Quick and Easy Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

These Quick and Easy Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce are bursting with flavor and dripping with delicious sauce. The marinated meat is so tender and the combination of sauce and veggies sandwiched between the flat bread is mouth watering. These are a smash hit every time!

Gyros are one of my husbands favorite foods. Before meeting him, I never dared to try a gyro mostly because it seemed to be too meat heavy for me. My palate has since expanded greatly and he’s gotten me hooked on gyros! (Surprisingly I wasn’t too adventurous with foods until we got married.)

I initially created this meal one summer to use up the last of our venison steaks before the next hunting season began. I knew I wanted to make some kind of gyro but didn’t want to go through the effort of making it authentic and preparing the meat into an official gyro style.

So I skipped the authentic process and did my own thing–it’s just the way I roll in the kitchen 🙂

I barely thawed the meat and then sliced it real thin. I threw a bunch of seasonings together and let it marinate overnight. The following day I cooked the meat up in a skillet and served it on my sourdough naan with homemade tzatziki sauce. OH MY WORD–mouth watering good!

Truthfully the best part about this meal is the marinated meat, the very part that kept me away from gyros my whole life. I guess I just needed to make my own to appreciate the delicious flavor combos.

My husband is obsessed with the bold meaty flavors and dare I say it, claims it to be better than candy. So buckle up, you’re in for a delicious meal ahead!

Full Disclosure: These are far from authentic! I’ve never made them with lamb but I’ve made this recipe simple and in a way that makes them quick and easy for a timely dinner. The flavor and authenticity of the added tzatziki sauce is there and it’s all together so delicious, I promise!

Ingredients to make Quick and Easy Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Do not be intimidated by the long list of seasonings. They are definitely worth it if you have every one of them, but if you don’t have a few spices, it’s okay. No need to run out and buy some. Just make do with what you have. Maybe add in more of another spice. They’ll still turn out and taste delicious, promise!

Marinated Meat:

• Beef steaks, Venison steaks or Chicken Breasts
• Chili Powder
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• Parsley
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Cinnamon
• Salt and Pepper
• Avocado Oil

Tzatziki Sauce (full recipe below):

• Greek Yogurt
• Avocado Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Garlic Cloves
• Cucumber
• Fresh Dill
• Salt and Pepper

Flat Bread, like Naan or Pitas

• Sliced and quartered cucumbers
• Sliced Tomatoes
• Sliced Red Onion
• Lettuce
• Fresh Dill

How to Make Quick and Easy Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

1. Prepare Sourdough Naan ahead of time. Or find your favorite store bought flat bread like naan or pitas.
2. Like I mentioned above, to keep these simple and quick I simply slice my meat as thin as I can. So first grab your sharpest knife and cut your meat into paper thin slices. The thickness depends on preference. I usually slice it thin and keep the height of the meat the way it is. But if you prefer thin and skinny (more fajita style) then cut your meat that way.
3. Add your sliced meat to a ziplock bag and add in all of the seasonings with 2 tablespoons of oil. I use avocado oil. Shake until all the seasoning has covered the meat. Add to fridge and marinate for 2-24 hours. The longer it sits, the better.
4. Prepare the homemade tzatziki sauce (recipe below) so it’s ready to go after the meat cooks.
5. When you’re ready to cook, preheat a skillet or flat cook top. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking fat to the hot skillet. I love to use lard, but butter or oil work too. Add marinated meat and cook until tender. This only takes a few minutes, so don’t overcook the meat.
6. Assemble everything. Naan/Flat bread a smear of tzatziki sauce, meat, cucumbers and tomatoes with a garnish of fresh dill if you have some. Enjoy 🙂

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

I recommend making this ahead of time to allow the flavors to meld together. It can be made several days in advance too, and it’s good in your fridge for a week to 10 days.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tbsp Avocado or Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 minced Garlic Cloves
• 1 large Cucumber
• 1/4 cup Fresh Dill, minced
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp ground Pepper

Recipe Instructions:

1. Dice cucumber into pea size pieces. You can leave the skin on or off, that is preference. Using a few layers of paper towels, cheesecloth or tea towel squeeze out the cucumbers to remove excess juice. This step is necessary so your dip doesn’t turn watery from the juicy cucumbers.
2. In a medium size bowl combine yogurt, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cucumber, dill, salt and pepper.
3. Add to the fridge to allow flavors to meld for an hour and up to several days.

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