Easy Ground Beef Gyros are so delicious and ready in 30 minutes! Ground beef is perfectly seasoned with a greek spice blend then tucked inside of a soft pita with lots of fresh lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and red onion. Finish the gyro with homemade tzatziki sauce and feta cheese.
Gyros remind me of a greek version of tacos! Gryros and tacos both start with some type of meat then are topped with lots of fresh vegetables, a tasty sauce and a shell to hold it all together. Being that this is a Ground Beef Gyro recipe, they're more similar than ever! Also, if you've ever seen how gyro meat is traditionally made then you understand why I make mine with ground beef. It makes thing a LOT simpler.
I just can't get get over the combination of warm, seasoned beef tucked inside a soft pita with fresh vegetables and cool, flavorful tzatziki sauce. When it all comes together, the flavor is incredible!
What is a Gyro?
Traditionally, gyros are made with very thinly sliced lamb and/or beef that is stacked on a big skewer and slowly roasted in a vertical broiler, also known as a spit, that looks similar to a rotisserie. It's certainly delicious, but very time intensive and not easy to do at home. So, to keep things simple, I like to make my gyros with ground beef!
Other than using ground beef, this recipe is pretty darn close to a traditional gyro. But, it's probably not exact, so don't come at me lol. Gyros are always served in a soft pita and topped with fresh vegetables, such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and red onion. When making a gyro, you most certainly can't forget the tzatziki sauce! It's like leaving the hot sauce or salsa off of a taco.
How to Make Tzatziki sauce.
Tzatziki sauce is a fresh, cool, flavorful sauce that is drizzled all over the gyro meat and vegetables. Don't even think about skipping it! This delicious sauce is super easy to make with only 6 ingredients.
- Greek Yogurt - I recommend whole or 2%.
- Fresh garlic - If needed, you can substitute for ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Cucumber
- Fresh dill - If needed, you can substitute for 1 teaspoon dried dill.
- Lemon juice
- Salt
To make the Tzatziki sauce, you will start by shredding the fresh cucumber and squeezing out the excess liquid. I like to use an English cucumber because the seeds are small and the skin is thin and soft. Next, you mix together the greek yogurt with shredded cucumber, minced garlic, chopped dill, lemon juice, and salt. That's it!
How to Make a Gyro with Ground Beef.
Making a gyro with ground beef is very similar to cooking up taco meat. To start, add the ground beef to a hot skillet and season with the following dried spices/seasoning, then cook until nicely browned and no longer pink.
Tips & Substitutions.
Can I use a different kind of meat? Yes, most definitely! Ground pork, lamb or chicken would all be great alternatives to ground beef.
Should I peel the cucumber for the Tzatziki sauce? I like to use an English cucumber for the Tzatziki sauce and for slicing because you don't have to peel them. English cucumbers are long, skinny cucumbers with thin, soft skin and small seeds. You can find them individually plastic wrapped at most grocery stores. If you use a regular cucumber, depending on how tough the skin is, you may want to peel the cucumber.
How long does Tzatziki sauce last? Since Tzatziki sauce is made with greek yogurt, it depends on how fresh your yogurt is. As long as the yogurt is freshly opened and doesn't expire within the next 1 week, your Tzatziki sauce should last in the fridge for 1 week.
More ground beef recipes you'll love!
Korean Ground Beef Tacos
Wisconsin Bacon Butter Burger
French Onion Cheese Stuffed Meatballs
Beer Cheese Burgers on Pretzel Buns
If you make this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate the recipe below using the stars or leave a comment. If you’re on Instagram, share a picture of the food you created and tag me at Modern Farmhouse Eats! I love seeing all the pictures! 😊
Easy Ground Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon each dried oregano, ground thyme, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 pitas
- Optional toppings: lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, fresh dill and feta cheese
Tzatziki sauce
- ¾ cup greek yogurt
- ¾ cup grated cucumber (I like to use an English cucumber)
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add the seasonings and ½ cup of water. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce has thickened around the meat, about 5 minutes.
- While the beef cooks, make the Tzatziki sauce. Start by squeezing the excessive liquid out of the grated cucumber, discarding the liquid. In a small bowl, mix the grated cucumber with the remaining ingredients.
- To assemble a gyro, layer a pita with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, and ground beef, then finish with tzatziki sauce, fresh dill and feta cheese.
Lorine says
Oh. My. Gosh. I get gyros from Arby's every chance I get, but I can never fully enjoy them (too greasy). I was too intimidated to try making them, but with ground beef, it's a cinch. These were so good.
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Lorine, I'm so happy to hear that!! 😊 Thank you for sharing!
Tee says
Very easy to make and so delicious.
John says
Delicious recipe, I added all the spices to the meat, rolled them into meatballs and baked them in the oven. It added a crispy texture like Gyro's
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
John, I love that idea!! Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie Ross says
This recipe is sooo good! So easy and fresh.