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My homemade gyro meat is so easy to make at home. It’s tender, juicy, perfectly seasoned, and does not need a rotating skewer whatsoever. Use the meat to make kebabs, top it over a salad, or enjoy it on its own.
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Coming from a half-European background, homemade gyros are a dinnertime staple. This did involve cooking the meat on a vertical rotisserie, but my years at culinary school taught me key skills and knowledge to recreate this Greek classic without one.
Today, I’m sharing my family’s authentic gyros recipe, including the special seasoning mix. Instead of skewering the gyro mixture, I bake it in a baking pan, shaping it into two loaves. Doing this keeps the meat extra juicy while allowing it to be thinly sliced, making it perfect for stuffing into pita or as a protein in Mediterranean bowls.
Why my family’s gyros recipe is the best
Quick and easy: No marinating time is needed, and it requires minimal hands-on time. This simple main dish cooks up in about 40 minutes.
Healthier: Sure, gyros from a restaurant or food stand are delicious, but you never know what goes into them. My homemade version uses healthier and cleaner ingredients and tastes just as good.
Meal prep friendly: I like to whip up two batches of gyros at a time, and use the second for lunches during the week. The meat reheats beautifully and tastes delicious straight from the fridge.
If you enjoy this lamb gyros, you may also enjoy my chicken gyros.
Key Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients. These are just a few notes about the main ones:
- Ground lamb. While some versions call for ground beef, my family prefers to use ground lamb as it is more authentic, naturally juicier, and packed with flavor. You can use a mix of beef and lamb, or even pork and lamb.
- Onion and garlic. Must have ingredients for traditional gyro meat.
- Seasonings. My mom’s secret spice mix features oregano, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme. These are non-negotiable!
- Gyros sandwich must-haves. Warm pita bread, tomatoes, Tzatziki sauce(or a garlic yogurt sauce), and a sprinkling of feta cheese.
How to make gyro meat
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl..
Step 2- Using your hands, mix everything until just combined. Do not overmix.
Step 3- Form 1-2 loaf shapes, around 4 inches high. Place in a baking dish.
Step 4- Bake the gyros for 35-40 minutes or until no longer pink. Cool, slice, and serve.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Very delicious! Give our thanks to your mama for the wonderful blend of herbs, please. This was so easy and my kids thought it tasted like something from a restaurant.” – Bindi
Arman’s recipe tips
As a professionally trained chef, I’ve got to share my top tips for the perfect gyros:
- Avoid over-processing the meat mixture, as this can dry out the meat and also make it rubbery once cooked. Just mix everything until it’s just combined. Also, yes, you will be using your hands.
- Never use lean or extra lean meat. The fattier cuts are essential for juicy and flavorful meat. My mom’s rule of thumb is that the bread you serve this in should be soggy by the end (in a good way!).
- Avoid overbaking the meat by using an instant-read thermometer to check its doneness. It is ready to be enjoyed once the internal temperature of the meat is 165F.
Storage instructions
To store: I recommend enjoying leftovers within 3-4 days. Keep them stored in the fridge in a sealable container.
To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled gyros in a shallow container and store them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Reheating: Thaw in the refrigerator the night before reheating. Use a fry pan or oven to reheat before serving.
Gyro Meat Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground lamb
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165C/325F. Grease or line a square baking pan and set aside.
- Add the ground lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, dried Rosemary, dried oregano, dried thyme, pepper, and salt to a bowl. Using your hands, mix until everything is just combined.
- Shape the meat mixture into two small logs or one large log and place them in a greased or lined baking pan.
- Bake the gyro for 35-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers at least 165F.
- Remove the gyro from the oven and let the meat rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing.
Notes
- Use other ground meat: Swap out half the ground lamb for ground pork or ground pork.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
If you choose to mince your lamb, lamb legs and lamb shoulder are the best cuts to use. They have a good ratio of fat and protein and will yield juicy gyros.
While lamb is preferred, you can substitute half of it with beef or use a mix of lamb and pork. Please avoid using all beef or all pork, as they are both prone to drying out.
Some restaurants serve you gyros meat that has super crispy edges. To replicate this, I recommend slicing the gyros extra thinly, then toasting the slices in a hot skillet for 1-2 minutes on each side.
You can! However, you will need to add 1 egg along with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs to the mixture to ensure it doesn’t fall or dry out.
Looks delicious! What does it mean to mop up the excess oil? Dab with paper towels get the oil out of the pan, or put the log of meat on a paper towel to get off the excess oil, like you do with bacon???
Also, do you have a tzatziki recipe, to go with this, that you could share? Thank yooouuuuu😘😁❤️
I have a garlic yogurt sauce 🙂 Sometimes the oil seeps out so just mop it with paper towel 🙂
Very delicious! Give our thanks to your mama for the wonderful blend of herbs please 😊
I couldn’t find lamb at our local store, so I had to do a ground chicken/ground pork mix. While this was very delicious, the chicken did cause our gyros to be dry so the simple fix is to add olive oil to the meat. We used this recipe in conjunction with your 3 ingredient keto flatbread for keto gyros. It was all very yummy and the leftovers taste better than on day one. We will definitely be returning to this recipe for future meals. Thanks again Arman 😊
Fantastic, tasty, quick, and easy to make.
Can’t wait to try it on the grill.
Thanks
I made this Sunday and followed the instructions exactly. It was so delicious! It tasted better than any Gyros I ever got from my favorite Greek restaurants. And it’s so easy to grind a boneless leg of lamb with a Kitchenaid. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I used Keto approved pitas and made Tzatziki sauce with my homemade yogurt and it just popped. Added some diced hot pepper to spice up the sauce and sliced fresh tomatoes. Superb.
Thanks so much, Micki!
This is the best gyro meat recipe I’ve come across. Super juicy and flavorful.
Made this tonight, delicious!!!!! Added a tsp of oregano, but everything else was the same. Will definitely be making again!
My family LOVES this. And it makes enough for leftovers or to freeze for another time.
Hey Arman, I love lamb, so I’ll definitely be giving this recipe a try. I noticed in the tutorial that it looks like the loaves are sitting on bacon? I don’t see anything mentioned about using bacon??? Thanks!
I have the same question – thanks! Adore gyros and can’t wait to try this recipe!
YES! I need to add the tip, but it’s a flavor variation to wrap some bacon around it 🙂