Gyros Recipe (with Homemade Tzatziki)

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Bring the Greek restaurant into your own kitchen with me homemade gyros recipe! Lamb and ground beef combined with onions, garlic, spices and feta cheese wrapped in a warm pita with my homemade tzatziki sauce! Enjoy with a Greek salad for a perfect summer meal.

What are gyros anyway?

Gyros are a Greek dish made with gyros Lamb, a combination of lamb and beef, or sometimes chicken combined with onions, garlic, spices and wrapped in a warm pita. The meat is fried and either thinly sliced or minced. Gyros are topped with a Greek sauce called tzatziki. This awesome condiment is a creamy sauce made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, mint and spices.

How do you pronounce Gyros?

Oh what a great debate!! While many people think this is pronounced “JAI-ROH,” that would be wrong. If you really want to impress your friends and family, make sure to pronounce this word the way the Greeks do – “YEE-ROH”. And if you really want to be extravagant (and you were born with that gene), feel free to do a little more R. So nice.

How to prepare gyros at home

We’ve all seen gyros sliced on a vertical rotisserie to make these delicious flatbread sandwiches. I don’t know how many of you have a vertical rotisserie, but I definitely don’t. Luckily for us, I figured out how to cook this using an oven and flat grill so the meat tastes and feels almost the same! The three main tricks that make this recipe a success are:

using a food processor to create the perfect meat texture
using a water bath for an even, slow heat
sear meat at the end to get a rotisserie style crust

This gyros recipe makes 8 gyros. Feel free to double the recipe to feed a larger group. Full recipe details, including required ingredients and measurements, are on the printable recipe card below. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to expect when preparing these gyros:

First, prepare the tzatziki sauce

Peel Cucumber and halve lengthwise. Scrape with a spoon to remove the seeds. Finely dice, place on a tea towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid.

Add to Yoghurt, cucumber, freshly grated garlic, salt And mint Pour into a bowl and stir.

Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Pro Tip: When I started making this recipe about 20 years ago, Greek yogurt wasn’t available in my regular grocery stores. All we had was plain traditional yogurt which was quite watery. To thicken the yogurt enough, I would place it in a cheesecloth-lined strainer in the fridge overnight to get the excess water out. So if you only have plain yogurt, you can definitely use that in this recipe. Just make sure to add this step to your tasks a few hours before (or the night before) you need it.

Next, prepare the gyros

Preheat oven to 325° F. Set a 13×9 casserole dish for later.

Puree the onion in the food processor

Location Onion in a food processor puree and puree a few times, then puree and scrape down the sides if necessary.

diced onions in the bowl of the food processor

Add garlic, meat and spices

Add to grated garlic, ground lamb, ground beef, And Spices. Process until meat becomes a paste, about 1 minute. I know This goes against everything you’ve been told about not mixing your meat too much, but trust me on this step. It’s absolutely necessary to achieve the density we’re looking for in this particular recipe.

Add to meat mix to a 9×13 casserole dishSpread and press until even.

Ground beef and onions in bowl of food processor

Create a water bath and bake in the oven

Location Put the baking dish in a larger form (I used a roaster). Fill the bottom of the skillet with boiling water and carefully place in the center of the oven.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160°F. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.

homemade gyros meat, ready to be cut into thin slices

Pro tip: Think ahead and make sure your tea kettle is ready so you don’t have to wait for a pot of water to boil.

Cut the meat into thin slices

Place the meat on a cutting board and cut into slices Very thin slices, about 10 cm long. This will be easier if you cut the loaf in half first.

Sear meat (optional but so flavorful!)

At this point you’re ready to serve, but I prefer to sear the meat on a flat grill or cast iron skillet to brown the meat a bit. That gives it more flavor. Just be careful not to overcook it or it will dry out.

Assemble the gyros and serve warm

Brush something olive oil on their pitas and heat them in the same pan you seared your meat in until heated through.

Assemble gyros by placing Tzatziki sauce, sliced meat And optional toppings to the middle of pita bread and serve warm.

homemade gyros with a spoon and tzatziki sauce

Optional gyros toppings

Make this gyro your own by adding toppings! Here are some ideas.

shredded lettuce
grated red cabbage
diced tomatoes
diced onions
sliced red onions
feta cheese
cucumbers
fresh mint
fresh dill

What to serve with gyros

store leftovers

Store leftover flatbread, gyros prep, and meat separately in airtight containers and in the refrigerator. The meat will keep for 2-3 days. The tzatziki sauce will keep for 3-4 days before you notice a change in consistency.

Freeze gyros meat: Allow gyros meat to cool completely to room temperature. Place in an airtight, freezer-safe container or sealable bag. Gyros meat stays fresh in the freezer for 2-3 months. Let the meat sit in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.

More Greek Recipes to Try!

I hope you love these as much as I do! If you make this gyros recipe I would really appreciate it if you give it a star rating and leave a comment to let me know what you think! The printable recipe card is below. Have a nice day, friends! 🙂

Gyros Recipe

Ingredients

for flatbread and optional toppings

instructions

for tzatziki sauce

Peel the cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Scrape with a spoon to remove the seeds. Finely dice, place on a tea towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid.
Place the yoghurt, cucumber, freshly grated garlic, salt and mint in a bowl and stir. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

for gyros

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Place the onion in a food processor and chop a few times, then process until pureed, scraping the sides as needed.
Add the grated garlic, ground lamb, ground beef and spices. Process until meat becomes a paste, about 1 minute.
Place the meat mixture in a 9×13 casserole dish, spread and press down until even.
Place the casserole dish in a larger dish (I used a roaster). Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with boiling water and carefully place it in the center of the oven.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160°F.
Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and cut into very thin slices about 10cm long. This will be easier if you cut the loaf in half first.
At this point you’re ready to serve, but I prefer to sear the meat on a flat grill or cast iron skillet to brown the meat a bit. That gives it more flavor. Just be careful not to overcook it or it will dry out.
Brush your pitas with a little olive oil and heat them in the same pan you seared your meat in until heated through.
Assemble the gyros by adding tzatziki sauce, sliced meat, and optional toppings to the center of the flatbread and serve warm.

Nourishment

Keyword: Gyros, gyros, tzatziki

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