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Chicken Gyro Bowls with marinated Greek chicken, homemade tzatziki, and fresh veggies over rice make an easy, healthy weeknight dinner.
These Chicken Gyro Bowls take everything you love about a classic Greek gyro sandwich and turn it into an easy, deconstructed dinner bowl. Juicy marinated chicken, homemade tzatziki, and a colorful pile of fresh veggies come together over a bed of rice for a meal that’s just as good for a weeknight dinner as it is for meal prep lunches all week long.
The chicken marinates in a simple mixture of Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and Greek seasoning, which keeps it tender and packed with flavor whether you cook it on the grill or in a skillet. Pile it in a bowl with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta, and red onion, then finish everything with a generous spoonful of tzatziki sauce.
Erin’s Notes
- Big Greek flavor: The yogurt-based marinade keeps the chicken juicy and infuses it with garlic and herbs in as little as an hour.
- Customizable bowls: Swap the base, mix up the toppings, and make each bowl your own.
- Great for meal prep: Cook the components ahead and assemble bowls throughout the week.
- Ready in about an hour: Even with marinating time, this comes together quickly, and it’s even faster if you marinate the chicken the night before.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken Marinade
- Chicken breasts – Cut into cubes so they cook quickly and evenly, whether on skewers or in a skillet.
- Greek yogurt – Tenderizes the chicken while it marinates and helps the seasoning stick.
- Greek seasoning blend – A mix of herbs like oregano, plus garlic and lemon notes. Plain dried oregano works well too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic gives the marinade its punch of flavor.
- Olive Oil
Tzatziki Sauce
- Shredded cucumber – Squeeze out as much liquid as you can so the sauce stays thick instead of watery.
- Fresh dill – Adds that classic tzatziki flavor. In a pinch, dried dill works, though fresh is best.
- Lemon juice – Brightens up the sauce and balances the richness of the yogurt.
- Garlic
- Salt
Bowl Toppings
- Grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion – Fresh, crunchy vegetables that add color and balance to the bowl.
- Olives and feta – Bring a salty, briny bite that’s classic in Greek cooking.
Choosing Your Base
White rice is the base in this recipe, but these bowls are easy to build around whatever you have on hand or however you’re eating that week.
- Brown rice – A heartier, whole-grain swap for white rice. It takes a bit longer to cook, so plan ahead or use a quick-cook variety.
- Quinoa – A protein-packed base that works well if you want to add extra protein to the bowl.
- Pita on the side – Serve warm homemade pita alongside the bowls for scooping up chicken and tzatziki, or for anyone who wants to build their own gyro-style wrap at the table.
Chicken Gyro Bowls
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon Greek seasoning blend, or Oregano
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded cucumber, squeezed and drained
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic , finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumbers, diced
- 1/2 cup olives, halved
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely sliced
Instructions
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the chicken together in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and massage to ensure all of the chicken is coated. Place in the fridge for 1 hour, up to 24 hours.1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon Greek seasoning blend
- Meanwhile, mix together all of the ingredients of the Tzatziki sauce and place in the fridge until ready to serve.1/2 cup shredded cucumber, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 clove garlic , 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Once the chicken is marinated you can thread onto skewers if you want to grill the chicken or heat a large skillet over medium high heat if you want to cook indoors.
- Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side until it is cooked through (measures 165º F internal temperature).
- To assemble your bowls start with a base of rice and then add the desired toppings. Serve with Tzatziki sauce.2 cups cooked white rice, 1 cup grape tomatoes, 1 cup cucumbers, 1/2 cup olives, 1/2 cup feta cheese, 1/4 cup red onion
Notes
- Swap the rice for brown rice or quinoa for a different base.
- Serve with warm pita on the side for scooping or building a wrap.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Chicken Gyro Bowls
- Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken with the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, and Greek seasoning in a plastic bag. Seal and massage the bag so the chicken is fully coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.
- Make the tzatziki. While the chicken marinates, stir together the shredded cucumber, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prep for cooking. Once the chicken has marinated, thread it onto skewers for grilling, or heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for stovetop cooking.
- Cook the chicken. Cook for about 4–5 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Assemble the bowls. Start with a base of rice, then add the cooked chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta, and red onion. Finish with a generous spoonful of tzatziki sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the marinating time. Even 1 hour makes a noticeable difference in flavor and tenderness; overnight is even better.
- Squeeze the cucumber well for the tzatziki. Excess liquid will water down the sauce if it isn’t drained first.
- Use a meat thermometer. Cooking times can vary depending on the size of your chicken cubes, so check for 165°F to avoid over- or undercooking.
- Cut the chicken evenly. Uniform cubes cook at the same rate, so no piece is over- or undercooked.
Storage & Meal Prep
Store the chicken, tzatziki, rice, and toppings separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keeping everything separate helps the vegetables stay fresh and crisp instead of getting soggy. When ready to eat, reheat the chicken and rice, then add the cold toppings and tzatziki just before serving.
Yes. The chicken can marinate up to 24 hours ahead, and the tzatziki sauce can be made a day in advance. Cooked chicken and rice also reheat well throughout the week.
Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well in this recipe and stay especially juicy.
