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A towering stack of sliced, roasted chicken pieces is skewered on a vertical rod in a pan. A roasted onion tops the stack. The setting includes a bright kitchen with a wooden cutting board and decorative jars in the background.
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5 from 2 votes

High Protein Chicken Gyros

My High Protein Chicken Gyros ONLY have 3 ingredients and take 10 minutes to prep! They are made with a secret ingredient (cottage cheese), which makes for the juiciest most tender meat 🤤.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Keyword: chicken gyro, greek chicken gyros, greek food, greek recipes, gyros, high protein gyro, high protein gyros
Servings: 4
Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 boneless skinless thighs sometimes I add 10-12 thighs
  • ⅓ cup cottage cheese blended
  • 1 tablespoon Poultry Seasoning to taste
  • 1 cup water or broth
  • ½ onion or foil

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).
  • Next, add the cottage cheese to a food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend the cottage cheese with an immersion blender in its container.
    A measuring cup pours cottage cheese into a clear food processor bowl. The kitchen has a light wooden counter, and blurred kitchenware is visible in the background. Sunlight highlights the texture of the cheese.
  • Now, add the chicken thighs to a bowl, with any poultry seasoning of choice. I used Watkins poultry and seafood seasoning but feel free to use any of choice.
    Raw chicken pieces in a white bowl are being sprinkled with a green and yellow seasoning mix from a spoon. The image is close-up, focusing on the seasoning process.
  • Note: feel free to use any seasoning of choice or create your own blend as well. Mine has salt in it already, so I didn’t have to add extra. Depending on the brand, you will have to adjust the sodium so be sure to look on the back of the ingredient label for best results.
  • Add in the blended cottage cheese and mix well.
  • Once marinated, take out the Vertical Gyro Oven Plate, oil it up with a little bit of olive oil, and thread on the chicken making sure to rotate each one opposite from the last.
    A hand holds a skewer or probe vertically in a stainless steel pan filled with water on a kitchen counter. In the background, kitchen items like bowls, a cutting board, and dried plants are visible.
  • Note: if you don’t have a Vertical Spit, cut a large onion in half and position two bamboo skewers vertically into the onion to create your own home-made spit.
  • Now, add one cup of water (or broth) to the bottom of the Gyro plate and place half of the onion on top of the meat.
    A pile of marinated raw meat stacked on a vertical skewer in a pan, topped with a whole onion. Liquid is being poured into the pan. The background shows a kitchen counter with a cutting board and faucet.
  • Place it in the oven and bake for 75-90 minutes (depending on the oven) or until golden. Feel free to insert a meat thermometer if you want to be safe.
  • Take it out of the oven, let it rest for a few minutes and cut it. Enjoy on pita with tzatziki, french fries and all the fixings, on a salad, or on its own with a side of my Greek Lemon Potatoes.
    Close-up of a vertical stack of sliced, roasted meat on a skewer topped with a charred onion. The stack sits on a metal pan, with pieces of meat scattered around. The background shows a blurred kitchen setting with white cabinets.

Notes

  • Cottage Cheese Substitution: Instead of cottage cheese, feel free to use Greek yogurt for the marinade.
  • Dairy-free Alternative: You can make this recipe dairy-free with plant based cottage cheese, or eliminate it altogether. 
  • Poultry Seasoning: Get creative with your poultry seasoning blend! I used Watkins Poultry Seasoning, but some people swear by Bell's Seasoning. Feel free to make your own blend. Just make sure you note the amount of sodium on the nutrition labels and add (or eliminate) salt to taste.
  • Vertical Spit Alternative: Simply cut a large onion in half and position two bamboo skewers vertically into the onion to create your own. 
  • Marinade: The marinating time for this recipe is flexible, anywhere from 1 hour to overnight in the fridge. The longer you let it marinate, the more juicy and flavorful it will be.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 218mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 602mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg
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