Craving the bold flavors of a gyro without the mess? These Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowls bring all the Mediterranean goodness – from grilled chicken and lemony herb orzo to tangy tzatziki – in a quick, easy-to-make bowl that’s perfect for any busy weeknight!
I love a good gyro, with flavorful meat shaved right off the cone and pilled high in a warm pita with all of the toppings. But it is always so messy to eat – I usually end up giving up about half way through because it is just too much work. Not to mention that most of us don’t have the ability to roast a whole hunk of meat at home like with traditional gyros. So for this recipe I wanted to bring the flavors of traditional gyros in a more accessible form – perfect for any busy weeknight dinner.
These Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowls are loaded with all of my favorite gyro toppings including tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, crisp onion, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Plus with grilled spice rubbed chicken breast, toasted pita, and a lemony herb orzo and topped with cool, creamy tzatziki sauce, these bowls are as filling as they are delicious.
Serve them pilled high with your favorite toppings and make any night more fun with these bold Mediterranean flavors.
How Do You Make Chicken Gyro Bowls?
There are a couple of different things to do to make these Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowls, and it may look like a lot of steps and ingredients. But trust me, it is all very simple, and once you get the hang of it, you will see how they come together quickly.
- Make the Orzo: Start by cooking the orzo according to package directions. When the orzo is cooked and drained, but still hot, add in the grated garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, fresh parsley, and fresh chopped mint. Stir to combine. The heat will slightly cook the garlic (removing the raw flavor and allow the herbs and lemon zest to release their flavor). Stir and season the Lemon Herb Orzo with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix Up the Seasoning: Next to make these Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowls, we mix up a Greek inspired spice rub. This flavor packed spice mixture includes garlic and onion powder, cumin, oregano, marjoram, and thyme. I used dried herbs, which stand up better to the heat of the cooking.
- Toast the Pita: I prefer to use whole wheat pitas for a nutritional boost, plus they have an extra nutty flavor. I like to brush the pita with a little olive oil, sprinkle on some of the chicken seasoning, then lightly grill the pitas until they are lightly toasted. You can also toast the pitas in an oven or in a hot pan. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Season & Grill the Chicken: The next step is to season your chicken breasts on both sides heavily with the remaining spice rub. Drizzle the chicken with a little extra virgin olive oil, and then grill on a grill pan over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through and has a nice char on the outside.
- Prep Your Toppings: While the orzo and chicken cook prep the toppings by chopping the lettuce, halving the cherry tomatoes and olives, thinly slicing the onion and cumber, crumbling the feta, and cutting the toasted pita into rough chunks or triangles.
- Assemble & Serve: When everything is cooked and ready to serve, pile the sliced chicken, orzo, and toppings in a large, wide bowl (pasta bowls work great for this). Top with tzatziki sauce and an extra squeeze of lemon or drizzle of olive oil if desired and serve immediately.
Customizing These Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowls
These Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowls are easy to customize to your preferences and needs. Here are some suggestions that I recommend:
- Feel free to mix in any combination of your favorite gyro toppings – including fresh veggies such as chopped romaine, cherry or roma tomatoes, kalamata or green olives, sliced peppers, red or white onion, banana peppers, or sliced cucumber.
- Substitute couscous, rice, or another hearty grain for the orzo.
- For a different twist, you can even substitute ground meat for the chicken. Try chicken, beef, or even lamb. Just season heavily with the spice rub when cooking to incorporate the same flavors. You can even use shredded rotisserie chicken if you are in a hurry, just warm the chicken and sprinkle with the spice rub to season.
- Make this for meal prep dinner or lunch by cooking the orzo and chicken and prepping the veggies ahead of time. If you want to reheat the chicken and orzo to serve, I recommend keeping the chicken and orzo separate and assembling when ready to eat. But if you plan on eating everything cold, you can assemble each serving and just pull it out of the fridge when ready to eat.
Looking for More Weeknight Dinner or Meal Prep Recipes
With lean, protein rich chicken and lots of fresh veggies, these Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowls are a nutritious, balanced, and hearty meal, perfect for lunch or dinner. I also like these other hearty bowls or salads and one pan recipes for quick and easy dinners throughout the week.
- Chili Lime Chicken Taco Bowls with Salsa Verde Slaw
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, & Quinoa Power Bowl
- Lemony Kale and White Bean Salad
- Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Thyme
- Mediterranean Kale Caesar Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
- Maple Mustard Salmon, Brussels Sprouts, & Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
If you make this Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowl recipe or any of my other favorite recipes, don’t forget to comment and rate the recipe below to let me know what you think! You can also share your photos and tag me @NamasteHomeCooking on Facebook or @NamasteHomeCooking on Instagram.
Grilled Chicken Gyro Bowls with Lemon Herb Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 pita breads
- 1 1/2 lb thin sliced chicken breasts (or 2 regular chicken breasts cut in half long way)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Lemon Herb Orzo
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 tbsp fresh mint (chopped)
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Spice Rub
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tps black pepper
Toppings
- chopped romaine lettuce
- sliced cucumber
- halved cherry tomatoes
- thinly sliced white onion
- kalamata olives
- crumbled feta cheese
- tzatziki sauce (store bought or make your own)
Instructions
- Cook the orzo according to package directions. When orzo is cooked and drained, but still hot, add in the grated garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, fresh parsley, and fresh chopped mint. Stir to combine. The heat will slightly cook the garlic (removing the raw flavor and allow the herbs and lemon zest to release their flavor). Stir and season the Lemon Herb Orzo with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl, combine all spice rub ingredients.
- Brush both sides of pitas with a small amount of olive oil, and sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp spice rub mixture. On a hot grill or grill pan, grill the pitas a few minutes per side, until they are lightly toasted. You can also toast the pitas in an oven or in a hot pan. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Season your chicken breasts on both sides heavily with the remaining spice rub. Drizzle the chicken with a little extra virgin olive oil, and then grill on a grill pan over medium-high heat about 4 minutes per side to get good grill marks. Continue cooking chicken, flipping every 2 - 3 minutes, until cooked through and has a nice char on the outside - about 16 - 18 minutes total.
- While the Orzo and Chicken cook prep the toppings by chopping the lettuce, halving the cherry tomatoes and olives, thinly slicing the onion and cumber, crumbling the feta, and cutting the toasted pita into rough chunks or triangles.
- When everything is cooked and ready to serve, slice the chicken, and pile the chicken, orzo, and toppings in a large, wide bowl or plate. Top with tzatziki sauce and an extra squeeze of lemon or drizzle of olive oil if desired and serve immediately.