Greek Chicken Pitas

There is something about a warm pita stuffed with juicy grilled chicken, crunchy vegetables, and a generous spoonful of creamy garlic sauce that makes dinner feel like a treat without being fussy. These Greek Chicken Pitas start with lemon, garlic, olive oil, herbs, and a few pantry staples that give the chicken plenty of flavor before it hits a hot grill.

The marinade is easy to shake together in a deli container or measuring cup. I flatten the chicken breasts so they cook evenly, give them a couple of hours to soak up the flavors, and grill them until nicely browned and cooked through. A quick Greek yogurt and mayonnaise sauce brings the whole pita together.

Ingredients for Greek Chicken Pitas

For the chicken and marinade

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or the same amount of anchovy paste; Worcestershire sauce is another alternative
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons garlic paste, or 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 chicken breasts

For the creamy garlic sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons garlic paste, or 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped curly parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For serving, the photos show warm pita bread, chopped cucumber, and tomatoes. Their quantities are not specified in the recipe, so add them to taste.

How to Make Greek Chicken Pitas

1. Make the marinade. Add the olive oil, fish sauce (or substitute), soy sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to a measuring cup or lidded deli container. Stir or shake until well combined.
2. Prepare the chicken. Flatten both chicken breasts to an even thickness. Put them in a zip-top bag and add about three-quarters of the marinade, keeping the remaining portion separate for brushing.
3. Marinate. Gently move the chicken around in the bag to coat it thoroughly. Seal and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
4. Get ready to grill. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the grill until very hot.
5. Grill. Grill the chicken, turning often. After both sides have been grilled, brush with some of the marinade reserved before it touched raw chicken. Continue cooking until a food thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part.
6. Finish the chicken. Remove from the grill and brush with the remaining clean reserved marinade. Let it rest briefly before slicing.
7. Mix the sauce. Combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and chopped parsley in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Assemble the pitas. Fill warm pita bread with sliced chicken and, if desired, cucumber and tomatoes. Spoon the creamy garlic sauce over the top and serve.

Helpful Tips

• Keep the brushing marinade separate. Set aside the unused portion before adding the rest to raw chicken. Never brush cooked chicken with marinade that has touched raw poultry unless that marinade has been boiled first.
• Even thickness helps. Flattening the breasts makes it easier to cook the chicken evenly without drying out thinner sections.
• Use a thermometer. Grill marks are lovely, but 165°F in the thickest part is the reliable doneness check.
• Slice for easy filling. Cutting the cooked chicken into strips makes it easier to tuck into pita bread.
• Adjust the sauce at the end. Taste after mixing and season with salt, pepper, or a little more lemon only if needed.

Recipe Details

Yield: 8 servings. Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Marinating time: 30 mins to a couple of hours, as directed in the recipe.

Greek Chicken Pitas

Christine Williams

Lemony grilled chicken with thyme, rosemary, garlic, and a creamy parsley-garlic yogurt sauce, served in pita bread with fresh vegetables.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Marinating Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Servings 8 servings

Calories 490 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Chicken and marinade

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce Or the same amount of anchovy paste; Worcestershire sauce is another alternative
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons garlic paste Or 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lemons Juiced
• 2 chicken breasts

Creamy garlic sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 lemon Juiced
• 2 tablespoons garlic paste Or 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley Chopped or dry
• salt and freshly ground pepper To taste
• 2 cucumber
• Fresh Tomato
• 8 Pitas

Instructions

 

Marinate the chicken

• Combine olive oil, fish sauce (or substitute), soy sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and juice of 2 lemons in a measuring cup or lidded deli container. Stir or shake well.
• Flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness and place in a zip-top bag. Add about 3/4 of the marinade, reserving the remainder in a separate clean container.
• Massage the sealed bag gently to coat the chicken. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Grill the chicken

• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat the grill until very hot.
• Grill chicken, turning often. Once both sides have grilled, brush with the clean reserved marinade. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
• Remove from the grill and brush once more with clean reserved marinade. Rest briefly, then slice.

Make sauce and assemble

• Mix mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, juice of 1/2 lemon, garlic, and chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve sliced chicken in warm pita bread with cucumber and tomato if desired, then add the creamy garlic sauce.

Notes

Warm pita bread, cucumber, and tomatoes appear in the supplied photos; serving quantities have not yet been provided. Prep and cook times are pending. Reserve approximately one-quarter of the marinade before adding any to raw chicken; only use that clean reserved portion for brushing cooked chicken.

Nutrition

Serving: 1PitaCalories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 20gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 1063mgPotassium: 567mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 436IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 2mg

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