Easy Gyro Meat Recipe

This homemade gyro meat is great for pita sandwiches, wraps, salads, or rice bowls. Gyro meat is a flavorful Greek-style dish traditionally made with a combination of ground lamb and beef. To prepare it, combine 1 pound of ground lamb and 1 pound of ground beef in a large bowl. Add 1 finely grated onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until well combined.

For the authentic gyro texture, transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth and paste-like. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Press the meat mixture firmly into a loaf pan and place the loaf pan in a larger baking dish filled halfway with hot water to create a water bath. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).

Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing it thinly. For extra flavor and texture, lightly pan-fry the slices in olive oil until the edges become crispy. Serve the gyro meat in warm pita bread with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and tzatziki sauce. This delicious homemade gyro meat is perfect for sandwiches, wraps, salads, or rice bowls.

Servings: 6–8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground lamb
• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely grated
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the onion
   • Grate the onion and squeeze out excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
2. Mix the meat
   • In a large bowl, combine lamb, beef, onion, garlic, oregano, rosemary, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.
   • Mix thoroughly until the mixture becomes sticky and well combined.
3. Process for texture
   • Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse until smooth and paste-like. This creates the traditional gyro texture.
4. Shape and bake
   • Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
   • Press the mixture firmly into a loaf pan.
   • Place the loaf pan in a larger baking dish and add hot water halfway up the sides of the loaf pan (water bath).
5. Cook
   • Bake for 60–75 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).
6. Rest and slice
   • Let the meat rest for 15 minutes.
   • Remove from the pan and slice thinly.
7. Optional finishing step
   • Pan-fry the slices in a little olive oil for 1–2 minutes per side to create crispy edges like restaurant gyros.

Easy Tzatziki Sauce

Mix together:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Serving Suggestions

Serve the gyro meat in warm pita bread with:

• Tomatoes
• Red onions
• Lettuce
• Tzatziki sauce
• Crumbled feta cheese

Enjoy your homemade Greek-style gyro!

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