How to Make a Homemade Gyro (2024)

The gyro (pronounced GEE-row) is a classic Greek dish, with the meat traditionally cooked on a vertical spit and shaved off in individual servings. While this delicious method for preparing meat is often used in Greek restaurants, it's not easy to accomplish at home. This Greek-American take on the dish uses ground lamb or beef and is quick and easy to make in a home kitchen.

Gyros Anytime

Gyros are a delicious sandwich for lunch or dinner, with spiced, grilled meat topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and a flavorful tzatziki sauce. You can find tzatziki in the refrigerated condiment section of the grocery store or make your own using Greek yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, and fresh dill.

Marinate the Meat

For best results, let the uncooked meat mixture marinate for an hour before grilling or pan-frying. The flavors marry for a better-tasting sandwich. A charcoal or gas grill will add a nice smokey flavor, but a hot grill pan or a skillet will work just fine.

Tips for the Best Gyro Sandwiches

Extra napkins—Gyros are messy to eat. You can help curb the mess by wrapping each gyro in foil.
Extra oil—If you're worried about the meat sticking to the grill, brush the patties with oil before cooking.
A Side of Fries—These gyros make a great hearty meal all on their own, but if you want to round out the dish, a side of fries is a welcome addition.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE GYROS

Measuring Spoons

A Large Mixing Bowl

A Great Grill Pan

"The meat patties for the gyros were full of flavor, and the recipe was very easy to follow and prepare. We loved the spiciness of the meat, and the tzatziki balanced the flavors perfectly. Using ground beef in the gyros made it an economical meal as well." —Diana Rattray

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Meat Mixture:

1 poundground lamb, or beef
2 teaspoons fine salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 teaspoons freshly squeezedlemon juice
Oil, as needed

For the Sandwich:

4 roundsflatbread, or pita
4 leaves lettuce
1 medium tomato, sliced or diced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup homemade or store-bought tzatziki

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
To make the meat mixture, combine 1 pound ground lamb, or beef, 2 teaspoons fine salt (or to taste), 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 large cloves minced garlic, 1/4 cup minced red onion, and 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice in a large bowl.
Divide into four equal portions and shape into oblong patties about 3-inch wide by 6-inch long by 1/2-inch thick. Notice that the patty is shaped like a sausage (long and thin), then flattened. This is to ensure the patty fits into the flatbread. Refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Alternatively, heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat.
If grilling, brush the grill or grill pan generously with oil. If pan-frying, add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Grill or pan-fry the patties until cooked through with crispy edges, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
To assemble the sandwiches, generously spread tzatziki in the center of 4 rounds flatbread or in the pocket of the pita.
Add 1 lettuce leaf, some sliced tomato, and a few thin onion slices to each flatbread or pita.
Add the patty and fold the bread over the meat. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Serve and enjoy.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Swap the meat—Ground pork can also be used instead of lamb or beef.
Cheese, please—Add crumbled feta cheese for extra richness.
Spice-it-up—Add coarsely chopped jarred hot cherry peppers to spice things up.

How to Store and Reheat

Store any leftover gyro refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Remove the lettuce and reheat in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet until warmed through. Add more fresh lettuce before serving.

Greek Mains
Lunch
Sandwiches
European Food
Greek Food

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
838	Calories
44g	Fat
70g	Carbs
40g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	838
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g	56%
Saturated Fat 11g	55%
Cholesterol 111mg	37%
Sodium 1331mg	58%
Total Carbohydrate 70g	25%
Dietary Fiber 5g	19%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 40g
Vitamin C 25mg	123%
Calcium 174mg	13%
Iron 6mg	35%
Potassium 1009mg	21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Tomato
dinner
greek
cookout