Homemade Gyro Meat

homemade gyros arranged in a row on a white platter

5 from 1 vote

Homemade gyros are a copycat version of the kind of pita sandwich you'd find in American sandwich shop. Perfectly cooked meat gets sliced and piled on pita bread and loaded with all the best toppings.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Chill Time2

Total Time3

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Sandwich

Cuisine: American, Greek

Servings:

Calories: 333kcal

Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

Ingredients

For The Meat

1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground lamb
1 medium yellow onion quartered
5 garlic cloves
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 heaping tsp dried oregano
1 heaping tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground dried rosemary
pinch crushed red pepper flakes

For The Gyros

pita bread white or wheat
red onion sliced
tomato thinly sliced
lettuce
feta cheese crumbled
tzatziki sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make The Gyro Meat

Add the garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until very finely chopped.
Add the quartered onion and pulse again until smooth.
Add the meats & spices to the food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes a paste- about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula every couple pulses.
Transfer the mixture to a 9x5" metal loaf pan. Using a spatula, or a clean hand, press down and compact the mixture into the loaf pan so that it fills the entire pan and no air pockets are left.
Bake the gyro meat loaf at 350° for 45 minutes - 1 hours, until cooked through and the internal temperature reads 165°F.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven, and let is rest until the meat's cooled completely to room temperature.
Transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill for, at least, 2 hours.
Remove the pan from the fridge, and run a knife around the edges of the loaf to release it from the pan- then transfer the meat loaf to a clean cutting board.
Using a serrated knife thinly slice the meat. Pour all of the juices from the dish evenly out over the meat.
You can now freeze the meat or continue on to fry it and make homemade gyros.

Making Gyro Sandwiches

Place a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat & cook your desired amount of gyros slices (without overcrowding the pan) until browned on both sides.
Add the seared meat slices to warm pita, or naan, bread & top with your desired toppings.
Serve & enjoy!

Notes

The gyro meat is actually similar to a meatloaf baked in the oven, except this version is very thinly sliced with no really discernable chunks in the finished product.
Using all ground beef? Your gyro loaf may yield more fat when cooked.
If the loaf still looks slightly pink when cooked, even though the temp reads 165, it's OK.
DO NOT skip the chill time! This step is crucial because it allows the juices to firm up. This prevents them from running out when sliced and leaving behind dried out meat.
Don't worry about the congealed fat when slicing the loaf. That will melt and allow the slices to crisp up perfectly when fried without the need for any additional fats or oils.
You can serve this as a sandwich on pita bread, as suggested, or over a bed of white rice, or even in a salad.

Nutrition