Gyro
intro
Juicy spiced lamb and beef wrapped in warm pita with crisp veggies and cool tzatziki, this classic Greek street food is bold, fresh, and deeply satisfying.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix gyro meat blend
In a large mixing bowl, combine 340g 80% lean ground lamb, 225g 80% lean ground beef, 2 finely minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Knead with clean hands for 3 full minutes until the mixture is sticky and uniformly combined, then press firmly into a 2cm-thick rectangular loaf on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Bake the gyro meat
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Place the baking sheet with the pressed meat loaf on the middle oven rack, and bake for 35 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 71°C (160°F) when measured with an instant-read food thermometer. Remove from the oven and let the loaf rest for 10 minutes, then slice it as thinly as possible (2-3mm thick) against the grain with a sharp chef’s knife.
Make tzatziki sauce
While the meat bakes, grate 200g English cucumber on the large holes of a box grater, then wrap the grated cucumber in paper towels and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove all excess water (you will have roughly 100g of drained grated cucumber left). In a medium bowl, mix the drained cucumber, 240ml full-fat Greek yogurt, the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir until completely smooth, then chill in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Crisp the meat slices
Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, until the pan surface reaches 190°C (375°F). Working in 2 batches to avoid crowding the pan (which causes steaming instead of searing), add the thin gyro meat slices in a single layer and sear for 45 seconds per side until the edges are crispy and deep golden brown. Transfer seared slices to a clean plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while you cook the remaining batches.
Warm the pita breads
Reduce the skillet heat to medium, until the pan surface cools to 160°C (320°F). Wipe out excess grease from the pan with a folded paper towel, then warm each 8-inch pita round for 20 seconds per side until soft, pliable, and lightly toasted. For a subtle smoky char, you can instead warm pitas directly on a gas stove grate over low flame for 10 seconds per side, flipping carefully with tongs.
Assemble the gyros
Spread 60ml (¼ cup) of chilled tzatziki down the center of each warm pita. Top each with 120g (roughly ½ cup) of crispy seared gyro meat, 3-4 thin slices of red onion, 2-3 slices of Roma tomato, and an optional extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Fold the bottom 2cm of the pita up to catch drips, then roll the pita tightly into a wrap, and serve immediately.
Tips
2.Press the meat loaf very firmly when forming it to eliminate air pockets; this prevents the loaf from crumbling when you slice it thin after baking.
3.For an extra layer of authentic Greek flavor, add a tiny pinch (1/8 teaspoon) of ground cinnamon to the meat spice blend—it adds warm depth without tasting sweet.
OMG this gyro recipe is a total game changer! My kids begged for seconds before they even finished their first helping, and my husband said it’s better than the Greek spot we hit up for date night. The tzatziki is SO creamy, I didn’t skimp on the dill like I usually do and it made all the difference. Already added this to our weekly family dinner rotation!
Took this to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were hounding me for the recipe before I even set the platter down! The only thing I adjusted was adding a tiny pinch of smoked paprika to the meat seasoning, and it gave it such a nice warm depth. Cook time was right on 50 minutes for me, no surprises.
Perfect for Sunday meal prep! I made a big batch of the meat and a double batch of tzatziki on Sunday, and we had quick, tasty lunches all week long. The only heads up is the meat is a little crumbly if you don’t pack it super tight into the loaf pan before baking—learned that the hard way on my first try! Difficulty is definitely medium like the recipe says, not for total newbies but super doable if you follow the steps.
SO good! I made these for my boyfriend’s birthday dinner and he was convinced I ordered takeout until I showed him the dirty mixing bowls in the sink. The tzatziki is so much better than store bought, I’ll never buy the pre-made stuff again.
My whole family is obsessed! We served these with warm pita, sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and a little crumbled feta on the side, and it felt like we were eating at a little Greek café on vacation. I was worried the tzatziki would be too garlicky for my picky youngest, but it was just the right balance.
Okay so I’m literally the worst at cooking, I burn toast half the time, and I still pulled this off! I did have to run to the store last minute for fresh dill because I thought I had some in the fridge, but other than that the steps were straightforward. Ended up being so tasty I impressed my roommates, who now think I’m a secret gourmet cook.
Solid recipe, but I feel like it was missing a little heat for my taste. I ended up drizzling a little hot honey over my gyro and it paired so well with the cool tzatziki, 10/10 combo. Cook time was a little longer for me because my oven runs cold, so I had to add about 10 extra minutes to get the meat cooked through all the way.
Made these in my tiny dorm kitchen with a toaster oven and they still turned out amazing! I used pre-shredded cucumber for the tzatziki to save time, and squeezed out all the water really well so it didn’t get runny. Perfect for a cheap, fancy-feeling dinner instead of ordering takeout for the third night in a row.
I didn’t feel like turning the oven on so I cooked the gyro meat on my charcoal grill in a cast iron loaf pan, and oh my gosh the smoky flavor was out of this world. Definitely going to make this all summer long for backyard cookouts. The tzatziki is the perfect cool dip to go with the smoky meat, I even used the extra as a veggie dip the next day.
So happy I found this! I swapped the regular pita for gluten-free pita and didn’t change a single other thing, and it was perfect. The meat is so well seasoned I didn’t even miss any of the gluten-y takeout versions I used to get before my celiac diagnosis. Will be making this again for sure.
Took a Greek cooking class last year when I was visiting Athens and this recipe tastes exactly like the gyros we had from the little street cart near our Airbnb! The tzatziki ratio is perfect, so many recipes use way too much lemon or not enough garlic, but this is spot on. Worth every minute of prep time.
I was so nervous to make this because my kid has texture issues with creamy sauces, but he dipped every single bite of gyro in the tzatziki and asked if we could have it for his birthday meal next month! I did leave the red onion out of the tzatziki because he hates raw onion, and it still tasted incredible. 10/10, no notes.
High protein, super flavorful, way healthier than getting fast food after my workout. I paired mine with a side of roasted veggies instead of pita to keep it lower carb, and the tzatziki worked great as a dressing for the veggies too. Will be adding this to my regular post-workout meal rotation.
I thought the cook time was going to be shorter, so I ended up running a little behind for my dinner party, but no one cared because the gyros were that good. Pro tip: make the tzatziki a day ahead! The flavors meld so much better if it sits in the fridge overnight, it’s next level.
We don’t have any good Greek restaurants within 45 minutes of our small town, so this recipe is a total lifesaver. It tastes exactly like the gyros I get when I drive into the city for appointments, and I don’t have to waste gas or pay crazy restaurant prices. My whole extended family is already asking for the recipe after I posted pics on Facebook.
I made a vegetarian version of this using crumbled seasoned tempeh instead of the meat, and it was so good even my meat-loving brother-in-law asked for seconds! The tzatziki is so flavorful it carried the whole thing, I didn’t even have to adjust the seasoning for the tempeh, just tossed it in the same spice blend. Game changer for meatless Mondays!
I grew up going to Greek diners in New Jersey and this gyro tastes exactly like the ones I got as a kid after soccer practice. The meat is perfectly seasoned, the tzatziki is tangy and creamy, not watery like so many bad versions I’ve tried over the years. Only thing I added was a few thin slices of red onion on top, like the diners used to do.