Gyros Recipe

Homemade Greek gyros are SO easy to make at home (baked in a loaf tin)! You’ll see that you can re-create these yummy Mediterranean delights in your own kitchen!

Do you (and your family) love gyro sandwiches from your local Greek restaurant as much as I do?

Then you’re in the right place, because you are going to be very happy to learn that you can make gyros in your own kitchen that taste like they do from that restaurant. It’s also great to know that homemade Greek gyros are as easy to make as a meatloaf (maybe easier)!

One problem many families have is balancing after school activities and having time for a healthy dinner. Besides crock-pot dinners, another option is freezing meals. Freezing some foods is definitely a put-off because of how they taste when defrosted, but others are perfectly suited to the freezer. Luckily, gyros are in the latter category.

Before we go any further, let’s deal with the pronunciation of this Greek word: I’m not Greek, but saying “jai-roh” just sounds like saying “broo-shetta” for bruschetta to me. The best way to say “gyro” in the US is “YEER-oh,” without the hard “g.”

Homemade Greek Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce (Kebabs*)

My version of Alton Brown’s delicious gyro recipe.

Prep: 20min

Total: 1h35min

Serving Size: 1 gyro

Nutrition Facts: calories 343 calories, Carbohydrate 6 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 106 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 22 grams fat, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 30 grams protein, Saturated Fat 8 grams saturated fat, servingSize 1 gyro, Sodium 692 milligrams sodium, Sugar 3 grams sugar, Trans Fat 0 grams trans fat, unSaturated Fat 10 grams unsaturated fat

Ingredients:

• Tzatziki Sauce (recipe link in directions)
• lettuce
• sliced tomatoes
• sliced sweet onion
• 1 medium size onion, roughly chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• 1 Tbsp dried marjoram
• 1 Tbsp dried ground rosemary (or a small sprig of fresh, taken off the main stem)
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. Run the onion in a food processor for about 15 seconds. Place the onion in the center of a kitchen towel and squeeze out the juice and return the onion pulp to the food processor. Discard the juice.
2. Add the meat, garlic, spices, salt and pepper to the onion, and process. Do so until it looks like a fine paste, about a minute. Place the mixture in a loaf pan and press evenly.
3. Bake in a water bath (place loaf pan inside another pan filled with water) at 325°F (165°C) for about an hour or more until temperature reaches 165-170°F (75°C.)
4. Remove from the oven, drain fat, and place on a cooling rack.
5. Cover meat with aluminum foil and a heavy weight (Alton suggests a brick) for about 15 minutes until internal temperature is 175°F (79°C) (I found the times are not quite accurate, and I didn’t know if the brick actually had an effect, but I think the important part is getting the meat to the correct temperature.)
6. Place meat on a cutting board and slice as thinly as possible with an electric knife (using anything else would be much more difficult.)
7. I added the following step myself as I think it mimics the rotisserie a bit more. Add a few slices to a nonstick frying pan (very little or no oil) and heat gently until the meat browns a little.
8. In another pan, heat the pita bread.
9. Finally, place the meat on one half of the pita, topped with tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. You could also put a little Greek dressing on the tomatoes too (extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt, oregano.)
10. Serve Homemade Greek Gyros with rice pilaf, or fries, and a Greek salad!

Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzaziki

Recipe video above. The marinade for the chicken is so sensational that I use it even when I’m not making Gyros! This is fantastic for entertaining because you can just lay it all out for guests to help themselves. The smell when the chicken is cooking is incredible – you can really smell the oregano and garlic!

Prep: 20min

Total: 26min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 641.78 kcal, Carbohydrate 47.64 g, Protein 64.69 g, Fat 20.26 g, Saturated Fat 4.58 g, Cholesterol 242.16 mg, Sodium 1297.31 mg, Fiber 5.09 g, Sugar 11.21 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 lb / 1 kg chicken thigh fillets (, boneless skinless)
• 3 large garlic cloves (, minced (~ 3 tsp))
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar ((or red wine or apple cider vinegar))
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt (, preferably full fat)
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 2 cucumbers ((to make about 1/2 – 3/4 cup grated cucumber after squeezing out juice))
• 1 1/4 cups Greek yoghurt (, preferably full fat)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ((or more if you want richer))
• 1 garlic clove (, minced)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 3 tomatoes (, desseeded and diced)
• 3 cucumbers (, diced)
• 1/2 red spanish onion (, peeled and finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves ((optional))
• Salt and pepper
• 4 to 6 pita breads or flat breads

Instruction:

1. {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Place the Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and massage to mix. Add the chicken into the ziplock bag and massage to cover all the chicken in the Marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours, ideally 12 hours and no longer than 24 hours.’, ‘name’: ‘Place the Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and massage to mix. Add the chicken into the ziplock bag and massage to cover all the chicken in the Marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours, ideally 12 hours and no longer than 24 hours.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-0-0’}
2. {‘@type’: ‘HowToSection’, ‘name’: ‘Make the Tzatziki’, ‘itemListElement’: [{‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scrape the watery seeds out. Coarsely grate the cucumber using a box grater. Then wrap in paper towels or a tea towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid.’, ‘name’: ‘Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scrape the watery seeds out. Coarsely grate the cucumber using a box grater. Then wrap in paper towels or a tea towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-1-0’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Place cucumber in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients then mix to combine. Set aside for at least 20 minutes for the flavours to meld.’, ‘name’: ‘Place cucumber in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients then mix to combine. Set aside for at least 20 minutes for the flavours to meld.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-1-1’}]}
3. {‘@type’: ‘HowToSection’, ‘name’: ‘Salad’, ‘itemListElement’: [{‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Combine ingredients in a bowl.’, ‘name’: ‘Combine ingredients in a bowl.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-2-0’}]}
4. {‘@type’: ‘HowToSection’, ‘name’: ‘Cook Chicken’, ‘itemListElement’: [{‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Brush the outdoor grill with oil, then preheat on medium high. Or heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan over medium high heat.’, ‘name’: ‘Brush the outdoor grill with oil, then preheat on medium high. Or heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan over medium high heat.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-3-0’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Remove chicken from Marinade. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through (cooking time depends on size of chicken).’, ‘name’: ‘Remove chicken from Marinade. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through (cooking time depends on size of chicken).’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-3-1’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Remove the chicken from the grill / fry pan onto a plate. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.’, ‘name’: ‘Remove the chicken from the grill / fry pan onto a plate. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-3-2’}]}
5. {‘@type’: ‘HowToSection’, ‘name’: ‘Assemble Gyros’, ‘itemListElement’: [{‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘If your chicken thighs are large, you may need to cut them. Mine were small.’, ‘name’: ‘If your chicken thighs are large, you may need to cut them. Mine were small.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-4-0’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Get a pita bread or flatbread (preferably warmed) and place it on a piece of parchment (baking) paper (or you could use foil). Place some Salad down the middle of the bread, then top with chicken and Tzatziki.’, ‘name’: ‘Get a pita bread or flatbread (preferably warmed) and place it on a piece of parchment (baking) paper (or you could use foil). Place some Salad down the middle of the bread, then top with chicken and Tzatziki.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-4-1’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Roll the wrap up, enclosing it with the parchment paper. Twist the end with the excess parchment paper to secure it and cut if desired.’, ‘name’: ‘Roll the wrap up, enclosing it with the parchment paper. Twist the end with the excess parchment paper to secure it and cut if desired.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-4-2’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘I prefer to lay everything out on a table and let everyone help themselves.’, ‘name’: ‘I prefer to lay everything out on a table and let everyone help themselves.’, ‘url’: ‘https://www.recipetineats.com/greek-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki/#wprm-recipe-21826-step-4-3’}]}

The Ultimate Greek American Gyros

FAQ

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