Greek Gyro Recipe with Homemade Gyro Meat
Make your favorite American-style Greek gyros at home! This gyro meat recipe combines ground beef and lamb to get that distinctive flavor you find at Greek restaurants. The texture is meatloaf-style rather than restaurant-style, but the flavors are on point. Doing it this way saves tons of time. Top with Tzatziki Sauce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers!
We heard a giant crash and a scream last night. I ran into the room to find my 3-year-old daughter Valentine buried under the dresser. The scariest moment as a parent, right?? She is okay, just a scrape and maybe some light emotional scarring. Just kidding! I’m sure she will forget about it soon, I hope?? Eric has since bolted the dresser to the wall. There are so many things to feel anxious or guilty about as a parent, but not having the dresser bolted wasn’t even on the list!
I’ve spent the last couple days reading my mom’s journal from when she was about my age: she had just had her fifth baby (me!) and I’ve just had my fourth, and our days are spent corralling children. It’s actually not a journal, it’s a bunch of letters sent to her best friend, who had just moved far away. Because let’s be real, moms with 4 or 5 kids don’t have time to journal!
It is shocking how similar our problems, successes, struggles, and joys are. I guess motherhood is motherhood, right? If we went back 500 years would it read the same? My mom just finished telling the story about how she was carrying a pot of boiling potatoes to the sink to drain it, and ran into my brother, who was 4. Can you imagine accidentally spilling boiling water all over your son?? Gah! It makes me feel a little better about not having the dresser bolted.
Here are a few excerpts from her letters, in italics. You moms will be able to relate:
Yesterday I got in a huge fight with my oldest, took away $5 that I owed him, and now I can’t remember the slightest detail. This led, of course, to the conclusion that I’m a worthless, inconsistent parent prone to hysterics. So what else is new, huh? (“Prone to hysterics” sounds familiar. Like mother like daughter!)
(From when she was pregnant with me, her fifth:) Since it had turned hot I hadn’t been as hungry, and I had even cut out potato chips (daily) so I was feeling smug about my weight – and I gained 9 pounds. In 3 weeks. So I decided that if I’d already been convicted I may as well commit the crime. I’ve eaten potato chips with wild abandon every day since.
Well, it’s 5:30, Rich will be home any second and I have not even started dinner. Poor man, I’m sure when he got married he thought he was getting a wife, and instead he got me. This is me, every day.
A 2 year old who’s potty-trained – what a novel idea. I’m not even going to try until Nathan has a 1000 word vocabulary – including the sentence, ‘I believe I need to use the toilet, mother.’ Then I’ll tackle it.
I read somewhere that most women living in pre-20th century didn’t have much problem with menopause – they were dead before they were old enough to experience it. Wild hormone swings certainly account for witches, wild women, and sorceresses down through the ages. (I guess this explains the Salem witch trials?? Ha!)
Well, there you have it. Me, basically, if I had been a mom in 1987. Oh how history repeats itself!
What goes on a gyro?
Today we are talking GYROS. (pronounced “hero.”) If you have never had a Greek gyro before, you are totally missing out. It is a warm pita bread, topped with lemony-garlicky Tzatziki Sauce, gryo meat, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
In other words, HEAVEN. Seriously my favorite item to get anytime there is a food truck situation. In Greece they serve it with french fries in the pita itself instead of served on the side. It is now my life mission to make it to Greece someday to try it that way for myself!!
How to make the best gyro meat
The gyro meat that you will find in most Greek restaurants in the United States is made with a combination of beef and lamb. I’ve never been to Greece, but I’ve read that it is actually more common to see gyros made with pork in the homeland.
Today’s recipe is an easier version of the beef and lamb combo you will see in the US. To make it the way the restaurants do, you have to grind the meat very finely using a meat grinder or food processor, then press it down so that there are no air pockets, and let it marinate for a while. Then they skewer it onto a rotisserie skewer and cook. The meat is sliced off the edges.
It’s delicious, obviously, but ain’t nobody got time for that. Instead, we are taking all the flavors you love and basically making meatloaf. It takes about 30 minutes to make the meat, start to finish. Ground beef is combined with ground lamb and spiced with cumin, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. The resulting meatloaf is tender and flavorful and perfect for a weeknight gyro fest! It comes together pretty quick.
I like to shape the meat into individual patties so that you get lots of crispy edges. You could easily shape it into one meatloaf if you prefer, and slice to serve. You will just have to cook it a bit longer.
The ground lamb is what gives this gyro meat it’s distinctive flavor. I know it can be tricky to find sometimes. If you can’t find ground lamb, you could substitute ground beef or ground pork, but the flavor won’t be the same. Go to your local butcher to find ground lamb, if your market doesn’t have it!
If you don’t feel like making french fries, you could serve these gyros with these easy 3 Ingredient Roasted Potatoes. You could also make this Greek Salad with Feta as a refreshing side dish!
More Greek recipes you will enjoy!
- Gyro Style Shredded Beef (Instant Pot/Crock Pot) << This recipe for shredded beef is another great idea for filling gyros! Or eat it bowl-style with cauliflower rice!
- Chicken Shawarma << this is the same idea as gyros but uses yogurt-marinated chicken. YUM.
- Oven Baked Greek Chicken with Veggies << one of my most favorite 30 minute meals!
- Greek Salad with Feta Cheese << I could eat this every day.
- Greek Lentil Tacos with Cucumber Pico de Gallo << a delicious vegetarian meal!
- Greek Spinach Feta Chicken Pockets << basically a Greek style hot pocket. What’s not to love??
- Moussaka << An insanely complex Greek layered casserole. Worth every second.
- Tzatziki Sauce Recipe << Make this as an appetizer and bring it to a party with toasted pita. Everyone will love you.
- The Best Greek Chicken Marinade from FoodieCrush
- Greek Meatballs from Recipe Tin Eats
- Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from Real Greek Recipes
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Greek Gyro Recipe with Homemade Gyro Meat
Ingredients
For the gyro meat
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease , OR butter*
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, yes, 4 teaspoons**
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, optional
To assemble
- 1 batch Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 large red onion, sliced thin
- 2-4 tomatoes, sliced
- 1-2 cucumbers, sliced
- 8-10 pita rounds
- fresh dill, to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Start by making the Tzatziki Sauce. It needs time to marinate, so get it done first so it can sit in the fridge while you make the rest.
- Make the gyro meat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Or line with foil and spray with nonstick spray.
- If you have a food processor, use it to finely chop the onion and garlic. If not, use a knife to chop finely.
- In a large bowl, add all gyro meat ingredients: 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground lamb, 2 tablespoons butter OR bacon grease,* 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 cup Panko crumbs, chopped onion, minced garlic, 4 teaspoons kosher salt (see note), 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon marjoram. (It's ok if you don't have the marjoram.)
- Combine the meat using your hands. I like to wear disposable gloves when I do this. Using your hands feels a little weird, but it mixes the meat so much faster and more evenly than using a spoon, resulting in nice tender meat (as opposed to being overworked.)
- Shape the meat into about 10 oval patties. See photos. Line them up on the pan making sure they are not touching each other.
- Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, prepare the gyro toppings: Thinly slice a red onion. Slice the tomatoes. Slice the cucumbers. Warm the pita bread either in the microwave or in the still-warm oven. Chop extra fresh dill, if you want.
- How to construct your gyro: Add a layer of Tzatziki Sauce to a warm pita. Slice a gyro patty in half lengthwise for easier eating, and place on top of Tzatziki. Garnish with red onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh dill. Devour!
- Gyros are traditionally served with french fries, or you could try it with these 3 ingredient Roasted Potatoes. It would also be great served with this Greek Salad!
Notes
Nutrition
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It looks delicious but it isn’t even remotely close to greek gyros
This was delicious, seriously so authentic tasting. I have a food processor and I feel like using that made a huge difference. Best gyros ever!
Amazing!! My husband and I typically make grilled chicken pitas biweekly, but this recipe might just make us replace the chicken with gyro meat! We made way too much for just the two of us (next time, we’ll half the recipe), have you ever tried freezing the leftover meat? If so, how does it do warmed up after being frozen?
Hi Courtney! I’m so glad you are loving it! Yes you can absolutely freeze. Seal well in a ziplock and let thaw in the fridge. Then heat either in the microwave or on a low temperature (covered) in the oven so it doesn’t dry out. Like make 30 minutes at 250, or 20 minutes at 300. something like that. Enjoy!
I cut the kosher salt in half, still Too much salt! I rolled the meat out with rolling pin, under wax paper. Found it so salty after I baked it. I soaked it in lemon water, dried it on paper towel & chopped it & refried it. The flavour is very good, but I’m going to cut the kosher salt to 1/4 tsp next time I make it.
Can I use venison?
I haven’t tried that Sylvia! Let me know how it goes!
Fantastic recipe! My baking sheet ended up with a lot of juice/grease so the next time I will use beef with less fat or maybe use a grilling rack.
Oh my gosh, this recipe is incredible! I’ve made it twice (subbed ground turkey for lamb), and both times we have thought it was soooo good. Thanks for sharing it!
Great idea using ground turkey Ellen! Love that idea. Thanks so much for sharing and reviewing!
Love this recipe. I made the meat into oval shaped meatballs and after cooking in the oven, split them lengthwise for each gyro. Also reduced the lemon juice a bit and added 4oz of softened cream cheese to tzakitizi because my husband thought it was too sour the other way.
I also like to add thin sliced jalapeños to give it a kick.
Thanks so much for posting this recipe.
Oh my gosh this was so good ! It did take most of my day to make because I made everything homemade. And it was worth it . Very Yummy and 😋 delicious. I had enough meat leftover that I put it in the freezer uncooked for another nights dinner.
Made this today for dinner and it was very easy and delicious. My 10 yr old is so picky but devoured the meat. We did not get the dark color formed on the outside of the patties like in your pictures, but the internal temp was good. I didn’t want to overcook and dry it out just to get a darker glaze.
I measured out 15 patties with an uncooked weight of 3.2-3.4 ounces. This size was enough for me to make a decent size gyro. My husband used 2 patties for his.
I will omit the butter the next time as the ground lamb we got was fatty (beef was lean) but wanted to follow it as written. This was awesome and I will definitely make it again.
Do you think this recipe could be made in a Terrine? My hubby just gave me one for Valentines day and I have been looking for a few good recipes to make in it.
Hi Tina! True charlatan moment: I just had to google what a terrine was. Eek!! How embarrassing. That’s a long way to tell you I have no idea, haha. Sorry I’m not more helpful! Let me know how it goes!
I tried the meat when it was done. And it do not taste like Gyro meat from the restaurant! I’m very disappointed that it don’t taste like the Gyro meat from the restaurant! Because lamb meat is not cheap! Thank you for your recipe, but it’s not for me. Maybe your bacon grease made it worse?
For now, I will be going to the restaurant to buy my Gyro sandwiches.
This recipe looks amazing! I can’t have dairy though so I’m wondering what the milk does and what would be a good substitute? Thank you!
Hey Anna! You are in luck, the milk in this recipe is mostly providing liquid to help moisten the meat. Any milk substitute will do fine! Almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, etc. Enjoy!
I made this for the second time, the first time I had all the correct ingredients and it was amazing. This time I bought the wrong yogurt (plain European style yogurt) and didn’t have lamb so I subbed it with turkey. I was annoyed at myself for getting the wrong ingredients, but it turned out amazing!! You cannot lose with this recipe! Thank you for sharing ❤️
I’m so glad it still worked out for you Sabrina!! The spice mix really does amazing things, even when you don’t have the right meat. So glad you tried it out and it worked! Thanks so much for taking the time to review :)
If you bake it like a meatloaf like in picture do you still cook it for same amount of time?
Hi Jessica! No, you will have to cook it longer, I would use a meat thermometer!
My husband’s comment when I gave him a bit of the meat to taste before I put it in a wrap was “Oh my gosh that’s good!!”
I pretty much followed the recipe leaving out the breadcrumbs and milk and butter (I have to eat gluten free).
This is the best gyro recipe I’ve tried!! Made the meat by the recipe as much as I could. I used a beef and pork mix ground and added fresh rosemary since that’s all I had. I omitted the cumin as my husband doesn’t like it. Baking the meat in patties is a great idea! I made sweet garlic sauce instead of tatziki. Will be making these again!!
Ooh sweet garlic sauce! That sounds delicious Jessie! So glad the recipe was a hit. Thanks for sharing your review!
Way tooo salty!
(Pronounced “yee-ro”)
I had a craving for gyros and decided to try and make them myself so I bought all the ingredients and some store made sauce. Little did I realize exactly what goes into making the meat. I decided to try your recipe because it had the quickest prep time, it’s a school night, and I needed to get dinner on the table. They were the absolute BEST gyros we’ve ever had! I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you so much for putting this out here for everybody!!
I’m so happy to hear it was a success Lisa! When I first started researching gyros, I did the same thing, and quickly realized I would never make it if it took all that pressing and marinating! Haha. Glad we’ve found a shortcut! Thanks so much for reviewing :)
This was really good. I used 85% lean ground beef, so it was a little juicy at the end of the baking time. I turned the oven to broil on high for a few minutes to dry it out a bit and give the meat some blackened spots. It also had a bit of kick, so I might cut back on the cumin and pepper a little next time.
Ooh good idea broiling the top Morgan! I bet that was super tasty. Thank you so much for adding your notes!
It is pronounced as yeero in Greece not hero
This tastes completely authentic! Yes, the texture is a little different then restaurant gyro meat, but it is still delicious. I bought marjoram just for this recipe and I am glad I did. I squished my patties as thin as I could, knowing they fatten up a little as they cook. 5 stars!
5 stars, woohoo! I’m so glad you liked the recipe Stephanie. Great idea flattening them a lot, bring on the crispy! Thanks so much for reviewing!
So many gyro recipes do not have the right spices. This was the best recipe I have found to date, tastes great – so close to our local greek restaurant! I did it with ground turkey and still wonderful!
So happy to hear this Sarah! And glad to know the recipe works with ground turkey. Thanks for sharing!
I halved the recipe and added more of certain spices than others. I did cook off a piece to taste for seasoning. This was FANTASTIC! Hubby said it’s a hit! Thx for the recipe!😊👍🏾
Hooray! So glad you guys loved it Cheneille! Good idea cooking a piece to taste it, you’re smart. Thanks so much for coming back to comment!
Question…This looks great but I do not like lamb and can taste it even mixed with something. What would be a good substitute…ground pork/chix?
Hi Vi! If you are not into lamb, you could try it with ground pork. Omit the bacon grease called for. You could also try all ground beef, make sure you use 80/20 fat content. Enjoy!
Is the bacon grease or butter melted?
Hi Maria! No I would just add softened butter. The cold or room temp bacon grease should be about the consistency of soft butter. Enjoy!
I had to leave a note. My family all agreed that these were the best they’ve ever had. I made them into loafs, baked them, chilled, then sautéd them till crispy. So simple and tasty ! So glad I doubled the batch and I froze two additional loafs.
Oh my gosh I love the bake and saute method!! I bet they were so good and crispy!! What a great idea Laura. So glad the recipe was a hit with the whole crowd! Thanks so much for reviewing!
I’m also interested in making these in loaves! How long did the total bake time turn out to be for loaves? Thanks in advance!
Can you do just lamb?
Hi Rochni! I haven’t tried that. It might be a little strong. And it will definitely be drier. Much of the fat comes from the beef. Let me know how it goes!
This recipe is amazing!!! I made it exactly how you did without marjoram because I didn’t have it. I added French fries to it because when I was in Souda Bay Crete. Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Diana! Thanks for your comment! I would love to try it with french fries like they do in Crete. It sounds so delicious!
Can’t wait to try the recipe out. It looks delicious.
Can I bake the meat in a pan (like meatloaf) then thinly slice once cooked?
Absolutely Shanellie! That’s how I did it the first time I made it. You will have to increase the bake time. Enjoy!
This was a first time for me making gyros! I bought a lamb leg for Easter and had lots leftover, so ground it up with raw 1lb hamburger to make the meat mixture: otherwise I followed the recipe to a T. It was fabulous-I am a cook and don’t give online recipes too many “10”s; this is a “10”. Next time I will use a little less salt, knock out teh bacon fat and use 85% vs 93% hamburger to replace the fat, and cut the recipe in 1/2 for 4 hungry people or 1/4 for two. I used my own Tzatiki recipe (below), which is wonderful. Thank you for this great go-to recipe I will keep in my recipe box!
14 oz plain greek yogurt
1 cuke (hothouse, unpeeled, seeded, grate in processor, squeeze out water)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 TBSP Dill
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Great tips Juli! I’m so glad you give the recipe a 10! And thank you so much for sharing your tzatziki!
We’re stuck in the covid-19 lockdown, looking for some variety in our diet. My husband is a huge gyro fan, so I took the plunge with this recipe. It is terrific. I formed the patties, cooked some in the oven, and froze the others. I defrost the frozen ones in the fridge, then fry them. My husband prefers them fried rather than roasted. I had to cut some corners on the tzatziki sauce, but the essential flavors are there. A hit! Thanks.
I’m so glad the recipe was a success Susan! Love the idea of frying the patties, it would give you even more crispy-edge factor. I will try it next time! So happy you loved it and thank you for reviewing!
I LOVED this recipe! I even made the leftovers into a gyro breakfast hash the next morning! I’d make a couple small changes next time:
– Reduce salt to 3 tsp, as I found the meat to be a bit salty when combined with feta on top.
– Halve the wet ingredients (egg, milk, etc.) OR double the breadcrumbs. The mix was too sticky to work with at first.
Thanks again for an easy, delicious make-at-home substitute for restaurant gyros!
Sorry I couldn’t even finish reading the rest of your review because I was stuck on GYRO BREAKFAST HASH. Whaaaat. You win, Aaron. I love it!
Can you freeze and reheat these patties?
Hi Krystal, yes absolutely! I would let them thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave, or in the oven covered at 350 for maybe 10-25 mins? You will have to keep an eye on it.
I am so pleased with this recipe! A great quick meal when wanting a Gyro! The texture is a little different due to the ground meat. The flavor is fantastic! Had a purchased tzatziki sauce as I was really lazy LOL In my keeper file. Thanks for sharing.
Hey sometimes store bought tzatziki is just life, I hear you, haha! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Jeana. I agree, the texture is not authentic, but I was willing to sacrifice it in the name of saving time! Long live gyros, thanks for commenting!
Oh my, this was the best meal ever. My husband is a chef and he couldn’t stop raving about this meal. Wanted to know which restaurant I had purchased this from.
It was fairly quick, absolutely delicious and we have plenty for another several meals.
Thanks a bunch
It will be going into my Recipe book as a 12 out of 10.
That is awesome Kerri! I’m so happy to hear that everyone loved it, including the chef!! Hard to beat a fresh meal like this :) thanks so much for reviewing!
Oh, thank you so much for this recipe! My husband adores gyro, I’ll make a surprise for him this evening :) Looks delicious!!
ok – just have to mention this….you should bolt ALL dressers or book shelves to the walls for ANY toddler. My sister’s sister in-law lost her son to this – it is devastating.
Oh my gosh Leisa. That is truly awful. I’m so sorry to hear of your family’s loss.
Wow, that takes me back- and just look, I survived. Better yet, all 5 of you surviv, relatively intact :)
The gyros look fabulous, if I ever get home I’ll try them!
I can not wait to make this! Seriously, gyros are one of my favorite foods ever.
Btw, your mom’s writing is hilarious. I loled at the menopause part in particular. What a gift her journal must be to you!
I know, I was dying. Witches and sorceresses!! Haha! It is a gift,I can’t stop reading it. Makes me want to write more for my kids! And definitely make the gyros soon, you are going to love it! Thanks for commenting Jenifer!