Easy Oven-Baked Stacked Chicken Gyros

This simple set-it-and-forget-it recipe delivers juicy, flavorful gyro-style chicken perfect for casual sharing.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 3 to 4 (6-inch) bamboo skewers

• 6 small Greek pita flatbreads

• 1 (9-12 ounce) container tzatziki (homemade or store-bought)

• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Instructions

1. Prep your workspace and oven first: gather all ingredients, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper (leave extra overhang on the sides for easy removal later).

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, paprika, dill, and pepper until the marinade is fully smooth. Add all chicken thighs to the bowl and toss until every piece is evenly coated.

3. Stack the marinated chicken thighs neatly in the prepared loaf pan. Push 3 to 4 bamboo skewers vertically all the way through the stacked chicken to hold the layers together while baking. Scrape any remaining marinade from the bowl over the top of the chicken. Prep-ahead tip: At this stage, you can cover the pan and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 2 hours up to overnight to build deeper, richer flavor.

4. Bake the chicken for 1 hour and 10 minutes. It’s done when the exterior is lightly browned, the meat is fully tender, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the stack reads 170 degrees F (77 degrees C).

5. Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes to retain its juices.

6. Pour off any excess liquid that has collected at the bottom of the loaf pan, then transfer the whole chicken stack to a cutting board. Pull out the skewers, and slice the chicken thinly against the grain.

7. Arrange the sliced chicken, warm pitas, tzatziki, tomato, and red onion on a large serving platter, and let guests assemble their own custom gyros to enjoy.