Beef Gyros
Juicy beef gyros with lamb and beef, Greek herbs, and warm pita bread, topped with tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion for a fresh, authentic taste.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 pound ground beef (we used 80/20)
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 2 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoon ground dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- cooking spray
For Serving
- Warm pita bread
- Tzatziki sauce
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced red onion
- Thinly sliced cucumbers
Instructions
- Grate or pulse the onion and garlic in the food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a towel and squeeze to remove the juices as much as possible.
- Combine the grated onion, lamb, beef, garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt in the food processor or a large bowl. Process for 1-2 minutes or use your hands to mix well until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the meat. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to marry.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Press the meat mixture into the prepared pan, packing it down to remove any air pockets.
- Line a roasting pan with a kitchen towel, then place the loaf pan in the center of the pan on the towel and transfer it to the preheated oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 25 minutes or until the gyro meat is no longer pink in the middle and an instant read digital thermometer registers 160°F TO 165°F when inserted into the center of the loaf.
- Drain off any fat and remove from the loaf pan. Let the meat cool for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing into thin slices and serving.
Notes
- Water Bath: The water bath gives the meat a tender texture closer to classic gyro meat, but you can skip it and bake for 45-55 minutes instead.
- Make Ahead: Bake the loaf, refrigerate until cold, then slice thin and pan-fry in olive oil for 2-3 minutes per side until browned.
- Chill the loaf before slicing for extra-thin pieces.
- Warm pita bread just before serving so it’s soft and easy to wrap.
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Layer slices between parchment in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Warm in a skillet with a little olive oil until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 524mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg
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