chicken and cucumber pita sandwiches with yogurt sauce

Lunch

Chicken & Cucumber Pita Sandwiches with Yogurt Sauce

Cucumbers do double duty in this healthy Greek-inspired chicken pita recipe—they're grated to lend a refreshing flavor to the quick cucumber-yogurt sauce and sliced to provide cool crunch tucked into the pita. Serve these sandwiches for a healthy dinner or light lunch.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
2¾ teaspoons minced garlic, divided
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound chicken tenders
1 english cucumber, halved, seeded and grated, plus 1/2 english cucumber, halved and sliced
½ teaspoon salt, divided
¾ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 (6 1/2 inch) whole-wheat pita breads, halved
4 lettuce leaves
½ cup sliced red onion
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes

Directions

Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, 3 tsp. oil, oregano, 2 tsp. garlic, and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Meanwhile, toss grated cucumber with 1/4 tsp. salt in a fine-mesh sieve. Let drain for 15 minutes, then squeeze to release more liquid. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in yogurt, mint, dill, ground pepper, and the remaining 2 tsp. oil, 3/4 tsp. garlic, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees F, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
To serve, spread some of the sauce inside each pita half. Tuck in the chicken, lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, and sliced cucumber.