Smoked Chicken Gyros
On September 03, 2025
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My Smoked Chicken Gyros with tender, marinated chicken thighs, warm pitas, tzatziki, and fresh toppings give you the ultimate Greek-inspired meal. Cooked low and slow on the smoker, this recipe layers in Mediterranean flavors for a backyard feast that tastes just like your favorite street food.
Smoked Greek Chicken Gyros
When you want to turn your backyard into the best Greek spot in town, you want these Smoked Chicken Gyros. You get all those irresistible Mediterranean flavors, but with the added bonus of wood smoke. Juicy chicken thighs get a soak in a simple, white wine marinade before hitting the smoker. While your chicken takes in the rich smoke, you’re free to prep all the fresh toppings to make your gyros pop.
These gyros are absolutely mouthwatering, and perfect for family dinners or one-of-a-kind cookouts. With a little Hey Grill Hey guidance, you can make these Smoked Chicken Gyros right in your own backyard.
Tools You’ll Need
When you want to nail authentic Greek gyros, having the right tools makes all the difference. A trompo is ideal for that classic vertical spit style, but you can also use stainless steel or bamboo skewers in a grill basket if you prefer. As always, you’ll want a reliable instant-read meat thermometer to check internal temperature.
When you’re ready to slice and serve, make sure you have a sharp knife. And of course, you’ll need some food-safe gloves (like these Pitmaster Gloves).
Ingredients for Chicken Gyros
The Chicken
For the most flavorful results, I love using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They stay juicy after a couple of hours on the smoker and soak up marinade beautifully. If you prefer chicken breasts, they’ll work here too. Frozen chicken is fine as long as it’s fully thawed before marinating. For fresh, look for cuts that are trimmed of excess fat and uniform in size so they cook evenly.
The Marinade
This marinade is where the real flavor magic happens. A good soak tenderizes the chicken and loads it up with flavor that shines after hours in the smoke. You’ll want to marinate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is even better. I like using a big bowl or a gallon zip-top bag for easy coating and cleanup.
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tablespoons Greek Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika (you can also use smoked paprika or just paprika)
Using my Homemade Greek Seasoning guarantees bold, fresh flavor, but if you’re short on time, you can grab a store-bought version. Even something close like Mediterranean or Italian seasoning blends will do in a pinch.
How to Make Smoked Chicken Gyros
Here are the simple steps to get this crowd-pleaser on your table so you can feed the people you love:
- Make the marinade. In a large bowl or gallon-size zip-top bag, combine olive oil, white wine, lemon juice, minced garlic, Greek Seasoning, and sweet paprika, then whisk until well combined. When the mixture smells bright and garlicky, you’ll know it’s ready.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight for maximum flavor. The longer it sits, the deeper those Mediterranean flavors penetrate the meat.
- Prepare for cooking. Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange vertically on a trompo-style spit or thread onto skewers and place in a grill basket. Reserve any remaining marinade for basting. This vertical setup lets the chicken cook evenly while developing that perfect gyro texture.
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F using a mild wood like maple or apple, or your preferred wood. You want something mild so it doesn’t overpower the light, sweet flavor of your chicken.
- Cook the chicken. Place the chicken on the smoker, close the lid, and cook until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F, approximately 2 hours. Baste occasionally during cooking with reserved marinade. Use a reliable meat thermometer so you can nail that perfect doneness without guessing.
- Slice and serve. Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, slice thin strips from the outside of the chicken. Serve immediately on warm pita bread with tzatziki, red onion, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber.
Assembling the Ultimate Gyro
Yes, the chicken is the star, but the toppings take these gyros from good to unforgettable. These are my must-haves for gyros, but feel free to get creative and make something all your own:
- Warm pitas
- Tzatziki sauce
- Sliced red onion
- Shredded romaine lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced cucumbers
Susie’s Smoked Chicken Gyro Pro Tips
I’ve smoked hundreds of batches perfecting this recipe, so you can skip straight to the good stuff with these insider tips:
- Keep basting simple. A light brush of reserved marinade every 45 minutes adds flavor and helps develop that beautiful golden color. Just make sure not to open your smoker too much so you retain all that smoky goodness.
- Don’t skimp the marinade time. Sure, 4 hours works, but overnight lets those Mediterranean flavors really soak into the meat. The difference in taste is worth the extra wait, if you have time.
- Slice thin for authentic gyros. Cut across the grain and keep the pieces small. That way, you get the right texture for stacking and every bite feels like real-deal street food.
Storing Leftovers
Your smoked chicken will store beautifully if you have any left over (but your guests will probably polish them off quick). To store, let the chicken cool to room temperature first, then tuck it away in an airtight container. Your chicken will remain fresh and ready to enjoy for up to 4 days in the fridge. Just remember to keep that smoky chicken separate from your toppings and save the gyro assembly for round two. Trust me, nobody wants soggy pita.
More Greek-Inspired Recipes
If you love these Smoked Chicken Gyros, you’re in luck because they’re just the start of my Greek menu lineup. Here are a few more favorites if you want to put together a proper Greek feast:
All of these recipes (and hundreds more) are waiting for you. Grab them on the site or download the Hey Grill Hey App, where you can save favorites, build meal plans, and create grocery lists all in one spot.
Easy Smoked Chicken Gyros Recipe
Follow the recipe card below and you’ll create Smoked Chicken Gyros to give the best Greek place in town a run for the money. After you give it a try, come back and let me know how it turned out with a 5-star rating and comment below.
Follow along on Facebook and Instagram for more backyard cooking inspiration, and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for step-by-step videos. With recipes this easy, there’s no stopping you from becoming a Backyard BBQ Hero!
Smoked Chicken Gyros
Equipment
- trompo vertical griller
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
White Wine Marinade
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Greek seasoning link to recipe in notes section below
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika smoked paprika will work fine too
Gyro Toppings
- pitas warmed
- Tzatziki Sauce
- red onion thinly sliced
- romaine lettuce shredded
- tomatoes diced
- cucumbers sliced
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a large bowl or gallon-size zip-top bag, combine olive oil, white wine, lemon juice, minced garlic, Greek seasoning, and sweet paprika. Whisk until well combined.⅓ cup olive oil, ¼ cup white wine, 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 6 cloves garlic, 2 Tablespoons Greek seasoning, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Cover or seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for maximum flavor.3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F using a mild wood like maple or apple, or your preferred wood.
- Prepare for cooking. Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange vertically on a trompo-style spit or thread onto skewers and place in a grill basket. Reserve any remaining marinade for basting.
- Cook the chicken. Place the chicken on the smoker, close the lid, and cook until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F, approximately 2 hours. Baste occasionally during cooking with reserved marinade.
- Slice and serve. Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, slice thin strips from the outside of the chicken. Serve immediately on warm pita bread with tzatziki, red onion, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber.pitas, Tzatziki Sauce, red onion, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers
Notes
- Make your own following the recipe here
- Make your own following the recipe here
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a fantastic marinade, recipe. I let the chicken marinate a good 24+ hours before the smoke. The only problem I had was not having a trompo style spit so I needed a new grill toy my wife hates that! Anyway, the new grill toy complaints were quickly drowned out by rave reviews when we sliced up the results. We made pita from scratch so that along with your tzatziki sauce and this recipe was as good if not better than any gyros we had on a recent trip through Greece. Thank you Susie!