Another weeknight friendly sheet pan recipe, lemon marinated chicken pitas with oven baked fries and tzatziki sauce. Versatile, easy to make and almost entirely made on a baking tray so less dishes! SWOON!
Chicken soaked in a lemony, mediterranean marinate, roasted in the oven together with skin-on, long-cut potatoes. Served with (homemade, whole wheat) pita bread, tzatziki plus greens and veggies to your liking. This fill-your-own pita dinner is the perfect family meal. Let’s make lemon marinated chicken pitas with oven baked fries and tzatziki!
How I make these greek lemon pitas and oven baked fries?
Marinate chicken
I start with marinating the chicken – if I have not done that already the day before (meal plan tip: let the chicken marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Less prep time at dinner time!) – for 30 minutes or more in a mixture of lemon zest and juice, dried oregano, garlic and olive oil.
Prep the potatoes
While the chicken marinates, I cut the potatoes in long thick, skin-on fries. On a parchment paper lined, large baking sheet I toss the cut potatoes with olive oil, dried oregano, garlic powder, and salt to season the fries. While prepping the fries, I preheat the oven to 220C/430F.
Roast the fries and chicken
I slide the tray with potatoes in a super hot oven for 15 minutes. After that time I remove the tray from the oven and toss/flip the fries to help each side cook evenly. I put the fries back in the oven to roast for another 15-20 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown.
Once I have flipped the fries halfway through, I also slide the tray with the marinated chicken in the oven, on the rack above the fries. The chicken cooks through as the fries finish roasting for a perfectly timed meal. When I take the fries out of the oven, I usually turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to create a smoky, browned char on the chicken.
Shred lettuce, cut veggies and whip up the tzatziki
While the chicken and fries for these are in the oven, I shred the lettuce, slice the cucumbers, red onions and tomatoes (and maybe even marinate the tomatoes quickly (same marinate as the chicken!)), mix all the tzatziki ingredients – shredded and squeezed cucumber, yogurt, s+p, garlic and some lemon juice – together and cut some lemons into wedges. This will be the toppings for these lemon marinated chicken pitas with oven baked fries and tzatziki sauce.
Warm the pitas and serve
Whether you use homemade (whole wheat) pita bread or store bought, I would suggest to quickly heat them up. Nothing beats a warm pita! I just put them on the rack in the oven next to the fries for a few minutes.
Now it is time to serve these lemon marinated chicken pitas with oven baked fries and tzatziki. I either fill each pita with chicken, fries and the other toppings or I put out both trays on the dinner table so everyone can fill their own pita bread (my kids love to do it theirselves!).
This easy family weekday meal is a big hit in this household! We hope you’ll enjoy it too. These lemon marinated chicken pitas with oven baked fries and tzatziki are:
quick and easy to make – wholesome – adjustable and super versatile – easily made ahead of time – and SO DELICIOUS!
Are you looking for more easy family weekday meals? Let me suggest a few recipes: burger and fries bowl, quinoa butternut squash enchilada bake, roasted cauliflower tinga tacos with avo crema, or this hearty butternut squash red bean and chickpea chili.
Lemon marinated chicken pitas with oven baked fries and tzatziki
Ingredients
Lemon marinated chicken
- 1½ lbs chicken breast
- 1 cup extra virgen olive oil
- 1 large lemon (zest and juice)(or sub 2 limes if lemons aren't available where you are)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Oven baked fries
- 1½ lbs large potatoes (washed not peeled, cut into large, thick fries)
- 3 tbsp extra virgen olive oil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1-2 tsp sea salt
Tzatziki
- 1 small cucumber (washed, not peeled, seeds removed (optionally), grated)
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- a squeeze lemon
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- black pepper (to taste)
- 1 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)(optionally)
- 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves (chopped)(optionally)
- 4 (whole wheat) pita breads (store bought or homemade*)
Toppings
- 1 small head lettuce (or sub kale or spinach or other greens)
- ½ small cucumber (sliced)
- 4 tomatoes (cut in 4)
- 1 small red onion (cut into strips)
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Mix olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic and oregano together either in a bowl or a ziplock bag. Add the chick breast to it and either stir (bowl) or massage (ziplock bag) everything and let it sit to marinate. (if you want marinated tomatoes instead of just sliced tomatoes as a topping, keep some of the marinate for the tomatoes!)
Oven bake the fries
- Preheat the oven to 220C/430F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Cut the potatoes in long thick, skin-on fries.
- On one of the two lined baking sheet toss the cut potatoes with olive oil, dried oregano, garlic powder, and salt to season the fries.
- Bake the fries for 15 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and toss/flip the fries. Now put them back in the oven (together with the chicken!) for another 15-20 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown.
Bake the chicken in the oven
- Take the chicken out of the marinate. Shake off excess marinate and lay the chicken out on the second lined baking tray.
- When you place the fries back in the oven (at half time), also slide the tray with the marinated chicken in the oven, on the rack above the fries.
- When the fries are ready, either take the chicken out as well (check for doneness) or turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to create a smoky, browned char on the chicken (optional, but recommended).
- While the chicken and fries for these are in the oven, prep the toppings.
Prep the toppings
- Shred the lettuce, slice the cucumbers, red onions and tomatoes. If you want to quickly marinate the tomatoes, do that now. And cut some lemons into wedges to serve on the side (optional).
Make the tzatziki
- Mix all the tzatziki ingredients together and set aside for serving.
Warm up the pita bread
- Warm up the pitas. You can just pop them into the oven for 1-2 minutes next to the fries.
Serve the pitas!
- Now it is time to serve these lemon marinated chicken pitas with oven baked fries and tzatziki. Either fill each pita with chicken, fries and the other toppings or put out both trays on the dinner table so everyone can fill their own pita bread. Enjoy!
Notes
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