Lamb Gyros
Warmly spiced, juicy seasoned lamb slices piled into soft pita bread with crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, red onion, and a drizzle of cool tzatziki. A Greek street food favorite you can easily make at home.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground lamb
- ½ lb ground beef (80/20)
- 1 small yellow onion, grated and squeezed dry
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1.5 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 6 pita breads, warmed
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup tzatziki sauce
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, ground beef, grated onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix and knead vigorously for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is very smooth and paste-like.
- Pack the meat mixture tightly into a loaf pan, pressing out all air pockets. The tighter you pack it, the better the texture.
- Bake the meat loaf for 45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F. A lot of rendered fat will collect; this is normal.
- Remove from oven and carefully drain the fat. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a cutting board.
- Slice the lamb loaf as thinly as possible. For extra crispiness, sear the slices in a hot skillet for 30-60 seconds per side.
- Warm the pita breads in the oven or on a skillet for 30 seconds.
- Assemble the gyros: layer lettuce, tomato slices, and red onion in each pita. Top with generous slices of lamb and a drizzle of tzatziki. Fold and serve immediately.
Chef's note: The key to gyro-style texture is kneading the meat until it becomes a smooth paste, which creates that dense, sliceable consistency. The meat loaf can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days; slice and crisp in a skillet when ready to serve.
Nutrition per serving
480kcal
30gprotein
34gcarbs
24gfat
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