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Restaurants›Lincoln Square Pancake House - Irvington›Greek Gyro Pita Recipe

Greek Gyro Pita Recipe

Name: Lincoln Square Pancake House - Irvingtons GREEK GYRO PITA Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 500 g ground lamb; 250 g ground beef (80/20); 0.5 cup onion, grated; 2 tsp garlic, minced; 1 tbs dried oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tbs red wine vinegar; 1 tbs olive oil (for pan); 1 cup Greek yogurt (full fat); 0.5 cup cucumber, seeded and finely grated; 1 tsp garlic, minced; 2 tbs fresh dill, chopped; 1 tbs lemon juice; 1 tsp olive oil; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 4 each pita breads (6-7 inch); 1 each tomato, thinly sliced; 0.5 each red onion, thinly sliced; 1 cup lettuce (optional), shredded; 4 each lemon wedges; 0.5 cup extra tzatziki for serving

Inspired by Lincoln Square Pancake House - Irvington

Time1h

Serves4

A traditional Greek delight of gyro meat, sliced onions & tomatoes served on a warm pita with our signature tzatziki sauce

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Ingredients

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Gyro Meat

1 1/8 lb (500 g) ground lamb

8.82 oz (250 g) ground beef (80/20)

1/2 cup onion, grated

2 tsp Garlic, minced

1 tbs Dried oregano

1 tsp Ground cumin

1/2 tsp Ground coriander

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tbs olive oil (for pan)

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt (full fat)

1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and finely grated

1 tsp Garlic, minced

2 tbs fresh dill, chopped

1 tbs ReaLemon lemon juice

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Assembly & Garnish

4 each pita breads (6-7 inch)

1 each tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 each Red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup lettuce (optional), shredded

4 each lemon wedges

1/2 cup extra tzatziki for serving

Method

Gyro Meat

Prepare meat mixture

In a large bowl combine ground lamb and ground beef. Add grated onion, minced garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, salt and red wine vinegar. Mix with your hands or a spatula until spices are evenly distributed — do not overwork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to let flavors meld.

Cook the meat

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Break the chilled meat mixture into the pan and press into an even layer. Cook without disturbing for 3–4 minutes until the bottom browns, then scrape and flip/break into bite-size pieces. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is well browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes total. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Keep warm.

Tzatziki Sauce

Prepare cucumber: grate the seeded cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Place grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or fine mesh sieve and squeeze out excess moisture until mostly dry (this prevents watery tzatziki).

Mix sauce: In a medium bowl combine Greek yogurt, drained grated cucumber, minced garlic, chopped dill, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Stir until smooth. Taste and adjust acidity or salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15–20 minutes to allow flavors to develop (can be made up to 24 hours ahead).

Assembly & Serve

Warm pitas: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Wrap pitas in foil and warm in oven for 5–7 minutes, or warm individually in a dry skillet over medium heat about 30–45 seconds per side until pliable and lightly charred.

Slice vegetables: While pitas warm, thinly slice tomato and red onion. If using lettuce, shred and set aside. Cut lemon into wedges.

Assemble gyros: Lay a warmed pita flat. Spread about 2 tablespoons of tzatziki down the center (reserve extra on the side). Add about 150 grams (approx. 1/3 of cooked meat) of the gyro meat, then top with tomato slices, red onion, and shredded lettuce if using. Drizzle or dollop additional tzatziki (about 1–2 tablespoons) on top and squeeze a lemon wedge over the filling to taste.

Serve: Fold pita around fillings and wrap in parchment or foil if desired. Serve immediately with extra tzatziki and lemon wedges on the side.