Gyros Recipe
Grilled specialty lamb and beef slices topped with Swiss cheese and our house made Cucumber Yogurt Sauce and your choice of our famous Lentil soup or Greek Salad.
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Ingredients
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Meat & Marinade
Assembly & Serving
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (Tzatziki)
Optional Sides (choose one)
Method
Meat & Marinade
- 1
Prepare meat mixture
In a large bowl combine ground lamb and ground beef. Add grated onion (with juices), minced garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly but gently until spices and aromatics are evenly distributed - avoid overworking to keep texture tender.
- 2
Shape and chill
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours) to let flavors meld. Chilling firms the mixture for easier slicing/grilling.
- 3
Form patties or thin logs
After chilling, divide the mixture into four portions. Form each portion into a compact oval patty or a thin log about 1/2 inch thick and roughly the length of your pita. Alternatively, press thinly on a sheet to create larger thin rounds for quick grilling.
- 4
Grill
Heat a grill pan or flat top over medium-high heat and brush with a little oil. Cook patties/logs 3–4 minutes per side until browned and an instant-read thermometer reaches 160°F (71°C) for ground lamb/beef. If using thin slices or pressed rounds, cook 2–3 minutes per side until nicely charred and cooked through. Transfer cooked meat to a warm plate and tent with foil.
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (Tzatziki)
- 5
Prepare cucumber
Grate the cucumber and squeeze out excess moisture using a clean towel or cheesecloth until mostly dry. Removing water prevents watery sauce.
- 6
- 7
Chill
Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate at least 15 minutes (30 preferred) to let flavors marry. Sauce can be made up to 24 hours ahead.
Assembly & Serving
- 8
Warm bread and melt cheese
Warm pita breads briefly on the grill or in a hot oven (about 2 minutes at 350°F / 175°C). If you prefer the Swiss cheese melted onto the meat: place cooked meat on a sheet pan, top each portion with a slice of Swiss cheese and place under a hot broiler 1–2 minutes until the cheese just melts. Alternatively, tuck cheese into the pita.
- 9
Assemble gyros
Open each warmed pita. Place a bed of shredded lettuce, then the sliced or whole grilled meat topped with melted Swiss. Add tomato slices and thin red onion. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of cucumber yogurt sauce over the meat. Sprinkle chopped parsley and squeeze a lemon wedge over each gyro to taste.
- 10