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Greek Gyros With Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

How to make it

  • Directions for the Tzatziki Sauce:
  • If you would like to strain the yogurt to make a thicker tzatziki (which is more traditional), add 2 cups plain Greek yogurt to a large rectangle of cheesecloth. Strain the yogurt over a bowl for about a half hour to an hour. I placed the cheesecloth over a colander and then set the whole thing over a bowl, and left it in the fridge.
  • Meanwhile, slice the cucumber lengthwise, scrape out the center with a spoon, then dice. You can also grate it if that sounds easier to you, but I prefer to dice small. (see photos). Add the cucumber to a mesh strainer and set over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Use your hands to squeeze the salted cucumber over the sink. (don't rinse it ) Try to get out as much liquid as possible.
  • (If you are in a hurry, skip straining the yogurt and skip salting the cucumber. You should still squeeze the cucumber and get out as much of the liquid as you can. Stir the cucumber into the yogurt. Add a little more salt to the mixture, according to taste. Your tzatziki will not be as thick, but it will still be delicious.)
  • Add 1 clove minced garlic, zest from 1 lemon, and juice from 1 lemon (2 tablespoons, or up to 3 tablespoons to taste).
  • Add 2 tablespoons fresh dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste), 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a few grinds of black pepper.
  • Stir it all together. Chill for about an hour before serving, if you have time. (It will still be good even if there's no time for this.) Store covered in the fridge. The bite of the garlic will decrease the longer you refrigerate it. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
  • Start by making the Tzatziki Sauce. It needs time to marinate, so get it done first so it can sit in the fridge while you make the rest.
  • Make the gyro meat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Or line with foil and spray with nonstick spray.
  • If you have a food processor, use it to finely chop the onion and garlic. If not, use a knife to chop finely.
  • In a large bowl, add all gyro meat ingredients: 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground lamb, 2 tablespoons butter OR bacon grease,* 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 cup Panko crumbs, chopped onion, minced garlic, 4 teaspoons kosher salt (see note), 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon marjoram. (It's ok if you don't have the marjoram.)
  • Combine the meat using your hands. I like to wear disposable gloves when I do this. Using your hands feels a little weird, but it mixes the meat so much faster and more evenly than using a spoon, resulting in nice tender meat (as opposed to being overworked.)
  • Shape the meat into about 10 oval patties. See photos. Line them up on the pan making sure they are not touching each other.
  • Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the gyro toppings: Thinly slice a red onion. Slice the tomatoes. Slice the cucumbers. Warm the pita bread either in the microwave or in the still-warm oven. Chop extra fresh dill, if you want.
  • How to construct your gyro: Add a layer of Tzatziki Sauce to a warm pita. Slice a gyro patty in half lengthwise for easier eating, and place on top of Tzatziki. Garnish with red onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh dill. Devour!

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The Cook

shandy Tacoma, WA

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