Easy Homemade Gyros

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 8 mins
Marinate: 60 mins
Total: 78 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 gyros

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 rolled-up in flatbread with lettuce; bottom half of sandwich wrapped in paper

The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

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.

"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

Easy Homemade Gyros Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Meat Mixture:

  • 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 garlic, minced

  • 1/4 cup minced red onion

  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • Oil, as needed

For the Sandwich:

  • 4 rounds flatbread, 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

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for gyros recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

  2. 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.

    Ground lamb mixed with seasonings, garlic, onion, and lemon juice in a glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

  3. 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.

    Meat shaped into four equally sized oblong patties

    The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Alternatively, heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat.

    Large cast-iron grill pan being preheated

    The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

  5. 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.

    Patties being fried deep brown in large cast-iron grill pan

    The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

  6. To assemble the sandwiches, generously spread tzatziki in the center of 4 rounds flatbread or in the pocket of the pita.

    Tzatziki sauce being spread with a spoon in the center of a flatbread

    The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

  7. Add 1 lettuce leaf, some sliced tomato, and a few thin onion slices to each flatbread or pita.

    Lettuce leaf, chopped tomato, and onion rings placed in center of a flatbread

    The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

  8. Add the patty and fold the bread over the meat. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Serve and enjoy.

    Gyros patty placed on top of lettuce; the two sides of the flatbread folded over in the center to overlap slightly

    The Spruce Eats / Ahlam Raffii

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.

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

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