok! 🙂 You can use regular mayonnaise if that’s all you got, or prefer!
Extra virgin olive oil – to enrich the sauce.
American yellow mustard – the secret ingredient!! Gives the sauce a warm colour and a hint of flavour. Dijon mustard is not the same, we want the full-on bright yellow stuff!! 🙂 Substitute with Dijon mustard. Don’t use hot English mustard, oh gosh, that would make this too spicy!
Garlic and paprika – These are the two spices that add flavour into the sauce.
3. for the gyros
Use the bread-type of pita bread, if you can find it. That’s the traditional bread used for gyros. Otherwise, any flatbread will work here.
Gyros pita bread / souvlaki bread – As noted above, I use the bready-type of pita bread that is about 5mm / 0.2″ thick, 21cm / 8.5″ wide. My favourite is the Golden Top brand Souvlaki Bread , which is popular with Greek restaurants and souvlaki shops here in Australia. I get mine from Harris Farms (I’m in Sydney).
Don’t be deterred if you can’t find this type of pita bread! Gyros is fabulous wrapped in anything – regular thin pita bread, flatbreads, Lebanese bread, even tortillas!
Tomato – Halved and thinly sliced.
Lettuce – Kalimera don’t use lettuce in theirs but I do like a bit of fresh leafy greenage inside. Feel free to skip it!
Red onion – Similarly to lettuce, this is my addition. I like a little bit of oniony-freshness in wraps like this.
HOT CHIPS! I know the gyros purists will approve, it wouldn’t be a proper Greek street-style gyros without them! However, it is optional and I must confess, most of the times I make gyros for a regular meal I do not include them, just out of sheer laziness – and because the gyros is so good (and stuffed full) even without them. 🙂
I just use frozen – cook them as you please (I bake for everyday, fry to impress) – though if you really want to show off, make your own fries!
How to make Kalimera’s famous Chicken Gyros
Kalimera cooks their chicken gyros on giant vertical rotisseries. We’re just going to use our stove or BBQ, no skewering involved. Not the same show but you still get the flavour!
1. Marinade chicken
Mix the marinade in a large bowl.
Marinade – Toss the chicken through, making sure you get the marinade into all the cracks and crevices! Then leave it to marinade overnight – 24 hours is ideal, 12 hours is enough, 3 hours is the bare minimum (in my books, though a friend has made this without marinading at all and thinks that once the chicken is chopped and tossed, you get enough flavour).
2. Cook
Sauce first – Mix the sauce up first before cooking the chicken as it benefits from resting for about 20 minutes to let the flavours meld.
Hot chips next, if using – Then cook the hot chips using whatever method works. If you’re baking or air frying, time it so they are ready when the gyros is ready to assemble. If you’re frying, fry then keep them warm in a 100°C/200°F oven.
Cook chicken either on the stove in a non-stick pan or better yet, on a BBQ, until deep golden brown and charred on the edges. You won’t need oil as the marinade has enough. Use medium high heat, so the surface won’t burn before the inside cooks through.
Small thighs will take about 3 minutes on each side, large ones 4 – 5 minutes. If you want to be sure, check the internal temperature – it should be at least 72°C/162°F when you take it off the BBQ. It will rise to 76°C/169°F once rested.
Rest – Remove the chicken from the BBQ/stove into a pan or tray. Loosely cover with foil then let it rest for 3 minutes (or however long it takes to cook the rest, if cooking in batches using a fry-pan). Resting is critical so the fibres re-absorb the meat juices so they don’t run out when you chop the chicken!
Warm the pita bread – While the chicken is resting, warm the pita bread. This is especially important if you are using the bready-type, else it will crack when you fold. The easiest way is to just stack on a plate and microwave for 1 – 1 1/2 minutes on high, until it is warm and pliable in the middle.
Else, you can brush with water and pan fry (careful not to make the surface crispy, else it will crack when folded) or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.
Slice the chicken into 8mm / 1/3″ strips.
Assemble gyros – To assemble, smear sauce down the middle. Pile chicken on, then place lettuce and tomato down the side. Sprinkle with red onion, top with chips, drizzle with more sauce then fold and devour!
This is such a great recipe to make in big batch because it’s so simple to make the marinade – just measuring out dry spices, no squeezing lemon, not even mincing garlic. Excellent to bag up marinated meat for the freezer, or big-batch cooking for groups.
It’s also one of those foods that you can lay everything out for everyone to help themselves to make their own wraps. I make no secret that I’m a fan of foods like that (like this one, this one, this one and this one). Yes, partially because it’s less work for me. But also I just like DIY foods – just feels more interactive and inclusive to eat this way rather than formal plated food!
Thoughts? 🙂 – Nagi x
PS While I made gyros wraps, can you imagine how good this would be in plate-form with a pile of this meat on spiced Lebanese rice (Mejadra) with tabbouleh or shredded lettuce and tomato, a huge dollop of tzatziki or hummus and folded flatbread tucked into the side? Yesssss!!
Watch how to make it
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Kalimera’s Famous Greek Chicken Gyros
Ingredients
- 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb chicken thighs, skinless boneless – butterfly thicker parts to make the thickness more uniform if they're large (Note 1)
Kalimera's chicken gyros marinade
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika (ie regular paprika, not smoked not spicy)
- 1 tbsp mustard powder (substitute with Dijon mustard)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano (Greek, if you've got it)
- 1/2 tbsp curry powder , mild not spicy *secret ingredient!* (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve if using table salt, +50% if using flakes)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Hot chips
- 400g / 14oz thick-cut chips , frozen – optional (Note 3)
- Pinch table salt , for the chips (or chicken salt)
Kalimera gyros sauce:
- 1 cup / 250g plain yoghurt , preferably Greek or Greek-style
- 3 tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise , substitute regular mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp yellow American mustard (yes, really!) – substitute with Dijon mustard, not hot English mustard, too spicy
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
To serve
- 2 tomatoes , halved and sliced
- 3 cups cos lettuce (romaine) , finely sliced (5mm / 0.2")
- 1/2 small red onion , diced (5mm / 0.2" squares)
- 5 x 20cm / 8" pita breads, the slightly bready kind if you can (Note 5)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Marinate chicken overnight (minimum 3 hours). Mix sauce, make chips. Cook chicken, rest 3 minutes, assemble gyros as follows: Sauce, chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, chips, sauce. Fold, devour!
FULL RECIPE
- Marinate chicken – Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix well to coat. Marinate in the fridge for 24 hours (absolute minimum 3 hours!)
Before cooking:
- Sauce first – Mix the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes to let the flavours meld.
- Chips next – If using hot chips, make them before cooking the chicken using whatever method suits – baked, fry, air fry. (I bake for convenience and fry to impress.) Season with salt to taste (sorry, you're going to have to eat one!) Keep them warm in a 100°C/200°F oven while you cook the chicken.
Cooking the chicken gyros
- BBQ option (recommended!) – Preheat the BBQ on medium high (the grill side preferred, flat iron also works). No need to oil the grills. Cook the chicken for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until deep golden with slightly charred edges.
- Stove cook – Heat a large non stick pan over medium high heat (no oil required). Cook the chicken in batches for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until deep golden and cooked through (internal temperature 72°C/162°F). Give the pan a quick wipe with paper towels between batches, to remove excess black bits.
- Remove & rest – Remove chicken onto a tray. Loosely cover with foil and rest for 3 minutes, then slice into 1 cm / 0.4" pieces.
Assemble gyros
- Heat the pita bread until warm and pliable. Honestly, microwave is so easy (stack on plate, 45 sec – 1 1/2 minutes on high). For stove, brush each side with water then heat in lightly oiled non-stick pan for 1 minute on each side (medium high), don't let it go crispy else it will crack when folded.
- Wrapping – Spread 3 tablespoons of the sauce down the middle. Pile the chicken onto the sauce, add lettuce and tomato on one side. Sprinkle with red onion, pile chips on top, drizzle with more sauce. Fold to enclose, wrap in foil to keep everything in place.
- Serve gyros with extra sauce for dunking!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
After shuttling between seven houses over his lifetime, we’ve started moving into Dozer’s forever home. 🥰 Can’t let a little move interrupt Dozer’s sleeping schedule and posting new recipes – here I am literally writing up these words mid-move!
It will be a few weeks before we’re properly in, but we’ve started! I’m so excited, after 11 years, I’m finally moving out of the office! 🎉
1 love it. Thank you very much.
Thanks Josefina!
Haha! Used to often stagger over there after a big session at the pub. Bloody great gyros. The staff there were wonderfully long-suffering too with boozed-up, hungry punters, Perfect apres-pub grub!
We’ve been making this for a few years since it was first published in Good Food and we’re luck enough to live near Kalimera in Melbourne. This is my teenage son’s favourite meal and we make it fortnightly. Thank you Nagi for another great recipe. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
Thanks for leaving a comment Trish! You are so lucky near by! I would go there all the time!
Nagi & Dozer, Hope the move goes well and that you both love your new home. Looking forward to trying the new recipe. It sounds fantastic and I love Greek food.
Congragulations you two on your new abode! And thank you for another fabulous recipe!
Funny…. I had all the stuff to make your original gyros tonight, for tomorrow with friends. I think I might have to do this instead???? AWESOME timing.
Yes! Try it Annie, I really think you’ll love it. The marinade is SO GOOD! – N x
It’s so funny… I have to stop myself when looking for the heart emoji to put on Dozer pics… hahaha!
This recipe sounds amazing – it’s on the TG week menu with the kids… thanks Nagi!
BA HA HA!! Maybe I should create a clickable Dozer heart to put on his photos!!! 😂
Agreed!!! I think you both will love all the extra attention it’ll create!!!
This looks incredible! Can the mustard powder be substituted with mustard?
Hi Rose! It’s not quite the same but will make a fair substitute here 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try it! – N x
I am in England I presume the yellow mustard we get is much hotter than the American version, what do you think Nagga.Many thanks x
Hi Barbara – yes it is too hot! I added a note to warn 🙂 – N x
Whoops! Didn’t read far enough…sorry for the chips question!
No worries Fran! Must confess I’ve made this with frozen chips most of the time, though when I’e used freshly made it’s so good! – N x
That Dozer! 💗. This looks and sounds deeelish! Frozen chips of what? 🤷♂️
Wooohoooo clapclapclapclapclap
Congratulations!!! Wishing you and Dozer a wonderful Holiday Season in your new Home!!!
Hi Nagi
Your recipes are delicious. And I Just bought your kookboek(Dutch) and I love it.
Hi Nagi,
Thankyou for all your wonderful recipes and your much used/ loved books.
When I lived im Melbourne, a shop there made their own pita , cooking it while preparing the rest of an order. She would pour the batter out and cook it frypan style.
I have never been able to emulate that pita bread and wonder if you have a recipe.
Oh my, this was delicious! I saw your email at the perfect time. I had everything to make your Chicken Shawarma recipe, a huge family favourite, but made this instead. The flavour of the chicken is incredible, and it smells so good cooking. Thank you for the recipe, and thanks to Thomas for sharing his secrets
Hi Nagi.
I’m calling from Aberdeen in Scotland. You call up 2 kinds of mustard in your chicken gyros recipe. Is the mustard powder English mustard? Is the American mustard the sort they put on hot dogs?
I love your roast pork shoulder. The crackling is the best ever, my friends love it too!
Many thanks from an 84 year old who loves cooking.
Hi John, I am from Glasgow (Scotland) and a devoted fan of Nagi (and Dozer) and usually I just use Colemans as that is all I can get from the normal Scottish supermarkets. Nagi could be using Keens which is a top brand in Australian and from research is not as bright yellow as Colemans and slightly milder. I normally this but as the recipe calls for 1tbs I may just use a bit less.
Andie P
Hi Andie.
Many thanks for your comments. I would have thought Colemans would have been a bit fierce so I may use less as you suggest. Thanks again.
John.
With regards to the American Mustard used in the sauce (disclaimer – I’m a Yank): What you want for this is what we call yellow mustard. When we lived in London my friends there said it tasted sweet to them. I made this last night and this recipe is PERFECT. Here is a link that might help locate the Yellow Mustard: https://www.trolley.co.uk/explore/american-mustards
Preparing to try this recipe however, I am always hesitant to buy frozen chips as I have always been disappointed. What frozen chips do you use for this recipe, if you don’t mind me asking?
McCains pub style extra crispy are nice.. I am in beer Australia Woolworths / Coles both sell around $6.
McCains Beer batter crunchy also around $6
IMHO frozen chips are greatly improved by adding a bit more oil, maybe 1/2 Tbsp, and some paprika or rosemary or other seasoning of your choice. Also cooking in a basket-style air fryer and shaking every 5 minutes. If you often have chips it might be worthwhile to get an air fryer if you dont have one. Whether frozen or homemade from scratch, the air fryer has a better result, again IMHO.
Dozer looks good! So glad to see him well again. And the recipe looks terrific, that’s dinner tomorrow night.
This looks fantastic! I’ll be trying it very soon. Just a query on the quantity of mustard powder, as a tablespoon seemed quite a lot. Is is regular Colmans mustard powder which we have here in the UK? Don’t want to blow everyone’s face off! 🥵
I wondered the same Julie – in the image of the marinade ingredients it doesn’t look as bright yellow as English mustard powder I don’t think. Hopefully Nagi will have time to answer you.
I remember my grandmother using Colman’s in the tiniest amounts, preparing it in these tiny glasses with a spoon a quarter of the size of a coffee spoon, and I can quite confidently tell you the mustard Nagi is using is nowhere near as hot, so maybe start with a lot less…
Thank you AE, that was my thought. I’ve followed a recipe using mustard powder before (not one of Nagi’s) and it was far too hot. I’ll start with a lesser amount and build up.
Thanks for your message Mary. I’ll probably try with a smaller amount at first and see how it goes, easier to add than take away!
Happy new forever home x
With gluten free wraps, this will be a perfect dairy free and celiac for our upcoming family get together. The kids love them too! X