Want the all-popular Greek recipe that you’re going to love? Use this unique method to make homemade gyro meat! Then serve it up in a pita with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and tzatziki sauce for a delicious lunch or dinner.

Homemade gyro with gyro meat and tzatziki sauce

Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!

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Recipe Origins

Gyros, Doner Kebabs, and Schwarmas are all very similar types of meat and are likely influenced by one another.

All of them are normally made by roasting meat on a vertical rotisserie and slicing the meat off as it cooks, adding it to a sandwich. In the case of the gyros, the pitas are then typically served with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and tzatziki sauce. At some gyro stands/restaurants in Greece, you can even find them with fries served in the pita as well.

In Greece, Gyros are made with pork or chicken, while in other countries beef and lamb are more common.

Though some references state that the gyro was invented in New York City in the 1970s and is purely a Greek American dish, I have personally eaten gyros in Greece as well!

This recipe, however, is NOT the typical way of making gyros. We do not have a vertical rotisserie or a shaving knife for this recipe. Instead, this method is for adventurous cooks with average kitchens, wanting to make a gyro without the extra equipment.

Though it’s certainly a different method, it tastes delicious and you’ll be glad you tried it!

Why Make this Recipe

“Travel” to Greece: Eating gyros was one of my favorite parts of exploring Greece, and truly gave me a wonderful taste of Greek food! If you want to make this speciality, you’ll be able to taste Greece from wherever you are.
Make Gyros at Home: Until this cooking method, making gyros at home would be almost impossible unless you had the right tools (which are hard to come by). This recipe makes homemade gyros accessible!

What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?

Ingredients

Ground Beef: I use 85% lean.
Onion: I use a medium-sized yellow onion.

Tools

Medium Pot
Food Processor
Paper Towel
9×5 Loaf Pan
9×13 Pan
Foil Wrapped Brick/3 Cans
Cast Iron Skillet

How to Make this Recipe

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Step 1: Prepare the Meat Mixture

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil.

Put the onion in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the onion is pureed.

Put the pureed onion in a paper towel and bring together the corners. Squeeze out any excess water from the onion.

Return the onion to the food processor along with the rest of the ingredients (ground beef, ground lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper). Pulse until everything is fully combined.

Step 2: Bake the Gyro Meat

Put the mixture in an 9×5 loaf pan and press down. Fill a separate 9×13 pan with the boiling water.

Put the loaf pan with the meat on the middle rack of the preheated oven and put the 9×13 pan on the bottom rack. Bake for about 60 minutes until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 3: Rest the Gyro Meat

Remove the loaf pan from the oven and pour off the excess grease.

Put the loaf pan on a cooling rack, cover it with aluminum foil, then place something heavy on top of the pan (you can use a foil-covered brick for best results. I used 3 cans and then placed a cast iron skillet on top.)

Let the gyro meat rest for about 30 minutes until cooled and dense.

Step 4: Brown the Meat

Remove the meat from the loaf pan. Use a serrated knife to cut the gyro meat into slices.

sliced meat on a cutting board with a knife

Heat the vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the gyro slices to the pan and fry until the meat is browned on both sides.

gyro meat slices frying in a cast iron skillet

Step 5: Assemble

Assemble in a warm pita with meat, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and tzatziki sauce. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

Don’t forget to make this Easy Tzatziki Sauce to go with your homemade Gyro Meat Recipe. You also can’t go wrong with Middle Eastern Falafel Balls that can be served as a vegetarian appetizer to your gyros or a side dish.
When making your gyro, wrap the pita in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave it for a few minutes to soften it and warm it.
The gyro would also be delicious if served with feta cheese or cucumbers.

Recipe FAQs

How to Pronounce “Gyro”

Gyro is a pretty difficult word to pronounce, with a lot of debate on how to say it correctly.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not pronounce the “g” in Gyro like you do in the word “goat”.

Instead, you say “yee-row”. If you can, roll the “r” to truly pronounce it correctly.

What to Serve with Gyros

So you’ve made your gyros and now it’s time to eat! What should you serve them with?

If your gyro doesn’t have fries served inside of the pita, they would be a great option to serve on the side. You can also serve the gyro with a greek salad or even rice! But check out this extensive and fun list of sides for gyros – I have 31 suggestions for inspiration!

Did you like this homemade Gyro Meat Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes we picked out just for you: