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!
Originally published August 20, 2012.
Do you (and your family) love gyro sandwiches from your local Greek restaurant as much as I do?
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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 they’re as easy to make as a meatloaf!
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.
How do you pronounce “gyro” in America?
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.”
Find my step by step baklava recipe below! It’s not difficult, I promise!
Homemade Gyros: A Delicious Crowd Pleaser
When my kids were younger, their favorite restaurant was Daphne’s, a Greek restaurant chain. They served such tasty options, and compared to other fast food chains, were much healthier too.
I made gyros with a boxed mix of spices many years ago, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. Last year, however, I discovered Alton Brown’s recipe for homemade gyro sandwiches which had such rave reviews, I decided to give it a try.
You may also enjoy this Greek-inspired recipe for tiropita.
It wasn’t difficult to make, in fact, I was surprised at how few ingredients were in the meat mixture. I have to tell you though, the flavor was fantastic! My family devoured them. I was elated over accomplishing yet another feat in the kitchen: making homemade gyros that tasted great.
If you own a rotisserie, you could use it with this recipe, but since most people don’t, I’ve shown the alternate method.
Pita bread for the gyro sandwich.
You’ll want to buy the soft, thick Greek pita bread for gyro sandwiches. However, you can always make my fried bread dough, which is absolutely delicious, and is great paired with this meat.
Gyro meat freezes perfectly!
Unless you’re having a large group for dinner, this recipe makes a lot of homemade gyros. However, this is not a problem, just freeze the leftover meat, right after slicing it. The pita freezes perfectly too. Imagine having delicious homemade gyros on a weeknight- a quick salad and dinner’s ready!
Here is my version of Alton Brown’s recipe, as I made some changes, mainly with the ingredients (beef and lamb vs just lamb). I also added a step to make them more crisp, which imitates the rotisserie method quite nicely.
How to Make these Greek-Style Gyros
with Tzatziki Sauce
adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe (please note, I’m not claiming these to be authentic,
I just really like Alton Brown’s recipe) serves 8
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
What You’ll Need
A food processor, kitchen towel (not one of your favorites, as it may get stained), loaf pan, 9×13 cake pan, aluminum foil, sharp knife or electric knife and cutting board as well as a frying pan and tongs or spatula.
Ingredients
See the full printable recipe below.
Directions: A Step-By-Step Guide to Making this Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the homemade Greek gyro meat mixture.
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 to the food processor.
Add the meat, garlic, spices, salt and pepper to the onion, and process.
Continue until it looks like a fine paste, about a minute.
Place the meat mixture in a loaf pan and press evenly.
Step 2: Bake the meat.
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.)
Remove from the oven, drain fat, and place on a cooling rack.
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, so I don’t even do it now, but I think the important part is getting the meat to the correct temperature).
Step 3: Extra Step for an Authentic Taste
Place meat on a cutting board and slice as thinly as possible with an electric knife (using anything else would be much more difficult.)
I added the following step myself as I think it mimics the rotisserie flavor a bit more, and gives those crispy bits we all love! Add a few slices to a nonstick frying pan (very little or no oil) and heat gently until the meat browns a little. I highly recommend this!
Step 4: Serve the Homemade Greek Gyros
In another pan, heat the pita bread. If you can’t find pita bread, you could always make my fried bread recipe, but cook it without the oil.
Finally, place the meat on one half of the pita bread.
Top with some tzatziki sauce, lettuce and tomatoes, and white or red onion. I prefer a sweet onion on gyros. You could also put a little dressing on the tomatoes too (extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt, oregano).
Serve homemade Greek gyros with rice pilaf if you like. Alternatively, you can make a Greek salad and serve the gyro meat on top, or serve it alongside some salad, rice pilaf and fries if you want to skip the pita bread.
Homemade Greek Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce (Kebabs*)
My version of Alton Brown's delicious gyro recipe.
Ingredients
- 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
To Serve
- Tzatziki Sauce (recipe link in directions)
- lettuce
- sliced tomatoes
- sliced sweet onion
Instructions
- 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 to the food processor.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Remove from the oven, drain fat, and place on a cooling rack.
- 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.)
- Place meat on a cutting board and slice as thinly as possible with an electric knife (using anything else would be much more difficult.)
- 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.
- In another pan, heat the pita bread.
- 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.)
- Serve Homemade Greek Gyros with rice pilaf or a Greek salad, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 gyroAmount Per Serving:Calories: 343Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 692mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 30g
Click here for theTzatziki Sauce Recipe
And why not make baklava for dessert?!
*For UK readers: I’ve noticed that the UK doesn’t really have “gyros.” Rather, there’s the Turkish “doner kebabs” or just “kebabs”, which are more popular, although they are not the same as a gyro.
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I do not understand what is to be done with the brick. I assume one takes the loaf pan out covers the top with foil, after draining the grease, then returns the loaf pan to the oven in the water bath util the desired temperature is reached?
No, it doesn’t go back into the oven (according to Alton Brown). I think it keeps it hot so the meat continues to cook, but I have ended up just skipping the brick and cooking it a bit longer if it’s not up to temperature. Makes the process easier, too. No difference in flavor, so I probably should just take that out of the directions, Benjamin. Just made them again last week, soooo good!
Thank you
Just like the deli.
I mixed 1/2 lbs. Lamb and 1/2 lbs. burger with all the seasonings. I mixed the ingredients well, kneading the mixture w/ my hands then let it rest in the fridge for an hour or 2. Then i took the meat and divided it into 4 portions, then formed each portion into a fat sausage roll. I then cooked the meat in a grill pan to well done. When done I let the meat sit for 5 minutes. Finally i took a sharp knife and sliced the rolls thinly on the diagonal then put the meat on the pitas.
Ooh, that’s a nice alternative for anyone without an oven (or on a super hot day)! Glad you like them, Kreg!
Wow! A very convenient and tasty recipe. I opted for the fresh rosemary since I rarely use dried. I chopped it finely about the size of the dried Marjoram leaves, I used 1 TBL It was not too strong. I always cook a sample to adjust the seasonings before I bake the whole loaf.
I had to substitute nice soft and thick flour tortillas for pita. It was still wonderful!!
Thank you!
Wonderful! You will be delighted when you can use the proper pita, then! Enjoy!
Hi! I made it this weekend and it’s amazing!!!
Question: do you really need to `weigh it down` or would it be a bit juicier if we skipped that step?
Thanks very much!
Hi Marie, glad you liked them! Good question because each time I make them I question this step myself! I am not sure what the purpose is, but my goal is more about reaching the temperature. However, given I add the extra step at the end, probably not that critical that the temp is reached. Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but I have the same question as you!
Thanks for your quick reply! Next time I make it, I’ll try it without this step and see what happens. I’ll let you know.
Thanks again for the great recipe! It’s the flavor I was looking for! :)
The purpose of the weight is to compress the meat.
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Last week, I tried this recipe, and it was a delicious and enjoyable experience for me! I enjoyed the food too much. Thanks for sharing!