Green Goddess Chicken Pita

Lemon-herb chicken thighs, a garden-green dressing & a crisp cucumber-tomato salad in warm pita

4 pitas · 25 min

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Chicken + marinade
1½–2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 Tbsp olive oil · juice + zest of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp each dried oregano, cumin, salt · ½ tsp pepper · ¼ tsp smoked paprika
Green goddess
½ cup mayo · ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 cup soft herbs, packed — parsley + chives + basil (& tarragon if you have it)
1 garlic clove · 1–2 anchovy fillets (optional, but do it)
juice of ½ lemon · salt · water to thin
To build
4 pita, warmed
lettuce · 1 tomato, sliced · ½ cucumber, sliced · ¼ red onion, thin

Marinate the thighs. Whisk the oil, lemon juice & zest, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss the thighs to coat and marinate 30 min up to overnight (longer = more flavor; the lemon tenderizes).
Make the green goddess. Blend everything — mayo, sour cream, herbs, garlic, anchovy, lemon, a pinch of salt — until bright green and smooth, thinning with a little water to a thick drizzle. Taste and adjust lemon and salt.
Sear the chicken hard. Get a skillet or grill pan hot. Shake excess marinade off the thighs and sear 4–5 min a side, undisturbed, until deeply charred and 175°F inside — thighs are best cooked past "done," so they stay juicy and pull-tender.
Rest & slice. Rest 5 min, then slice into strips across the grain. Resting keeps the juices in; slicing across the grain keeps each bite tender.
Prep the crunch. While it rests, slice the tomato, cucumber, and onion; a pinch of salt on the tomato and cucumber wakes them up. (Soak the onion in cold water 5 min if you want its bite softer.)
Build the pita. Warm the pita, smear green goddess inside, layer lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and onion, pile in the sliced chicken, and drizzle more dressing over the top. Fold and eat.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Marinate the thighs. Whisk the oil, lemon juice & zest, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss the thighs to coat and marinate 30 min up to overnight (longer = more flavor; the lemon tenderizes).

2. Make the green goddess. Blend everything — mayo, sour cream, herbs, garlic, anchovy, lemon, a pinch of salt — until bright green and smooth, thinning with a little water to a thick drizzle. Taste and adjust lemon and salt.

3. Sear the chicken hard. Get a skillet or grill pan hot. Shake excess marinade off the thighs and sear 4–5 min a side, undisturbed, until deeply charred and 175°F inside — thighs are best cooked past "done," so they stay juicy and pull-tender.

4. Rest & slice. Rest 5 min, then slice into strips across the grain. Resting keeps the juices in; slicing across the grain keeps each bite tender.

5. Prep the crunch. While it rests, slice the tomato, cucumber, and onion; a pinch of salt on the tomato and cucumber wakes them up. (Soak the onion in cold water 5 min if you want its bite softer.)

6. Build the pita. Warm the pita, smear green goddess inside, layer lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and onion, pile in the sliced chicken, and drizzle more dressing over the top. Fold and eat.

Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.