Easy Crockpot Chicken Gyros

Ingredients to Make Crockpot Chicken Gyros

• Butter and onion – Butter adds richness while the diced onion cooks down and flavors the chicken.
• Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work. Chicken thighs are a little more forgiving if you are worried about the meat drying out.
• Fresh lemon – I use both the zest and juice so the chicken gets plenty of bright lemon flavor.
• Chicken broth – Gives the chicken enough moisture to cook gently in the Crockpot without watering down the flavor.
• Oregano, salt, and pepper – A simple seasoning combination that gives the chicken that classic Greek-inspired flavor.
• Flatbread or pita bread – Either works well. Warm it just before assembling so it stays soft and flexible.
• Tzatziki sauce – This cool cucumber-yogurt sauce is my favorite topping for these gyros.
• Tomatoes – Fresh sliced or diced tomatoes add color and freshness.
• Optional toppings – Cucumbers, thinly sliced red onion, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, fresh dill, and extra lemon are all great additions.

Ingredient Additions and Substitutions

There are plenty of easy ways to customize these Crockpot Chicken Gyros without changing the basic recipe.

• Chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless thighs stay especially juicy in the slow cooker and are a great choice if you tend to find chicken breasts dry.
• Chicken breasts: These work great too, but keep an eye on the cooking time since breasts can dry out more quickly.
• Olive oil: You can substitute olive oil for the butter if you prefer.
• More garlic: Add a couple cloves of minced garlic with the chicken for a stronger savory flavor.
• More Greek-inspired seasoning: Try adding a little cumin, coriander, paprika, dill, or a Greek seasoning blend along with the oregano.
• Pita instead of flatbread: Use whichever you prefer. Pocket-style pita, pita flatbread, and other soft flatbreads all work.
• Feta cheese: Sprinkle crumbled feta over the finished gyro for a salty, tangy bite.
• Kalamata olives: These add a briny flavor that goes really well with the lemon chicken and tzatziki.
• Extra vegetables: Add lettuce, sliced cucumber, red onion, or even roasted vegetables when assembling.
• Make it a bowl: Skip the flatbread and serve the chicken over rice, quinoa, or lettuce with all the same toppings.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t overcook chicken breasts. Slow cookers can run at very different temperatures. Start checking the chicken early and use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying only on the clock.
• Cook chicken to 165°F. Once it reaches a safe internal temperature, it is ready to serve.
• Use thawed chicken. Start with thawed chicken rather than frozen when cooking in a slow cooker.
• Keep the lid closed. Every time you lift the Crockpot lid, heat escapes and can extend the cooking time.
• Cut the chicken evenly. Keeping the pieces about the same size helps them finish cooking at roughly the same time.
• Use a slotted spoon if needed. If there is quite a bit of cooking liquid in the Crockpot, use a slotted spoon when adding the chicken to the pita so it doesn’t get soggy.
• Warm the pita first. A few seconds in the microwave or a quick warm-up in a skillet makes flatbread much softer and easier to fold.
• Don’t skimp on the tzatziki. The cool yogurt and cucumber sauce balances the warm, lemony chicken perfectly.
• Set out the toppings buffet-style. This is one of my favorite ways to serve gyros to a family because everyone can build their own.

Make Ahead and Storage

These Easy Crockpot Chicken Gyros are really easy to prep ahead because most of the toppings can be ready before the chicken finishes cooking.

Prep ahead: Dice the onion and chicken and store them separately in covered containers in the refrigerator. You can also make the tzatziki a day ahead. I actually like it even better after it has had a little time to chill.

Refrigerate: Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Keep the chicken, tzatziki, vegetables, and flatbread in separate containers so everything keeps its best texture.

Freeze: The cooked chicken freezes well. Let it cool, transfer it with a little of the cooking liquid to a freezer-safe container, and freeze. I would freeze the chicken separately rather than freezing assembled gyros.

Reheat: Warm the chicken gently in the microwave or in a skillet with a spoonful of the cooking liquid or chicken broth. Reheat only the chicken, then assemble the gyro with fresh vegetables and cold tzatziki.

Pairing Ideas

I almost always serve these with plenty of homemade Tzatziki Sauce. If you want to make the meal a little more filling, our Orzo Rice is an easy side that goes really well with the lemony chicken. You could also put out some Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with pita and fresh vegetables for dipping.