BBQ Chicken Gyro

This BBQ chicken Gyro is out of this world. A melt in your mouth flavor explosion best served between some Mediterranean bread with salad and homemade tzatziki.

You have to be patient with this and be prepared, you really need to begin the process the day before you plan to cook it to ensure you maximize the flavor of this BBQ Chicken Gyro. I would highly recommend you marinate the meat for 24 hours.

This was modeled from the famous ‘Kelly Bab’ – I simply added a little more heat to the marinade with a little Cayenne Pepper. It was suggested by an old school friend who I’ve known for around 37 years (showing my age now and his) that I try this. Oh boy, I’m so glad I did!

Cooking this on a spit, over a low heat leaves the chicken so moist and flavorsome that I guarantee you will want to eat it all and not share a single bit of it. Even the picky eaters in our family devoured this!

Ingredients for the BBQ Chicken Gyro.

• 2 .5lb of skinless and boneless Chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp Tomato paste/puree
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Juice and rind of 2 lemons
• 8 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp Onion Granules
• 1/2 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (you can more or leave out)
• 2 tsp ground black pepper

How to make it.

In a large bowl add all the marinade ingredients (everything but the chicken) and mix with a whisk until combined well. Your mouth will start to water at how good this smells! Add the chicken making sure its all well coated in the marinade. Please don’t be tempted to use chicken breast. You need the chicken to be juicy, breasts will dry out too quickly during cooking. Seal the container and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow all that marinade to permeate the meat.

When ready to cook, place all the chicken on your spit and press closely together. I found that I had to add support it with some additional skewers to support the chicken and stop it flapping as it was rotated. Then grill until its fully cooked all the way through. This should be around 90 minutes or so.

When cooked, leave to rest for a few minutes, wrapping the meat in foil. This will allow the meat to absorb all of the juices and intensify the flavor. Then with a sharp carving knife, thinly slice off of the spit.

Serve warm in between some warm Mediterranean bread, tzatziki, and salad.