Homemade Gyro and Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

yogurt

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: sour cream

Greek yogurt adds creaminess with fewer calories.

pork or chicken

🥗Healthier: turkey

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Turkey is leaner while chicken thighs are more affordable.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil is healthier with similar cooking properties.

pita bread

🥗Healthier: whole wheat pita

💰Cheaper: tortilla

Whole wheat pita offers more fiber, while tortillas are often cheaper.

Start by mixing 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of ground lamb in a bowl.

Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to the meat mixture and mix well.

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Prepare the tzatziki sauce by peeling and grating 3 small pickling cucumbers.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the grated cucumber and mix.

Let the cucumber sit to draw out moisture, then squeeze out excess liquid using a tea towel.

In a bowl, combine the drained cucumber with 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 2 cloves of minced garlic, chopped dill, chopped red onion, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Mix the tzatziki sauce well and transfer to a serving bowl.

For the gyro meat, roughly chop 1 medium onion and add it to a food processor with half of the meat mixture, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.

Process until the mixture is well emulsified.

Pack half of the meat mixture into each of two loaf pans and place in a preheated oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes.

Once cooked, let the gyro meat cool slightly before slicing it thin.

Slice tomatoes and onions for garnish.

Broil the sliced gyro meat for a couple of minutes until slightly crispy.

Assemble the gyro by spreading tzatziki sauce on pita bread, adding lettuce, sliced tomatoes, onions, and the sliced gyro meat, topped with feta cheese.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens