Although it has kept us away from so much, quarantine life has certainly brought me closer to my kitchen. I have found myself getting more creative and intentional with my meals, mainly because I have more time to dedicate to them. Most recently, I had been longing for a restaurant-style Greek chicken pita, but with restaurant closings, I knew I had to settle for the next best thing (or so I thought).
This recipe is entirely homemade. From the marinade, to the tzatziki sauce to the pitas and it is ENTIRELY worth it. The homemade pitas, which is based on a recipe I’ve used for many years for quick homemade flatbreads, creates the perfect soft, pliable pita, that resembles the ones in our favourite Greek takeout shop.
Our family thoroughly enjoys this meal, and I truly hope you do too.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips (approx. 1.5lbs)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Zest 1/2 lemon
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- FOR THE TZATZIKI:
- 1 1/2 cups plain, full fat plain Greek yogurt (10% m.f.)
- 1 medium cucumber, grated with the skin
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed/finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly cracker pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons good quality white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
- FOR THE PITAS:
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- TO ASSEMBLE:
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced onion
- Chopped lettuce
Instructions
- MAKE THE CHICKEN: Place the chicken strips into a bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients: coriander, oregano, paprika, lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Whisk to combine. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 1 hour or more.
- Meanwhile, prepare the other elements for the wraps.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Pour the chicken and the marinade in the skillet and saute until nicely browned on either side and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately, in the pita breads, along with tzatziki, sliced tomato, sliced onion and chopped lettuce.
- MAKE THE TZATZIKI: (can be done in advance) Place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh sieve and press the cucumber down to squeeze out any excess water. Place the cucumber in a bowl along with the other tzatziki ingredients. Stir and set aside.
- MAKE THE PITAS: (can be done in advance) In a large bowl, use a spoon to combine the greek yogurt, olive oil and salt. Then, add the flour and baking powder and stir to combine.
- Dust a working surface with lots of flour, and have extra on hand to flour your rolling pin as well, as this can be a sticky dough. Turn the dough onto a working surface and shape a ball. Using a sharp knife, divide the dough into four equal pieces, shaping these into small balls and setting them aside.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. As the skillet heats, dust a rolling pin with flour and roll out your pitas into 8-inch disks.
- When the skill is hot, add the pita to the dry pan and allow too cook until nicely browned on either side, about 1 minute per side. Set aside and repeat with the remaining pitas. If made in advance, you may warm them up in the pan or in the microwave before assembling
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