About this recipe

A classic Greek street food made right at home — seasoned ground lamb and beef packed into a loaf, roasted until juicy and caramelized, then thinly sliced and served in warm pita with cool tzatziki, crisp vegetables, and tangy feta. This approachable method skips the rotisserie spit in favor of a standard oven loaf technique that delivers all the authentic flavor without any special equipment.

Instructions

1. 1

   Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a grater. Gather the grated cucumber in a clean kitchen shears towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible — this is key to a thick tzatziki, not a watery one.

2. 2

   In a mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, squeezed cucumber, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and kosher salt. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 days) to let the flavors meld.

3. 3

   Preheat your oven to ![325°F]. Place the roughly chopped yellow onion and garlic cloves in a food processor and process until very finely minced, almost a paste, about 30–45 seconds. Transfer the onion-garlic mixture to a clean kitchen shears towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can — this prevents a soggy loaf.

4. 4

   Add the drained onion-garlic mixture back to the food processor along with the ground lamb, ground beef, oregano, rosemary, cumin, sweet paprika, cinnamon, kosher salt, and black pepper. Process for 60–90 seconds until the mixture becomes a very smooth, paste-like consistency. This is important — it gives gyro meat its characteristic dense, even texture rather than a crumbly meatloaf texture.

5. 5

   Transfer the meat mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Shape it into a tight log or oval loaf about 8–9 inches long and 4 inches wide. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap and use your hands to compact and smooth it further. Unwrap and place it in a loaf pan, pressing it in firmly with no air gaps.

6. 6

   Bake at ![325°F] for 55–60 minutes, until the internal temperature reads %[165°F] on an meat thermometer. The loaf will have released some fat and juices — that's normal.

7. 7

   Remove the loaf from the loaf pan and place it on a cutting board. Place another cutting board or heavy pan on top and weigh it down for 5–10 minutes — this compresses the loaf for cleaner, thinner slices (mimicking the density of spit-roasted gyro meat).

8. 8

   Switch your oven to ^[broil on high]. Slice the pressed loaf into thin strips, about ¼-inch thick. Spread the slices in a single layer on a aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 4–5 inches from the heat for 2–3 minutes, until the edges are browned and slightly crispy. Watch closely — they can go from golden to burnt quickly.

9. 9

   Warm the pita bread directly over a gas flame for 30 seconds per side, in a dry skillet ^[over medium heat], or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 20 seconds.

10. 10

    To assemble each gyro: spread a generous spoonful of tzatziki down the center of a warm pita bread. Layer on a handful of gyro meat slices, then top with sliced roma tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, and crumbled feta cheese if using. Fold the pita bread around the filling and serve immediately.