Gyros (pronounced Yi-ros) are a delicious Greek dish consisting of a meat filling, fresh veggies, and tzatziki wrapped in pita bread. The flavorful meat perfectly pairs with the crisp veggies and the tangy tzatziki. Gyros are actually surprisingly easy to make at home too!
On the Ingredients
- Oregano is a member of the mint family native to Western and Southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean. It’s a widespread culinary herb and is usually used dried. It’s commonly thought of as an Italian herb in the US, primarily due to WWII soldiers who developed a taste for “the pizza herb” while serving in Italy. It’s also commonly used in Turkish, Portuguese, Greek, and Latin American (especially Argentinian) cuisine.
- Rosemary is a popular herb from the Mediterranean. The name “rosemary” comes from the Latin ros marinus or “dew of the sea.” It was probably called this because of the “salty” texture of the leaves and its ability to thrive on the coast of the Mediterranean. Rosemary was considered sacred to the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks and is used in folk medicine. In cooking, rosemary is often used dry and paired with roasted meats like lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey. It is also used for herbal teas.
- Thyme originated in the Levant, where it was first cultivated. The ancient Greeks believed that thyme was a source of courage and bathed with it. The Romans spread it across Europe, burning it for incense and flavoring their cheese and wine. It was common in the Middle Ages to sleep with a sprig of thyme under your pillow to ward off nightmares. It was also custom to gift bunches of thyme to knights or soldiers to give them courage, harkening back to the Greeks. Today, thyme is a popular herb around the world.
- Cumin is a spice that comes from the seeds of a flowering plant native to the Middle East and India. Ancient Syrian, Egyptian, and Minoan peoples have been flavoring their food with it since the second millennium BCE. The spice was introduced to the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese. It is now commonly used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. Cumin can be used ground or in whole seeds and has a warming, earthy flavor.
- Marjoram is an herb native to Cyprus, Turkey, the Mediterranean, Western Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Levant. It was popular in Ancient Greece and Rome as a symbol of happiness. Though it became known to Britain in the medieval period, it wasn’t widely used in North America until after World War II. Generally, marjoram is used in soups, stews, salads, dressings, sauces, and even in herbal teas.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
If you’d like a vegetarian version, you can roast chickpeas seasoned with the herbs and spices of the meat. For vegan, use a dairy-free yogurt substitute.
Gyros with Tzatziki
10
servings30
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minutesGyros (pronounced Yi-ros) are a delicious Greek dish consisting of a meat filling, fresh veggies, and tzatziki wrapped in pita bread. The flavorful meat perfectly pairs with the crisp veggies and the tangy tzatziki. Gyros are actually surprisingly easy to make at home too!
Ingredients
- Tzatziki
2 cups greek yogurt (plain)
1 English cucumber
1 tsp salt
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 lemon (zest and juice)
2 tbsp fresh dill
1/2 tsp black pepper
- Gyro Meat
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground lamb
1 egg
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
6 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried cumin
1 tsp dried marjoram
- Other Ingredients
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
2-3 tomatoes (thinly sliced)
1-2 cucumbers
10 pita breads
fresh dill sprigs
Directions
- Start with making the tzatziki so that it can sit and the flavors can ruminate.
- Peel the cucumber and slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds (feel free to snack on them). Finely chop the cucumber into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and stir to distribute evenly. Let this sit for ten minutes, then use your hands to squeeze out the excess liquid from the cucumber (discard the liquid).
- Mix together the cucumber, yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and black pepper. Cover the bowl and set in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the gyro meat ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to combine thoroughly. Since you’re using two different types of ground meat, you’ll want to mix it very well, so the flavors meld.
- Divide the meat mixture into ten servings and form them into flat oval patties. Line them up on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through.
- While the meat cooks, prepare the other ingredients, slicing the onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
- Heat a dry skillet over medium flame. Heat each pita bread on the skillet for about 2 minutes on each side to warm it and make it more pliable.
- When the meat is done, slice each patty lengthwise.
- To assemble, spread about a 1/4 cup of tzatziki on the pita bread and lay each half of the patty on top. Add cucumber, tomato, and onion slices down the center and garnish with some fresh dill. To eat, fold the pita up around the fillings! You may want to add more tzatziki on top!
