Mediterranean Pita Wrap with All-Purpose Lemon-Oregano Marinade

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

One yogurt-and-lemon marinade does the heavy lifting here — it tenderizes chicken thighs, seasons thin-sliced beef, or clings to thick planks of eggplant and zucchini. Everything gets a hard sear in a grill pan, piled onto a warm, pliable pita with garlicky yogurt sauce, quick pickled onions and a crunchy chopped salad. The rolling method (steam the pita, load off-center, tuck and wrap tight in parchment) is what makes it a wrap that survives a backpack until lunch instead of collapsing at the first bite.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole-milk plain yogurt (not Greek)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 5 cloves garlic, grated or crushed to a paste
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 1/4 lb flank or sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain (beef option)
• 1 lb eggplant plus 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch planks (vegetarian option)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, for the pan

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or mint
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp cold water, as needed

• 1 medium red onion, sliced paper-thin
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sumac (optional)

• 4 large pocketless pita or Greek-style flatbreads (8-inch)
• 2 cups shredded romaine or little gem lettuce
• 1 cup diced Persian or English cucumber
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Make the marinade: in a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic paste, oregano, cumin, paprika, coriander, cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and chile flakes until smooth. It should look like a loose, tan dressing.
2. Marinate your protein. Chicken: leave thighs whole and turn them in the marinade. Beef: toss the thin slices to coat. Vegetables: brush the marinade generously over both sides of the eggplant and zucchini planks. Cover and refrigerate — 30 minutes minimum, 4 hours for chicken and vegetables, and no more than 1 hour for beef (the acid will turn thin slices mealy past that). Pull from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
3. While it marinates, pickle the onions: combine the sliced onion, red wine vinegar, sugar, 3/4 tsp salt and sumac in a small bowl, press the onions under the liquid, and let sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes, tossing once or twice. They will turn bright pink and soften.
4. Make the sauce: stir together the Greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, dill and 1/2 tsp salt. Add cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until it's thick but spoonable — like sour cream. Refrigerate until assembly.
5. Toss the salad: combine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Keep the feta separate for now.
6. Cook the protein. Heat a cast-iron grill pan or heavy skillet over medium-high for 3 minutes, then add 1 tbsp neutral oil. Wipe excess marinade off the surface of the food so it sears rather than steams. CHICKEN: cook 5–6 minutes per side until deeply charred and 175°F at the thickest point. BEEF: work in two batches, spreading slices in a single layer and cooking 1 1/2–2 minutes per side. VEGETABLES: 4–5 minutes per side until well marked and completely tender at the center.
7. Rest chicken 5 minutes on a board, then slice across the grain into 1/2-inch strips. Beef and vegetables can go straight into the wrap; cut vegetable planks into 1-inch strips. Season everything with a small pinch of salt while warm.
8. Warm the pita properly — this is what keeps it from cracking. Sprinkle each pita lightly with water on both sides, then toast one at a time in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30–45 seconds per side, until soft, steamy and flexible with a few blistered spots. Stack them in a clean kitchen towel as you go so the trapped steam keeps them pliable.
9. Load off-center: lay a warm pita on a 12-inch square of parchment. Spread 2–3 tbsp yogurt sauce across the lower third, leaving a 1-inch border. Add a line of protein, then salad, pickled onions and feta on top — keep the pile compact and no more than 2 inches tall, and resist overfilling.
10. Roll it tight: fold the bottom edge up over the filling and pull it back toward you to compress the bundle. Fold in one side, then continue rolling forward into a tight cylinder with the second side tucked in as you go. Roll the parchment around it snugly, twist or fold the ends, and press seam-side down for a minute to set.
11. Serve immediately, or refrigerate wrapped for up to 24 hours — slice through the parchment at a diagonal with a serrated knife just before eating.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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