This gyro sandwich is easy and simple to make and the taste is out of this world. This recipe for gyro sandwiches is made with seasoned shaved beef arranged on pita bread and topped with sliced red onions and tzatziki sauce. The combination of these flavors is what makes the gyro a favorite Greek street food.
The best Greek gyros can be made with beef, lamb, pork or chicken. However, beef and lamb are the more traditional meats for gyros. Popular choices for toppings are sliced onions and tzatziki sauce. You can enjoy them as part of a full-course meal or as appetizers during your next dinner party.
The word gyro derives from the Greek word gyros, meaning "turn" or "rotate." Gyros were originally served in Greece by street vendors who would turn their large roasting spits with a fork nd then shave off slices for the gyros. For the home cook, shaved beef marinated in seasoning is a much easier and practical method.
⭐ Why We Love These
- Fast. The best part about this gyro sandwich recipe is that it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish so there's no need for additional preparation time.
- Versatile. This gyro sandwich recipe also really versatile. You can prepare assorted toppings and each diner can load up their own beef gyro the way they like it.
- Easy. All you need to do is to take quality, readily available ingredients, and you can have an easy weeknight meal your family will appreciate.
🥙 Gyro Ingredients
A few key ingredients such as spices and onions add flavor to the sliced beef while the yogurt-and-cucumber sauce complements the seasonings and the pita breads that accompany it.
Gyro Sandwich Meat
- Shaved steak - thinly carved, tender cuts of beef
- Greek seasoning - Cavender's is a favorite
- Canola oil or other neutral oil
Tzatziki Sauce
- Cucumber
- Greek yogurt
- Garlic
- Dry dill weed
- Salt and pepper
Wraps and toppings
- Red onion
- Pita bread
- Lettuce
🔪 How To Make a Gyro Sandwich
The perfect gyro sandwich contains seasoned beef, tzatziki sauce and pita bread as it's base. You can take your gyros to the next level of perfection by adding toppings such as lettuce, red onions, crumbled feta cheese and sliced tomatoes.
Season the shaved beef with a Greek seasoning blend. Make sure to let the meat stand for 30 minutes to meld the flavors.
Grate the cucumbers using a box grater for a tzatziki sauce or use a food processor for a smoother sauce.
Squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the cucumbers using a cheese cloth.
Combine the ingredients for the Tzatziki Sauce and let stand to meld the flavors.
Air Fry the seasoned shaved gyro meat for about 6 minutes, turning the meat midway through cooking.
Assemble Your Gyro Sandwich. Top the warm pita with lettuce and gyro meat. Serve the red onions and tzatziki sauce alongside the gyro sandwiches so everyone can add the toppings that they like. You may also want to serve sliced tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese alongside too.
💭 Cooks Tips
- Squeeze as much cucumber liquid out as possible to prevent your tzatziki sauce from being watery.
- Allow the shaved beef to marinate at least 30 minutes to increase the flavors.
- Let the tzatziki sauce stand for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- For a very smooth tzatziki sauce, blend the cucumber chunks into a puree using a blender or food processor, instead of using a box grater.
- Warm the pitas before adding the gyro sandwich fillings.
- For lower carbs, replace the pitas with whole romaine leaves for a lighter gyro sandwich.
📋 Recipe
Beef Gyro Sandwich With Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Gyro Meat
- 1 pounds shaved steak
- 2 tablespoons Greek seasoning
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or other neutral oil
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 cucumber
- 1-½ cups Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic approximately 6 to 8 cloves
- 2 teaspoons dry dill weed
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Fine grain sea salt
Assemble Gyros
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon Greek Seasoning
- 4 pita bread rounds
- Romaine lettuce green parts torn into small pieces
Instructions
Gyro Meat
- Line the bottom and about 1 inch up the side of your air fryer with foil. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the shaved steak, Greek seasoning and oil; mixing well. Let stand 30 minutes.
Tzatziki Sauce
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape the seeds out of the cucumber. Using the largest holes on a box grater, coarsely grate the cucumber. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, squeeze as much of the liquid out of the cucumbers as possible.
- In a medium bowl, add the drained cucumber, yogurt, garlic, dill weed and white pepper. Mix well. Season with a pinch of salt, or more to taste. Let stand 20 minutes or more to meld the flavors.
Cook and Serve
- Arrange sliced onions on a plate and seasoned with Greek seasoning. Set aside.
- Add pita bread to the air fryer and heat for 1 minute or until warm. Transfer to serving plate and keep warm.
- Using tongs, transfer the seasoned steak to the air fryer. Cook, turning once, for 6 minutes or until the steak is done to your liking.
- Arrange the torn lettuce on the pita bread. Divide the beef slices between the pitas. Top with the sliced onions. Serve the Tzatziki sauce in a bowl along side for topping the gyros.
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