Simple Spiced Chicken, Gyro Style

Everyone needs a good gyro.

That joke really doesn’t land if you – like most people I know – pronounce “gyro” like the prefix in “gyroscope”, instead of like the answer to the question “What is Captain America?” And while you may or may not agree that gyro is pronounced like the phrase “kind of a boring character”, that doesn’t make my initial statement any less true.

Everyone does need a good gyro… even if they don’t know it.

In this case, I present you with a simple, super-tasty recipe for bold-spiced grilled chicken breast, which is meant to be served either as a salad, or wrapped in a pita with all the fixings. However you choose to serve it up, this is sure to be one you will enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• salt and pepper

For serving:

• Pita bread
• Cucumber, red onion, and tomato slices
• Shredded lettuce
• Tzatziki sauce (I buy the OPA brand dressing, but it’s simple enough to make on your own)
• Lemon slices

Turn your grill on medium-high and allow it to preheat – or – preheat your oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil, and coat the foil in cooking spray.

Combine the listed spices, and rub the spice mixture onto the chicken breasts.

If grilling: Clean and spray the grates with oil/cooking spray. Grill the spice-rubbed chicken over direct medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink in the center, which should take about 6 minutes per side.

If baking: Place the spice-rubbed chicken on the prepared baking sheet, and place it in your preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes, flip the chicken over, and continue baking until the chicken is no longer pink on the inside, which should take another 10-15 minutes.

Note: Regardless of method, if you’re unsure of the doneness of the chicken, you can always use a meat thermometer to see if the meat has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Once you’re sure your bird is done, remove it from the heat, set it aside to rest, and prepare your fixings.

Slice the veggies, shred the lettuce, and you may even want to lightly oil and grill the pita for a little added texture.

Slice the chicken, and serve it all up family style, because creating your own gyro is part of the fun!

Enjoy!