Delicious homemade Gyro Meat combines ground beef, lamb, garlic, and Greek herbs into tender, savory slices for warm pita sandwiches, fresh salads, or easy family dinner platters.
Homemade Greek-style gyros bring restaurant-inspired flavors into your kitchen without a vertical rotisserie. The oven-baked meat has a distinctive beef-and-lamb richness, with an optional lightly browned finish that adds extra flavor. It's a practical choice for weeknight dinners and meal prep, with leftovers that freeze well for future meals. Complete your Greek-inspired menu with Baked Feta, Whipped Feta Dip, or a fresh salad tossed with Mediterranean Salad Dressing.
Quick Look: Gyro Meat
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 55 minutes
- ⏲️ Cooling Time: 25 minutes
- ⏱️ Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus optional skillet browning)
- 🍽️ Servings: 8
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Savory, garlicky, and herb-seasoned
- 🥩 Texture: Tender and compact, with lightly crisp edges after pan-frying
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
- 🥙 Best For: Gyro sandwiches, family dinners, and meal prep
- 🍳 Cooking Method: Oven-baked in a loaf pan, with optional skillet browning
- 🥩 Key Ingredients: Ground beef, ground lamb, red onion, garlic, oregano, marjoram, and thyme
- Why This Recipe Works: Finely processed ground beef and lamb form a cohesive mixture that bakes into a compact, sliceable loaf. The combination of meats provides rich flavor, and their fat content keeps the gyro meat tender without a rotisserie.
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What Is Gyro Meat?
Gyro meat is seasoned meat traditionally cooked on a vertical rotisserie and served in thin slices. It's one of Greece's most popular street foods, often enjoyed in warm pita bread with tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce.
In Greece, gyros are usually made with pork, although chicken is also common. Greek-American restaurants often serve a different version made with finely ground beef and lamb. Both styles use a vertical rotisserie, but the beef-and-lamb mixture has a finer, more uniform texture than traditional gyros made with stacked pieces of meat.
Garlic, oregano, thyme, marjoram, and other seasonings give gyro meat its savory flavor. The exact blend varies, but these herbs are used in our homemade beef-and-lamb recipe.
The word gyro (pronounced YEE-roh) means "turn" in Greek, referring to the rotating spit. Restaurant rotisseries can hold large amounts of meat and take hours to cook. This recipe uses a regular oven and loaf pan instead, making it easier to enjoy Greek-American-style gyro meat without special equipment.
Ingredients
- Ground lamb – 1 pound. Lamb gives the gyro meat a rich, slightly earthy taste. Its fat also helps keep the slices tender and juicy.
- Ground beef – 1 pound, 80/20. The beef balances the stronger taste of lamb. An 80/20 blend provides enough fat to keep the meat moist without making it greasy.
- Red onion – 1 medium, quartered. Red onion brings mild sweetness and a little sharpness. Remove the excess liquid after processing so the meat doesn't become too wet.
- Garlic – 6 cloves, minced. Fresh garlic adds a savory, slightly pungent taste, especially noticeable alongside the lamb and herbs.
- Dried oregano – 2 teaspoons. Its earthy, peppery taste works well with the richness of the beef and lamb.
- Dried marjoram – 2 teaspoons. A little sweeter and milder than oregano, marjoram adds a softer herbal note.
- Dried thyme – 2 teaspoons. Thyme brings a woodsy, slightly minty taste to the seasoning blend.
- Olive oil – 2 tablespoons. Adds richness to the meat mixture. Because the beef and lamb already contain fat, avoid adding extra oil unless you have tested the adjustment.
How to Make Gyro Meat
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare the onion: Place the quartered red onion in a food processor and pulse until very finely minced. Transfer it to the center of a thin kitchen towel set over a colander. Gather the ends of the towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible over the colander or sink. PIC. 1 & 2
- Combine the ingredients: Transfer the drained onion to a large mixing bowl. Add the ground lamb, ground beef, garlic, oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
- Process the meat: Transfer the mixture to the food processor, working in batches if necessary. Process until it forms a fine, sticky, cohesive paste rather than a loose ground-meat mixture. The exact time will depend on your food processor. This texture helps the gyro meat hold together when sliced thinly. PIC. 3 & 4
- Fill the loaf pan: Pack the meat mixture firmly into a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan. Press down well to remove any air pockets. PIC. 5
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the center reaches 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer. PIC. 6
Note: The meat will shrink during baking and release juices. You can reserve the pan juices for browning the slices in a skillet before serving. - Cool and slice: Set the loaf pan on a cooling rack and let the meat cool in the pan for 20–30 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut it into very thin slices.
- Brown the slices, if desired: Heat a little of the reserved pan juices in a skillet over medium heat. Briefly fry the slices until lightly browned. Avoid overcooking, which can dry out the meat. PIC. 7
- Serve: Arrange the gyro meat in warm pita bread with Greek salad and tzatziki sauce for sandwiches. For a lower-carb meal, serve the slices with Greek salad and tzatziki without the pita. PIC. 8
FAQ About Gyro Meat
You can add finely chopped spinach, roasted red peppers, fresh parsley, or crumbled feta cheese for extra flavor and texture. Start with ¼ cup of one addition for the 2-pound meat mixture. Drain vegetables well to prevent excess moisture and keep the slices from falling apart.
The meat mixture contains no flour or breadcrumbs, but check seasoning labels for gluten and possible cross-contact. Regular pita bread contains gluten, and store-bought gyro meat may include other ingredients.
Yes. Finely mince the onion and garlic, then knead the meat and seasonings thoroughly by hand until sticky. You can still bake it in the same loaf pan, although the texture may be slightly coarser.
What to Serve with Gyro Meat
- Sauces and Dips: Tzatziki, hummus, or garlic yogurt sauce adds a creamy, tangy contrast to the savory meat.
- Bread and Sandwiches: Fill warm pita or flatbread with gyro meat, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, and tzatziki.
- Salads: Greek salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and feta adds freshness and crunch.
- Rice and Grains: Serve with lemon rice, couscous, or quinoa. Add chopped vegetables for an easy gyro bowl.
- Vegetables: Roasted zucchini, bell peppers, cauliflower, or eggplant pair well with the Greek herbs. Our Thomas Keller Zucchini makes a delicious side dish.
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Gyro Meat
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan
- 1 oven
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Colander
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion – cut into 4 pieces
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 lb ground beef – 80/20
- 6 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Prepare the onion: Place the quartered red onion in a food processor and pulse until very finely minced. Transfer it to the center of a thin kitchen towel set over a colander. Gather the ends of the towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible over the colander or sink.
- Combine the ingredients: Transfer the drained onion to a large mixing bowl. Add the ground lamb, ground beef, garlic, oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
- Process the meat: Transfer the mixture to the food processor and pulse until finely minced, about 2 minutes. It should resemble a coarse paste.
- Fill the loaf pan: Pack the meat mixture firmly into a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan. Press down well to remove any air pockets.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the center reaches 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer.Note: The meat will shrink during baking and release juices. You can reserve the pan juices for browning the slices in a skillet before serving.
- Cool and slice: Set the loaf pan on a cooling rack and let the meat cool in the pan for 20–30 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut it into very thin slices.
- Brown the slices, if desired: Heat a little of the reserved pan juices in a skillet over medium heat. Briefly fry the slices until lightly browned. Avoid overcooking, which can dry out the meat.
- Serve: Arrange the gyro meat in warm pita bread with Greek salad and tzatziki sauce for sandwiches. For a lower-carb meal, serve the slices with Greek salad and tzatziki without the pita.
Recipe Notes
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftover gyro meat in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking to keep it safe for later meals. Freezer: Let the cooked meat cool, then slice and divide it into meal-sized portions. Pack in freezer-safe bags, squeeze out excess air, and freeze for up to 3–4 months for best quality. Thawing: Transfer frozen gyro meat to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. Keep it refrigerated until you're ready to reheat. Reheating: Heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the slices and turn them occasionally until heated through and the center reaches 165°F. Avoid heating them longer than necessary to prevent dryness.Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This was so delicious. Even my son who says he hates gyros absolutely loved it. I cut up the meat after cooking it in the oven into thin slices and put it back into the pan with the juices to reheat it and it was perfection. So delicious. This is a really great recipe. To finish it I cut up cucumbers and onions and tomatoes with some olive oil and salt and pepper and oregano with tzakiki sauce. OMG yum!
Hi, Christine! I am so happy you and your son enjoyed our gyro meat recipe. Thank you for your feedback and happy holidays!
Can't wait to try this! How big does your food processor have to be to accommodate 2 lbs of meat plus the onion, etc.? Mine is 9-cup.
Hi Carrie! If yours is 9-cup it should be able to fit the onion, garlic, ground meats, herbs, and onion -- although it will be quite full. If too full, it won't mince those ingredients finely and can make your food processor work harder than it should. I advise you to divide the mixture from the bowl and process it in two different batches (or even 3 if needed).
This came out fantastic! I did add more garlic, more olive oil to the processor, and added about 1/2 tbs of fresh rosemary. My family and myself adore it. Thank you 🙂
Hi Julie! The pleasure is always mine. I am super happy you enjoyed our gyro meat recipe and adjusted the seasonings to your taste.
What a fun idea! I've never made my own gyro meat. Need to try -- this is such a terrific recipe. Thanks!