Jerk Chicken Meatball Gyro

This is one of those ‘use whatever you have at home’ recipes. Seriously! My husband and I were prepping for a move and it didn’t make any sense to go food shopping. Fewer things to carry! So I used what I had and the result was delicious. I always keep jerk seasoning on hand and ground chicken is always a staple. I did a quick skim of our fridge and pantry, then BOOM- a light bulb went off. Gyros!

I thought back to a Pop Up order-in menu Chef Stikz (if you don’t know her, google) had. There was a Jerk Gyro on the menu and til’ this day I regret not ordering it. My husband of course knew it was going to be amazing, so he did. I waited til he went to the bathroom and I snuck in a bite lol. It was so damn good. So, I took the flavors of that one bite and made this! A quick and easy dinner that I made with fresh ingredients, pantry staples, and ground chicken.

Don’t you love when ideas just come out amazing?! This one did not disappoint, at all!

Let’s get into the details:

• I used ground chicken for this but the recipe would also be delicious with other ground meats (beef or pork) and even ground vegan options

• I used Walkerwoods Jerk seasoning for this recipe. You’re free to use your go-to but it may not come out as delicious. Trust me! I’ve used other jerk seasonings and nothing compares. If you cant find Walkerswood, Blue Mountain is a close second

• Esti’s coconut plain yogurt is a vegan option that I opted for but you’re free to use non-vegan yogurt for this. It would probably be even more delicious. Cuz Dairy is life. Why does everything that’s soo good have to be so bad?! lol

• If you can find Naan, get it! I toasted mine in the oven for a few minutes and then added some garlic butter to it. Pita wraps are also a great option or any wraps for that matter. I’m the queen of USE WHAT YOU HAVE!

• No red wine vinegar, use regular white distilled

• Looking for a healthier alternative? Use a lettuce/kale leaf as your wrap!

• One last thing! Add all of your ingredients to the ground meat first before mixing. Ground chicken can get tough if you over-mix it. Add all of the ingredients and only mix until it’s combined. Juicy meatballs> than dry ones!

Ok now let’s cook!

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1 small container of Esti Plain Yogurt

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 cucumber, grated and squeezed to remove added moisture

• 2 teaspoons of dill, finely chopped

• Juice of half of a lemon

• 1 teaspoon of Extra Virgin olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon of Home Beis House Blend

• Salt to taste

Greek Salad

• 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

• A quarter of red onion, thinly sliced

• Half of a medium cucumber, sliced and then halved

• 1 teaspoon of dill, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil

• 2 tablespoons of Red Wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon of Home Beis House blend

• Salt to taste

Jerk Chicken Meatballs

• 1 pound of ground chicken

• A handful of parsley, finely chopped

• A quarter of an onion, diced

• Half of bell pepper, diced (you can use red or green or both)

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or mashed

• 1 tablespoon of Jerk seasoning marinade like Walkerswood

• Juice of half of a lime

• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs

• Salt to taste

• Pepper to taste

Additional Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of oil, for cooking

• Feta, for topping

• Naan or Pita wraps, for wrapping the gyros

Directions:

First things first. We’ll want to season the ground meat. Add your ground meat into a bowl and then add the parsley, onion, bell pepper, garlic, jerk marinade, lime juice, soy sauce, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. It’s important to add of the ingredients in the bowl before mixing to avoid over-mixing. Ground chicken can get really tough if ever over mixed. Once all of the ingredients are added to your bowl, mix until combined. Next, grab about 2 tablespoons of the ground chicken mixture into your hand and then roll into a meatball. Transfer onto a dish and then repeat until all of your ground meat has been transformed into meatballs. Cover with plastic wrap and then set aside. We’ll want them to marinate a bit.

Next, we make our Tzatziki sauce. Add your grated cucumber to a piece of cheesecloth or a paper towel, wrap, and squeeze to release the moisture from the cucumber. Do this over the sink to avoid puddles of cucumber juice on your counter. Then, add the grated and squeezed cucumber in a bowl along with your yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, House blend, and salt to taste. Mix until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to your fridge while you prep the rest of your toppings/ingredients.

Then, time to make the greek salad. You’ll want to add all of your greek salad ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to your fridge as well.

Now, we’re ready to cook our meatballs! Add about two tablespoons of oil to a large pan and heat at medium to high heat. Then, add in your meatballs and brown the meatballs on each side by turning them over every 2-3 minutes. Once browned, transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Time to eat! Warm your pita, naan, or wrap of choice in the oven until warm. I typically banke at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes. To assemble your gyros, grab your naan/pita/wrap and start by adding 2-3 halved meatballs followed by your tzatziki sauce, then your greek salad and finally topped with some feta. I like to plate my gyros with lemon rice on the side and a few extra scoops of the greek salad. Done and done! Grab and take a bite! So delicious.