Homemade Gyros are by far one of my favorite foods to make. In fact, Gyros are easily one of my favorite foods of all time. That said, I don't have a giant spit to cook all the delicious layers of meat on. So this Homemade Gyro Recipe is essentially a minced meatloaf that gets baked, pressed, and sliced.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
When there isn't an excellent Greek restaurant or gyro stand nearby, you're in luck!
You can still feed that craving for that well-seasoned, satisfying meat and fresh veggies all wrapped up in a warm pita. Just follow this simple Gyro Recipe, and you'll be able to have gyros for a week.
Ingredients
The ingredients for these gyros are perfect. They have the ideal flavor you expect from any of the best gyro stands.
Meat: For this recipe, I use a mixture of either Lamb and Beef or Pork and Beef. I have a few family members who aren't all that crazy about the flavor of lamb. I am crazy about it, however. So, I typically make two batches, one for my wife and kids and one for myself.
Vegetables: The only vegetables you'll need for these homemade gyros are red onion and garlic. Both of them should be minced.
Seasonings and Spices: This is where these gyros genuinely shine. Grab some Ground Marjoram, Dried Rosemary, Dried Oregano, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and Ground Cumin. Combine them, and you've got a perfect Gyro Seasoning mix.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This gyro recipe is about as easy as it will get and still has all the flavors and textures you're looking for.
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°f.
Next, prepare the onions. I use a handheld food chopper or a knife to dice and mince the onions very small.
Once the onions are finely diced, add the meat, all the seasonings, onion, and garlic to a stand mixer.
Now, fix the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix the meat and gyro seasonings until a minced meat texture has formed.
Once you have the right consistency, spoon the mixture into an oiled, non-stick loaf pan and press it down as tightly as possible.
Bake the Gyro Meat for about an Hour or until the center of the loaf reads 180°f using an instant-read thermometer or a Bluetooth-enabled meat thermometer.
Lastly, remove the loaf of gyro meat from the pan, discarding the remaining grease cooked out.
Wrap the loaf in heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Now it's time to press and rest the Gyro loaf. I place the foil-wrapped loaf on a cutting board, place a 12" cast iron skillet on top, and then place a 5lb weight in the skillet.
This might be overkill, and you can use anything you have, such as large canned goods or two skillets.
Either way, let this rest for at least 30 minutes until ready to serve.
As soon as you're ready to serve your Gyros, slice about 2-3 pieces for each gyro. Heat a cast Iron Skillet over medium heat with a bit of olive oil. Place the slices in the skillet to lightly fry each side for 2-3 minutes.
Place the hot slices on a warm pita with tzatziki sauce, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and red onions.
Expert Tips
- If you need something heavy to weigh down the meat, I place an extra large cast iron skillet on top with a 5lb dumbbell inside, and it works perfectly.
- Don't be afraid of really mixing the meat for these gyros. You want that paste-like consistency when you press it into the loaf pan. That's what will provide the consistency and texture of a traditional gyro.
- I recommend chopping the onions as fine as you possibly can, and this salsa master chopper is the best way to achieve that.
Recipe FAQs
A gyro is made of meat, typically lamb, beef, pork, or chicken, with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce served on a warm pita.
Gyro meat is typically lamb, beef, pork, chicken, or a combination traditionally cooked on a spit and then sliced off in thin, tender sheets with crispy edges.
Gyro meat is often a mix of two proteins and is highly seasoned to provide extra flavor. Beyond that, it is cooked slowly on a spit to make it very tender on the inside from the fats rendering down and through the meat. Plus, you get an incredible crisp on the outside layers.
No. Many gyros are also made of chicken, beef, and pork. Some are a combination—for example, lamb and pork or pork and beef.
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Gyros
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef 93/7
- 1 lb Ground Lamb or Pork
- ½ Red Onion - finely diced
- 3 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
- 2 tsp. Ground Marjoram
- 2 tsp. Dried Rosemary
- 1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
- 2 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp. Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f.
- Using a handheld food processor or a knife, dice the onions very finely.
- Add the meat, all the seasonings, onion, and garlic to a stand mixer fixed with the wire whisk attachment.
- Whisk the gyro mixture until a paste-like consistency has formed.
- Spray the inside of a loaf pan with cooking spray and spoon the meat into the loaf pan, firmly pressing and packing the meat into the pan.
- Place the loaf pan in the oven and back for One Hour or until the internal temperature reads 190°f on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the loaf from the pan, discard any remaining grease, and wrap the gyro meat in heavy-duty foil.
- Place a cast iron skillet or any heavy dish on the loaf. Place a weight or large canned goods into the pan and allow the loaf to be pressed down for at least 30 minutes.
- Once ready to serve, heat a cast Iron Skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium heat.
- Slice 2-3 thin slices of meat per gyro from the loaf and place them in the skillet.
- Lightly brown both sides, about 2 minutes a side.
- Spread tzatziki sauce onto the center of a pita, lay the gyro meat on top of the sauce, then sliced tomato, red onion, and shredded lettuce.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you need something heavy to weigh down the meat, I place an extra large cast iron skillet on top with a 5lb dumbbell inside, and it works perfectly.
- Don't be afraid of really mixing the meat for these gyros. You want that paste-like consistency when you press it into the loaf pan. That's what will provide the consistency and texture of a traditional gyro.
- I recommend chopping the onions as fine as you possibly can, and this salsa master chopper is the best way to achieve that.
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