Classic Lamb Gyros

Name: Classic Lamb Gyros
Prep time: 47 min
Cook time: 1 h 29 min
Total time: 2 h 16 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) ground lamb, cold, straight from the refrigerator; 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (80% lean), cold, straight from the refrigerator; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely grated, then squeezed dry in a towel; 5 cloves (15 g) garlic, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 tsp (2 g) dried oregano; 1 tsp (1 g) dried rosemary, crumbled between your fingers; ½ tsp (1 g) ground cumin; 2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt; 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 4 cups (960 ml) boiling water, just boiled, for the water bath (have up to 5 cups / 1.2 L ready); 1 cup (240 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt; ½ medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) English cucumber, coarsely grated, unpeeled; 1 clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 tbsp (14 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp (3 g) fresh dill, finely chopped; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt, divided: ¼ tsp for the cucumber, the rest for the sauce; 6 pitas (390 g) large pita breads (7–8 inch / 18–20 cm), soft, pocketless style if possible; 2 medium (about 10 oz) (300 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced; ½ medium (about 3 oz) (85 g) red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons; 3 tbsp (42 ml) olive oil, divided: 2 tbsp for searing the slices, 1 tbsp for brushing the pitas

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Lamb and beef are blended into a fine, sticky paste with garlic, oregano and rosemary, baked in a water bath as a loaf, chilled, then sliced and seared until crisp-edged. Serve in warm pita with cool tzatziki, tomato and red onion for gyro-shop flavor at home.

Prep: 47 min
Cook: 1 hr 29 min
Wait: 45 min
Total: 3 hr 1 min
Makes: 6 gyros (1 loaf cut crosswise into about 34 slices, 5–6 slices per pita)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the gyro loaf
1 lb (450 g) ground lamb, cold, straight from the refrigerator
1 lb (450 g) ground beef (80% lean), cold, straight from the refrigerator
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely grated, then squeezed dry in a towel
5 cloves (15 g) garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp (2 g) dried oregano
1 tsp (1 g) dried rosemary, crumbled between your fingers
½ tsp (1 g) ground cumin
2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt
1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
4 cups (960 ml) boiling water, just boiled, for the water bath (have up to 5 cups / 1.2 L ready)
For the tzatziki
1 cup (240 g) plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
½ medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) English cucumber, coarsely grated, unpeeled
1 clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (14 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (3 g) fresh dill, finely chopped
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt, divided: ¼ tsp for the cucumber, the rest for the sauce
To serve
6 pitas (390 g) large pita breads (7–8 inch / 18–20 cm), soft, pocketless style if possible
2 medium (about 10 oz) (300 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced
½ medium (about 3 oz) (85 g) red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
3 tbsp (42 ml) olive oil, divided: 2 tbsp for searing the slices, 1 tbsp for brushing the pitas

Equipment (9)

Food processor (at least 9-cup / 2.1 L capacity)
9×5-inch (23×13 cm) metal or glass loaf pan
9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, to hold the loaf pan as a water bath
Instant-read thermometer
Box grater
Clean kitchen towels or cheesecloth (2)
Fine-mesh sieve
Large 12-inch (30 cm) skillet
Sharp slicing knife

Steps

Before you start

Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) before you start the meat.
Keep the lamb and beef refrigerated until the moment you process them. Cold meat makes a smoother, stickier paste.
Plan the order: salt the cucumber first, then make the meat paste and bake the loaf, make the tzatziki while it bakes, then rest, chill, slice and sear. Total time is about 3 hours, including 45 minutes of resting and chilling.
Boil about 5 cups (1.2 L) of water in a kettle or pot shortly before the baking step.
You need a food processor. Hand-mixing will not give the dense, sliceable gyro texture.

1
Salt the cucumber
- Coarsely grate the unpeeled cucumber into a bowl.
- Toss with ¼ tsp of the fine sea salt, then tip it into a fine-mesh sieve set over the bowl.
- Leave it to drain while you work through the next three steps (at least 20 minutes).
- Do not squeeze it yet; that happens in the tzatziki step.
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Ready when: Cucumber looks limp and a puddle of liquid has collected underneath.
Tip: Watery cucumber is the main reason tzatziki turns thin.
2
Prep onion and garlic
- Finely grate the yellow onion on a box grater onto a clean kitchen towel.
- Gather the towel and wring out as much liquid as you can over the sink.
- Roughly chop the 5 garlic cloves for the loaf.
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Ready when: Onion pulp is a damp, crumbly clump, with no liquid dripping when squeezed.
Tip: Skipping the squeeze leaves the loaf wet and crumbly instead of sliceable.
3
Process the meat paste
- Add the cold lamb, beef, squeezed onion, chopped garlic, oregano, rosemary, cumin, kosher salt and pepper to the food processor.
- Process in 10-second pulses, scraping down the sides once or twice, for 1½–2 minutes in total.
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Ready when: Mixture is a fine, tacky, uniform paste that clings to the bowl and shows no visible chunks of meat.
Tip: If the processor bowl is small, work in two batches, then knead them together briefly by hand.
4
Pack the loaf pan
- Press the meat paste firmly into a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan, pushing into the corners.
- It will fill the pan about three-quarters full.
- Rap the pan on the counter 4–5 times to knock out air pockets.
- Smooth the top with damp fingers.
- Set the loaf pan in the center of the 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish.
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Ready when: Surface is level and compact with no gaps along the pan edges.
Tip: Trapped air pockets create holes that make slices fall apart.
5
Bake in a water bathOven 325°F / 165°C
- Place the baking dish with the loaf pan on the center oven rack.
- Carefully pour about 4 cups (960 ml) of boiling water into the dish, around the loaf pan, until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the loaf pan; add up to 1 cup (240 ml) more if needed.
- Hold the loaf pan steady with a spoon or tongs as you pour, because the pan may shift or float slightly.
- Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 60–65 minutes, until the center reaches 160°F (71°C).
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Ready when: An instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F (71°C), and the loaf has shrunk slightly from the pan sides.
Tip: Pour the water after the dish is on the rack to avoid spills. When done, leave the dish of hot water in the oven until it is cool enough to handle; never carry it hot.
6
Make the tzatziki
- While the loaf bakes, wrap the drained cucumber in a clean towel and squeeze hard over the sink to remove all the liquid.
- In a bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, squeezed cucumber, grated garlic, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, dill and the remaining ¼ tsp salt.
- Cover and refrigerate until serving.
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Ready when: Sauce is thick and creamy, and holds a spoon swirl without any liquid pooling.
Tip: Taste and add a pinch more salt or a squeeze more lemon if it tastes flat.
7
Drain and rest the loaf
- Remove the loaf pan from the water bath with oven mitts and set it on a rack.
- Right away, tilt the pan over the sink, holding the loaf in place with a spatula, and pour off the fat and watery liquid that collected around the edges.
- Let the loaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes so it cools and firms up for slicing.
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Ready when: Loaf feels firm when pressed and has pulled slightly away from the pan.
Tip: Drain the liquid first; the meat paste itself holds its moisture and will not dry out.
8
Unmold and chill
- Run a thin knife around the loaf and turn it out onto a cutting board.
- Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- A chilled loaf is firmer and slices thinly without crumbling.
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Ready when: Loaf is cool and very firm to the touch.
Tip: If the loaf sticks, set the pan in a few inches of hot tap water for 30 seconds.
9
Slice the loaf
- With a sharp knife, cut the loaf crosswise (across the 5-inch width) into slices about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- You will get about 34 slices, each roughly 4½ × 2½ inches.
- Set aside 5–6 slices per pita (about 4 oz / 115 g of meat each).
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Ready when: Slices are even and hold together without crumbling.
Tip: Wipe the knife between cuts for neater slices.
10
Sear the slices
- Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Sear the slices in 5 batches of 6–7, in a single layer with slight overlap at most, for 1½ minutes per side.
- Add the second tablespoon of oil after the second batch.
- Move cooked slices to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
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Ready when: Slice edges are deeply browned and crisp, with a golden crust on both faces and hot throughout.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan, or the slices steam instead of crisping.
11
Warm pitas and assemble
- Wipe out the skillet.
- Brush the pitas lightly with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Warm one at a time in the skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until soft and pliable.
- Spread each pita with a generous spoonful of tzatziki, top with 5–6 seared slices, tomato slices and red onion, then fold.
- Serve right away with extra tzatziki.
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Ready when: Pitas are warm, soft and flexible enough to fold without cracking.
Tip: Wrap warmed pitas in a towel while you assemble to keep them soft.

Good to know

Tips

Processing until the mixture is a smooth paste is what gives gyro meat its signature dense, sliceable texture.
Chilling the rested loaf for 30 minutes makes even slices much easier.
Searing the slices is what mimics the crisp edges of meat shaved from a vertical spit.
Use a thermometer rather than time alone, since pan material and oven variation change baking time.

Make ahead

"Bake, rest and refrigerate the whole loaf, wrapped, up to 3 days ahead (skip the 30-minute chill). Slice and sear straight from the refrigerator. Tzatziki can be made up to 1 day ahead."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: unsliced loaf or cooked slices up to 4 days in an airtight container; tzatziki up to 3 days. Freezer: wrap the loaf or slices tightly and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat slices in a hot skillet with a little oil for 1–2 minutes per side until hot (165°F / 74°C) and crisp. Do not freeze the tzatziki."

Substitutions

ground beef (80% lean) → additional ground lamb. Gives a stronger lamb flavor and a slightly softer texture. Use 1 lb (450 g) more lamb.
dried rosemary → fresh rosemary. Use 2 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary in place of 1 tsp dried.
plain whole-milk Greek yogurt → thick plain yogurt, strained. Strain regular yogurt through a cloth for 1–2 hours to reach Greek-style thickness.
large pita breads (7–8 inch / 18–20 cm) → flatbread or naan. Warm as directed. Slightly thicker bread will need an extra 15 seconds per side.