• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Modern Farmhouse Eats logo

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Portfolio
    • Work with Me
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Portfolio
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Portfolio
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    May 12, 2021

    Easy Ground Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

    511 shares
    • Share Recipe
    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    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!

    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.

    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!

    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.

    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.

    • oregano
    • garlic
    • onion
    • cumin
    • thyme
    • nutmeg
    • salt
    • pepper

    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.

    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.

    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 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.

    Easy Ground Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

    Rachel Riesgraf
    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.
    4.75 stars
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch
    Servings 4 gyros

    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.
    Did you make this recipe?I'd love to hear from you! Rate the recipe and leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and tag @ModernFarmhouseEats

    « Chicken Banh Mi Burgers with Quick Pickled Vegetables
    Brown Butter Heath Bar Cookies »
    511 shares
    • Share Recipe

    Recent Recipes

    scooping the mashed potato bake
    pork tenderloin medallions and roasted potatoes served over whipped goat cheese spread on a plate and topped with cranberry sauce
    dutch baby in a skillet topped with powdered sugar, spiced cranberries, and whipped cream
    bourbon bbq bison meatballs in a skillet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Lorine says

      May 12, 2022 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Modern Farmhouse Eats says

        May 17, 2022 at 9:49 am

        Lorine, I'm so happy to hear that!! 😊 Thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    2. Tee says

      September 28, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      4 stars
      Very easy to make and so delicious.

      Reply
    3. John says

      October 03, 2022 at 10:56 am

      5 stars
      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

      Reply
      • Modern Farmhouse Eats says

        October 19, 2022 at 9:50 am

        John, I love that idea!! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    4. Stephanie Ross says

      January 13, 2023 at 9:11 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is sooo good! So easy and fresh.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Rachel Riesgraf

    Hey There!

    I’m Rachel Riesgraf, a recipe developer and food photographer. Welcome to my modern farmhouse! Growing up on a farm, I learned how to create the best homestyle recipes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I carry that same style of cooking and baking with me as I develop easy, from scratch, comfort food recipes for the busy, modern cook.

    Learn more about me →

    Join Our Community!

    I provide the delicious homestyle recipes. You do the cooking and eating!

    Let's Connect!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About Me

    Contact

    Recipe Index

    Let's Connect!

    Facebook

    Instagram

    TikTok

    Pinterest

    Copyright © 2022 Modern Farmhouse Eats | Privacy Policy

    511 shares
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest