Best 7 How To Make Gyro Meat Recipes
**Gyros, a culinary delight with origins in the rich tapestry of Mediterranean cuisine, are a tantalizing symphony of flavors and textures that have captivated taste buds around the world.**
Birthed from the culinary traditions of Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East, gyros have evolved into a global street food sensation, enjoyed in bustling marketplaces, vibrant food trucks, and cozy restaurants alike. This delectable dish features succulent slices of seasoned meat, traditionally lamb, chicken, or pork, stacked within warm, pillowy pita bread. The meat, marinated in a blend of aromatic herbs, spices, and tangy yogurt, is slow-roasted on a vertical rotisserie, acquiring a mesmerizing golden-brown crust while retaining its juicy tenderness.
Layers of thinly shaved meat are then artfully arranged within the pita, complemented by a vibrant array of toppings that vary across regions and personal preferences. From the refreshing coolness of crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes to the piquant tang of pickled onions and the creamy richness of tzatziki sauce, each ingredient harmonizes to create a symphony of flavors that dance upon the palate. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a final touch of brightness, elevating the gyro experience to new heights.
This article presents a comprehensive guide to crafting authentic gyros at home, offering three distinct recipes that cater to diverse dietary preferences and culinary skills. The first recipe, a classic lamb gyro, embodies the traditional flavors of this beloved dish, using a combination of lamb shoulder, garlic, oregano, and cumin to create a marinade that infuses the meat with irresistible savoriness. For those seeking a leaner alternative, the chicken gyro recipe utilizes boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinated in a zesty blend of lemon juice, olive oil, and aromatic herbs, resulting in a succulent and flavorful option.
Lastly, the vegetarian gyro caters to plant-based enthusiasts, featuring marinated portobello mushrooms as the star ingredient. Grilled to perfection, the mushrooms absorb the marinade's savory flavors, offering a meaty texture and umami richness that rivals traditional meat-based gyros. Accompanied by the same array of toppings and sauces, this vegetarian rendition delivers a satisfying and delicious gyro experience.
GYRO MEAT RECIPE
Make doner kababs or gyros at home, with this gyro meat recipe. This gyro meat recipe is so simple to make, but it authentic and turns out delicious. If you've ever wanted to make restaurant-style gyro meat at a home, you've found the best gyro meat recipe ever.
Provided by URVASHI PITRE
Categories Main Courses
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Place onions, garlic into a large food processor and process until finely chopped but not liquefied.
- Add meat and all the seasonings and grind for another 3-5 minutes. Do not skip this step. If you do, it will be like ground beef with some weird seasonings in it. Grind it until it's a big, huge, sticky mess that you wonder how you will ever clean up.
- Since writing this recipe I've discovered a faster way to do this, which is to use your stand mixer with the paddle. Paddle the living daylights out of the meat with the spices until it's a sticky mess. This is a lot easier to clean up than a blender, and the end result is the same. So use whatever you have that works for you.
- Put into a foil pan, and smooth out the top, and bake at 350 for 60 mins, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 175-180
- Take it out of the oven and drain all the fat.
- Cover it with foil and then place something heavy on it to compress it. I put a cast iron skillet on top and then carefully placed 3 cans of beans on top of the skillet to compress it.
- Let it rest for 30 mins and then slice into thin slices.
- Gyros!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 236 kcal, Carbohydrate 2 g, Protein 22 g, Fat 15 g, ServingSize 1 serving
TRADITIONAL GYRO MEAT
This Greek/Lebanese style meatloaf is sliced and served with pita bread, tzatziki, and tomatoes for a delicious gyro that is the closest I've come to emulating my favorite Mediterranean restaurant. The preparation time seems long, but most of it is resting time, so you can be doing other stuff! You can substitute pork or chicken for the ground lamb and beef if you prefer.
Provided by The Dread Pirate Paramour
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Lamb Ground
Time 2h
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Place the onion in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Scoop the onions onto the center of a towel, gather up the ends of the towel, and squeeze out the liquid from the onions. Place the onions into a mixing bowl along with the lamb and beef. Season with the garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Mix well with your hands until well combined. Cover, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Place the meat mixture into the food processor, and pulse for about a minute until finely chopped and the mixture feels tacky. Pack the meat mixture into a 7x4 inch loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan on the towel, inside the roasting pan, and place into the preheated oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
- Bake until the gyro meat is no longer pink in the center, and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) on a meat thermometer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour off any accumulated fat, and allow to cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 179.1 calories, Carbohydrate 1.9 g, Cholesterol 58.7 mg, Fat 11.7 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 15.7 g, SaturatedFat 4.7 g, Sodium 96.7 mg, Sugar 0.5 g
BEEF GYROS
Going out to restaurants got to be expensive for our family, so I came up with this homemade beef gyro. Usually, I set out the fixings so everyone can assemble their own. My husband and our two busy teens request them often. -Sheri Scheerhorn, Hills, Minnesota
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 30m
Yield 5 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a small bowl, combine salad dressing and cucumber; set aside. In a large skillet, cook beef in oil over medium heat until no longer pink. , Layer half of each pita with steak, tomato, olives, onion, cheese, lettuce and dressing mixture. Fold each pita over filling; secure with toothpicks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 654 calories, Fat 41g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 57mg cholesterol, Sodium 1086mg sodium, Carbohydrate 41g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 30g protein.
GYROS - AN AUTHENTIC RECIPE FOR MAKING THEM AT HOME
Yes, you can make authentic gyros at home --> the texture and flavor of this meat is as good as you get in a good Greek restaurant, without the traditional rotating spit.. but this is just the recipe and technique for making the meat, for I'm assuming you know the drill on making the classic gyro sandwich - stuff the meat in a grilled pita with sliced tomatoes, onions and tzaziki sauce.. Enjoy!
Provided by steve in FL
Categories < 4 Hours
Time 1h20m
Yield 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.
- Knead the mixture on the counter for 10 minutes - just like you're kneading bread. You may want to use a dough-scraper to help keep the counter clean. (I do). Pick that meat up and SLAM it into the counter, continuing to do so for the 10 minutes. This is key to getting the correct texture. I'm no Alton Brown, but I think the thing we're doing here is melting the fat so that we get a nice smooth texture in the end.
- Form into a flat loaf - I like to put the meat onto a piece of wax paper, and flattening it into a 3" high slab rectangle. I cover it with another piece of wax and use a rolling pin to flatten it out, just make sure you straighten out the edges to form a rectangle so that when it comes time to slice, they are nice and even.
- Bake the loaf on a broiler pan (or pan with raised edges, because it will leak grease!) at 350 for about an hour. Alternatively, you can grill it over coals, that's my favorite way, just be sure to turn often so as to distribute the juices.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing thin.
GROUND BEEF GYROS
If your family likes gyros as much as mine, they'll love this easy version that's made with ground beef instead of lamb. I found the recipe in a newspaper and adapted it to fit our tastes. They're very much like the ones served at a local restaurant. A cucumber yogurt sauce adds an authentic finishing touch. -Ruth Stahl, Shepherd, Montana
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- In a small bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Chill. In a large bowl, combine seasonings; crumble beef over mixture and mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 4 patties. , Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-7 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160°. Cut patties into thin slices; stuff into pita halves. Add lettuce, tomato and onion. Serve with the yogurt sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 357 calories, Fat 16g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 78mg cholesterol, Sodium 257mg sodium, Carbohydrate 27g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 26g protein.
FAVORITE MEAT LOAF GYROS
This is definitely a different gyro meat recipe, yet it is so good! I slice leftover meat in individual portions and freeze for any time I crave a gyro. -Sharon Rawlings, Tampa, Florida
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Lunch
Time 1h30m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, garlic, oregano, kosher salt and pepper. Crumble lamb and beef over mixture; mix well. , Pat into an ungreased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until no pink remains and a thermometer reads 160°. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours., For sauce, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving. , Brush pita breads with 1 tablespoon oil; heat on a lightly greased griddle for 1 minute on each side. Keep warm. Cut meat loaf into very thin slices. In a large skillet, fry meat loaf in remaining oil in batches until crisp. , On each pita bread, layer the tomato, onion and meat loaf slices; top with some tzatziki sauce. Carefully fold pitas in half. Serve with remaining sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 475 calories, Fat 22g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 100mg cholesterol, Sodium 918mg sodium, Carbohydrate 41g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 28g protein.
EASY CHICKEN GYRO
Greek-inspired Mediterranean chicken gyro.
Provided by KarenCanCook
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes Broiled
Time 1h45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Place Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill weed, 2 cloves garlic, white vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth; set aside.
- Whisk together 4 cloves minced garlic, juice of 1 lemon, red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and oregano in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Stir in chicken strips and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
- Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Place chicken on a large baking sheet.
- Broil the chicken in the preheated oven until lightly browned and no longer pink in the center, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
- Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; place each pita bread into the skillet until warm and soft, about 2 minutes per pita.
- Serve warmed pita bread topped with chicken strips, yogurt sauce, tomatoes, onion, and lettuce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 441.1 calories, Carbohydrate 39.3 g, Cholesterol 70.8 mg, Fat 18.3 g, Fiber 3.7 g, Protein 30.3 g, SaturatedFat 5.6 g, Sodium 398.5 mg, Sugar 5.9 g
Tips for Making Gyros at Home:
- Use high-quality meat: Look for lean ground lamb or beef, or a combination of both. - Season the meat well: Use a flavorful blend of spices, including cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. - Marinate the meat: This helps tenderize the meat and allows the flavors to penetrate. - Cook the meat slowly: This ensures that the meat is cooked evenly and doesn't become dry. - Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the meat is cooked to your desired doneness. - Serve the gyros with traditional accompaniments, such as tzatziki sauce, pita bread, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce.Conclusion:
Gyros are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for lunch, dinner, or even as a snack. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make gyros at home that are just as good as, if not better than, the ones you get from a restaurant. So next time you're craving gyros, give this recipe a try!
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