The chicken tacos, but make them Mediterranean. Sounds crazy, right? Not really that crazy. You will be so glad when you discover it is true. Once you bite into a warm pita stuffed with oregano-lemon marinated chicken, a crunchy cucumber-tomato-feta salsa ($$$ amount of feta for sure btw) and a fat swoosh of tzatziki on top – regular tortilla-style chicken tacos suddenly feel like a poor man’s lunch.
Chicken takes just 15 mins to marinade, but the flavour is like it has bathed in all the herbs for hours already. You will find yourself reaching for a spoon to eat the salsa with from the bowl when you are preparing it; it is honestly that good. The best part is – the whole thing comes together in around 30 minutes, somehow tasting like a meal you have just put tons of effort into. Bright, fresh, ridiculously summery flavour, a new twist on what seems to be a common meal these days.
How Long Should You Marinate?
Marinating the chicken: You can infuse flavour in as fast as 15 minutes but for noticeably more flavour, marinade for 30 to 45 minutes; and for more than an hour.
Do not bother; the lemon juice will eventually cause the meat to turn mushy due to breakdown in texture (and I am sure you would not want that on your skewers). Room temperature is fine if you are rush for time but I would use a chilled version instead.
If the chicken is not chilled after mixing the ingredients together, I would prefer to allow only 20 min before using the marinated chicken otherwise refrigerated will do good.
Making These Mediterranean Tacos Step by Step
These Mediterranean chicken pitas are FRESH, vibrant, and essentially summer wrapped in toasty bread.
Garlic, oregano, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chili flakes should all be whisked together.
After setting aside one tablespoon for later, combine the remaining ingredients with the chicken chunks in a bowl and let them marinade for 15 to 45 minutes—the longer the better, sweetie.
In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and parsley while that marinates.
Add the goat’s cheese on top, stir gently, squeeze in the lemon juice that was set aside, and season to taste.
Sear the chicken in a frying pan over medium heat for three to four minutes on each side, or until it is cooked thru and beautifully browned on both sides.
Pitas can be warmed in a dry skillet for 30 seconds on each side, directly over a flame, or wrapped in foil and baked at 350°F for around 5 minutes until they are soft and not cracking.
Fill the warm pitas with the seared chicken, then cover with Mediterranean salsa and tzatziki for a refreshing contrast to the spicy chili.
Done, enjoy!
Make the Salsa Ahead of Time
- MAKE IT UP TO 24 HOURS AHEAD. Cucumbers do not give off excess water IF YOU DO THIS RIGHT
- SALT AND DRAIN THE CUKES. 10 minutes post salted and towel dried. Prevents a watery salsa
- HOLD THE FETA. Only mix in, upon serving for crumbly success
- STORE AIRTIGHT IN THE FRIDGE. Then toss once again for the big arrival- warm pitas.
Mediterranean Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 lb chicken breast (cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil (I prefer Bertolli Extra Virgin for marinades)
- 2.5 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best flavor)
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
For the salsa:
- 1.25 cups cucumbers (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 cup tomatoes (seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 cup bell pepper
- 1/4 cup red onion (finely chopped, about 1/4-inch pieces)
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 3/4 cup feta (I use Athenos Crumbled Feta)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
For the assembly:
- 8 pitas
- 1/2 cup tzatziki (gives a nice creamy and rich texture)
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk the olive oil with 2½ tablespoons of lemon juice, the garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and chilli. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the dressing then pour the rest into a medium bowl with the chicken. Toss to coat evenly and continue turning until all the chunks of meat are covered. Leave to marinate for a further 15 minutes or for as long as 45 – the longer the better.
- While the chicken marinates, make the salsa. Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and parsley into one big bowl. Top the dish with your favourite goat's cheese and gently toss together. Whisk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and seasoning.
- Put a frying pan on a medium flame and fry the chicken until golden (but still raw on both sides). Carefully tip the other side and cook for 3-4 minutes until nicely coloured.
- While the chicken fries, you can begin heating your pitas. You can heat them in one of three ways: either by directly heating over the flame, by putting them on a dry skillet (approx. 30 sec for each side); or by wrapping them in foil and placing them into the 350-degrees oven for up to 5 minutes until soft. This way the pitta bread should not start separating as you poke the fork into it (you will understand). When the chicken has thoroughly cooked, place warmed pita on each serving platter. Fill each pita with large handfuls of seared chicken pieces, top with Mediterranean salsa, before drizzling tzatziki for a cooling effect for those hot chilli moments!
These were so flavorful and scrumptious, thank you!
Pretty darn good
“The best Mediterranean pitas with tzatziki sauce you’ve made!!” This from my somewhat picky 21 year old daughter. She knows what she likes. Thanks, it’s definitely a keeper!