Homemade Chicken Pitas: The Ultimate Casual Meal

• Why You Need To Make This Recipe Here and Now
• Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Step 1: The Magic Marinade
  • Step 2: Preparing the sauce and vegetables
  • Step 3: Cooking the Chicken
  • Step 4: Warming the Pitas
  • Step 5: Assembling Your Chicken dinner
• Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Extra Tips for the Perfect Result
• Presentation Ideas
• Storage and Leftovers
• Ideas for Leftovers
• Conclusion

Imagine the warm aroma of bread, softened by toasting, weaving with fragrant Mediterranean spiced chicken sizzling in the pan. A pita sandwich just feels right as you hold it in your hand. This is the kind of meal which brings everyone together around the table, to add their own favorite ingredients. A stuffed chicken pita is so much more than simply a sandwich; it is a riot of fresh, zesty, savory flavor that can turn any ordinary Tuesday night into a small festival. It's comfort and nutritious eating rolled into one. The comfort food side of things comes from pleasantly pillowy bread, succulent chicken. Contrasted by crunchy fresh vegetables and smooth, rich either homemade yogurt sauce (or tzatziki ) for contrast. If you are a beginner cook who wants to impress, or an expert cook who needs a quick but tasty dinner, then this recipe is for you. A vivid, flavorful and delicious end product.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Organization is the key to this recipe. Once the chicken is cooked, everything comes together rapid, so prepare your toppings well in advance.

Step 1: The Magic Marinade

In a large bowl or a zip-top freezer bag, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Drop in your chicken pieces and make sure they're evenly coated.

Chef's tip: If you're in a hurry, start marinating while prepping the veggies (about 15-20 minutes). But for optimal taste and texture, let rest in refrigerator 1-4 hours. The lemon juice will begin to gently "cook" the surface and break down the fibers.

Step 2: Preparing the sauce and vegetables

While the chicken is soaking up all those flavors, let's get the freshness ready. For the sauce: Grate half a cucumber. Pick up the grated cucumber in your (clean!) hands or in a clean kitchen towel, squeeze tightly over sink to extract as much water as you can. This is critical so your sauce does not get watery. Then blend the squeezed cucumber with the Greek yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside in fridge.

Step 3: Cooking the Chicken

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken. If you are using a non-stick pan, put in a little extra oil to prevent it from sticking since all of the marinade by now will have been absorbed by the meat itself and the bowl you used to combine ingredients. When the pan is really hot, put in the chicken pieces, spaced apart. In other words, do not crowd the pan; let there be enough room all round between each piece so those juices can evaporate instead of turning back into sauce which then sticks to the sides of the pan.

Leave the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, undisturbed, until it acquires a beautiful golden, almost caramelized, color. Turn the pieces and cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes: the chicken is done when it registers 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read meat thermometer, and also good with a bit of transparency left in its juices which should flow clear from inside outwards.

Step 4: Warming the Pitas

It may not seem like much, but this is the icing on the cake. Please don't ever serve your pitas cold from their packet! There are actually various ways in which you can warm them:

• In a skillet: Wipe the pan where the chicken was cooked quickly (leave some of those brown bits for flavor!), and heat the pitas for 1 minute on each side.
• In the oven: Wrap them in aluminum foil and heat in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes.
• Directly over a flame (for gas stoves): Using a pair of tongs, lay the bread onto a live flame for a few seconds; be very careful!

The goal is to make the pitas soft, warm and slightly puffy.

Step 5: Assembling Your Chicken dinner

You can't hide the truth! If your pitas have pockets, lay them flat gently. If they are flat (Greek-style) then you will use them just like a soft tortilla. Place a generous layer of yogurt sauce on the bottom of the bread. This serves to keep the pita from getting too moist-wet vegetables will make it soggy-and ensures that each bite has some sauce. Add a layer of lettuce. Heavily pile hot chicken on top. Finish off with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and crumbled feta. If you like it spicier, add a few drops of sriracha or harissa. Serve immediately!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are big errors that even a simple recipe can make and turn a sumptuous meal into a fiasco that is hard to swallow or get over. Here's what to watch out for in order to get it right.

If the chicken pieces overlap or are pressed too closely together, steam can't escape. It results in water being expelled from your chicken and it turns a sickly gray color instead of getting golden brown and roasted. Solution: Be patient! If your pan is small, fry the chicken in several batches.

A dry pita, the minute you try to open or fold it, cracks all to pieces very easily, and you find yourself with what amounts to an accident with lettuce and chicken. If you are cooking with the oven (instead of a skillet), then the preheating step is essential for reviving stretched breads. If your pita is a little dry, sprinkle some water on it before you warm it up.

There's really a lot of liquid in the overripe cucumber that goes into the tzatziki sauce. Watch out: if you leave it uncrushed, your sauce will separate and everything will be soggy after just a few bites. Wash your lettuce as close to cooking time as possible and be sure to thoroughly dry it. This way, all the flavors will be diluted away by the leftover water. Proper solution: Squeeze the cucumber dry and take care to thoroughly dry the rest of the vegetables too.

If you cook chicken breast whole and then shore it afterwards, a good part of your juices are going to be lost on the cutting board - your meat will be dry. Proper solution: Cut the chicken into several long strips or bite-sized pieces before marinating. This way, each piece can absorb more of the juices from your marinade (more delicious taste!). It also means less cooking time which is better not only in terms softness but also juice on your plate.

• Mistake #1: Crowding the Pan When You Cook
• Mistake #2: Pita's stale or dry
• Mistake #3: Failure to drain watery vegetables
• Mistake #4: Slicing chicken only after cooking

Extra Tips for the Perfect Result

Want to take your skills up a notch? Here are some pro secrets to turn your home kitchen into a true Greek taverna.

• Marinating: You can try adding yogurt as a dairy ingredient to your chicken marinade personally. Yogurt's enzymes and lactic acid are one of the best ways at breaking down the meat fibers, so you will end up with chicken that's ultra-soft and melts in your mouth.
• Topping Variations: Do not limit yourself to the classic list but go ahead and add French fries in your self-made pita bread (just as this is often done at some places in Greece with gyros). Another variation: use crispy roasted chickpeas with spices for extra crunch. A sweet-and-savory version: A few pomegranate seeds or some golden raisins will add a surprisingly refreshing touch.
• Fresh herbs: Don't be afraid to put in plenty of herbs. Put in whole flat-leaf parsley, cilantro or fresh mint as part of the sandwich for a burst of flavor.

Presentation Ideas

A brilliant idea for Presentation: Whether your serving hot pita or cold as appetizers, guests will enjoy wrapping themselves up in the meat and cheese served on an entree dish. Bring the meat hot and place it on a beautiful serving platter. Take the warm bread-shaped foods in a large basket covered with a napkin. All the dressings and veggies are pretty small bowls, you put them all in your sights. This way each person can shape exactly the type of pita suited their eating habits and tastes; What's more, it saves you from building each sandwich afterwards when your company is gathering around!

Storage and Leftovers

What is beautiful about this is left-overs at all, in fact everything can be eaten! As long for the components are kept separately, this recipe works very nicely thank you. Never store something that has already been assembled into another thing such as a sandwich of convenience (pita). The bread will get wet and the vegetables wilt.

Ideas for Leftovers

If you find yourself short on pitta bread but still have chicken around, you've hit paydirt!

• Mixed salad: Leftover veggies and chicken served upon a bed of quinoa or rice, this is a Mediterranean style "Buddha bowl."
• Omelette: For breakfast, sliced chicken and sheep's cheese make a wonderful omelette filling.
• Rapid pizza: Baste a tortilla or spread pizza dough, spoon on some tomato sauce, add the chicken, onions and sheep's cheese, and you have a Greek déguste.

Conclusion

There you have it—completely ready to hand for scrumptious homemade chicken bergers. This dish shows that eating healthily trouble baas can y can cook good food without spending too many hours in the kitchen or sacrificing flavors. The heat and spice of the chicken together with the cool crispiness of the vegetables is down-right satisfying! That's the kind of meal which may leave you full, yet not feel weighed down. Don’t be afraid to experiment with spices or toppings before coming up with the finish you like. The kitchen is your playground, and this recipe provides a great starting point for your own creativity. If you try this recipe, please feel free to share what you thought about it! Did you come up with a clever sauce? Did you try a new marinade? Tell us of your adventures in cooking. Enjoy!