Chicken Gyro Chopped Salad
Updated June 16, 2025
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes’ marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
3 tablespoons garlic powder
Salt and pepper
½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
7 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice (from about 2 small lemons)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally in half
½ cup dill, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large head romaine lettuce, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise into ½-inch pieces (about 10 cups)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup slightly crushed pita chips
4 ounces feta, crumbled, plus more for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together the oregano, cumin, cinnamon, basil, paprika, cayenne, 2 tablespoons of the garlic powder and 1 tablespoon salt with ¼ cup of the yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add the chicken to the marinade. Massage the chicken in the marinade, coating completely. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together the dill, mayonnaise, ¼ cup olive oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic powder, ¼ cup yogurt and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Step 3
When the chicken is done marinating, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Let the excess marinade drip off the chicken and then cook the chicken, a few pieces at a time, for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 3 minutes. The chicken should be browned on both sides and cooked though. (Because of the dairy in the marinade, expect it to caramelize a bit in the pan. Turn down the heat if it begins to burn.) Set the chicken aside to rest; it will continue to cook off the heat. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, chop into ½-inch pieces.
- Step 4
Assemble the salad: Make a bed of romaine in a large salad bowl or serving plate, then create rows of tomatoes, cucumber, onion, chicken, pita chips and crumbled feta. Drizzle with about half of the dressing and serve with the remaining dressing and more feta, if desired, on the side.
Private Notes
Comments
This was easy to put together and it was tasty! I ended up using chicken thighs instead of breast. I also baked them so I wouldn't have to worry about burning the marinade (it's a me problem...I don't cook well on a stovetop) and it worked well.
I had this last week in Cape May takeout from George’s, a local Greek restaurant. Kalamata olives rather than pita chips. Delicious.
Delicious! Halved the cinnamon as recommended and marinated chicken overnight. Used regular plain full fat yogurt as that's what I had (vs Greek). Served over power greens and cabbage, added black olives too. Will make again and again. I'm sure the leftovers will be great as a wrap for lunch tomorrow!
Have already made this several times, but I admit, haven't even tried the salad part yet... The marinade on the chicken in delicious. Made as per the recipe, but thinned the marinade with 1/4 cup EVOO. Poured over 3 lbs of bone-in, skin on thighs and grilled them over indirect heat. Wow! Fresh sweet corn from the farmers market a perfect side. Next time I'll try the salad part too,,
This recipe is not well written in that there are a couple of ingredients that are divided, and that is not indicated in the ingredients list. It is indicated in the prep, but is easily missed. That being said, the chicken was good, not great, and I don’t know if it is worth the work, and it seems the only thing Greek about this salad is dill and feta. I probably will not make again.
Not to be dramatic but this is the best salad I’ve ever made or had in my 46 years on earth. Wow!! That dressing and addition of the pita chips was just perfect. 10 out 10 would recommend.

