Recipes for meat noodles with tzatziki and herbs 6 different ways! Introducing gyros

There is perhaps nothing better than juicy meat, marinated in the best herbs and served with an excellent sauce!

That’s exactly what these foolproof gyros recipes are all about.

Prepare it in the comfort of your home and enjoy it with homemade pita bread.

Enjoy it as you would on holiday in Greece!

Homemade chicken gyros in pita bread

Can’t get enough of marinated meat cuts from your favorite Greek restaurant? Try this quick and easy recipe for Greek Style Chicken Noodles. Chicken slices marinated in yogurt with perfectly matched spices and wrapped in fluffy bread with tzatziki sauce, is something you have to try!

What will we need

For chicken

1. 700 g chicken breast (cut into slices)
2. Extra virgin olive oil

For the marinade

1. 250 g of Greek yogurt
2. Juice of 1 lemon
3. 2 tablespoons of Greek extra virgin olive oil
4. 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
5. 3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
6. Pinch of salt
7. black pepper
8. A spoonful of oregano
9. A teaspoon of sweet paprika
10. A teaspoon of ground cumin
11. A teaspoon of ground coriander
12. A pinch of cayenne pepper

For attachment

1. Pita bread (to prepare homemade pita bread, see the last recipe in the article)
2. Tzatziki sauce
3. Tomato (sliced)
4. Cucumber (sliced)
5. Green pepper (sliced)
6. Red onion (sliced into half moons)
7. Olives

Method

1. For the chicken marinade, mix the spices for the gyros marinade
2. Mix everything well and add the sliced chicken
3. Mix again so that the meat is thoroughly coated in the gyros spices
4. Cover the bowl and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight
5. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat
6. Add the chicken slices and start frying
7. Fry the meat on each side for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown
8. To assemble the chicken gyros, heat the pita bread
9. First we spread the tzatziki sauce
10. Add 2-3 slices of baked chicken
11. Put tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onion and olives on top
12. We can round everything off by adding tzatziki sauce, wrap the pita bread and serve immediately warm

Traditional lamb gyros

Bite into this delicious Greek Lamb Gyros with Homemade Pita and Tahini Yogurt Sauce and pretend it’s a holiday… Serve with my Greek Lemon Potatoes

What will we need

For tahini yogurt sauce

1. 200 g of Greek yogurt
2. 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
3. 2 tablespoons of olive oil
4. Juice of ½ lemon
5. 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
6. Garlic clove (pressed)
7. Teaspoon of salt

For lamb

1. 1 kg lamb shoulder
2. A spoonful of oregano
3. A spoonful of onion powder
4. ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
5. Teaspoon of salt
6. ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
7. 2 tablespoons of olive oil
8. 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

For serving

1. 2 tomatoes (thinly sliced)
2. 1 red onion (very thinly sliced)
3. 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

Method

1. For homemade yogurt sauce with tahini, mix yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, pressed garlic, salt and chopped parsley in a bowl
2. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until needed
3. To prepare and cook the lamb, mix oregano, sweet paprika, garlic granules, salt and pepper in a bowl
4. Mix everything and finally add olive oil and vinegar
5. Rub this spiced gyros mixture all over the lamb shoulder
6. Cover the meat and let it marinate for at least an hour
7. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees with the rack in the lower third
8. Bake the marinated lamb in a baking dish wrapped in foil for one hour
9. Then remove the foil and cook for another 20 minutes
10. Turn off the oven and let the meat rest for 30 minutes in the baking dish, which is loosely covered with aluminum foil
11. Cut the lamb into thin slices and remove all fatty pieces.
12. Add a few spoonfuls of the juices from the roasting pan to the chopped lamb
13. We keep the meat warm until we assemble the gyros
14. To assemble the pita bread, mix one finely chopped red onion with a large amount of chopped parsley
15. We remove the seeds from the tomatoes and also cut them into small pieces
16. Spread the warmed pita bread with yogurt sauce with tahini
17. Add a large amount of lamb and top with tomatoes, onions and parsley
18. Wrap the meat in pita and serve immediately

Gyros pork noodles with tzatziki sauce

Make your own homemade traditional Greek dish wrapped in a pita with this easy recipe for souvlaki, or Greek skewers! Souvlaki is one of the most popular street foods in Greece, and for good reason. The dish is filled with well-cooked and seasoned meat with fresh tzatziki sauce and wrapped in a deliciously crispy pita. And that’s just the best part!

What will we need

For meat

1. 1 pork tenderloin (cut into strips)
2. Garlic clove (pressed)
3. ½ red onion (sliced)
4. 4 tablespoons of olive oil
5. 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
6. A spoonful of oregano
7. A spoonful of dried thyme
8. A spoonful of dried rosemary
9. ½ spoon of honey

For the tzatziki sauce

1. Cucumber
2. 2 cloves of garlic
3. 50 ml of virgin olive oil
4. 500 g of yogurt
5. 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
6. Salt
7. Pepper

For serving

1. 4 pita breads
2. Red onion (chopped)
3. Tomato (sliced)
4. Salad

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix the pork tenderloin noodles, garlic, red onion, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, a little thyme, a little rosemary and mix everything
2. Mix the ingredients thoroughly to combine the flavors and finally add ½ spoon of honey
3. Wrap the bowl in cling film and put it in the fridge
4. Leave the meat in the marinade for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight
5. To heat the meat, heat a large pan on a high pan
6. Add the doll together with the marinade in which it was pickled
7. Fry the meat on each side without stirring for about a minute, until the meat is cooked inside and crispy on the surface
8. To prepare the tzatziki sauce for the pork gyros, pour the olive oil and garlic into a food processor
9. Blend the mixture until the garlic is ground into a paste
10. Grate the cucumber into a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and let stand for 10 minutes
11. We wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and start squeezing it to get rid of excess water
12. Return the cucumber to the bowl and add the blended garlic with oil, yogurt, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and mix
13. Brush the pita bread lightly with oil on both sides and season with salt, pepper and oregano
14. Turn on the oven at 250 degrees
15. Place a large pan (upside down) on its bottom
16. Place the pita bread on it and roast in a preheated oven at 250 °C for about 1 minute
17. To serve, spread the pita bread with a little homemade tzatziki sauce and top with pork strips, a few slices of red onion, a few slices of chopped tomatoes
18. Wrap and serve immediately

Gyros with halloumi cheese and fries

Enjoy the feeling of a summer vacation in Greece thanks to this simple and delicious recipe for a traditional Greek dish in a vegetarian version with halloumi cheese. And enjoy it a little more with homemade herb fries.

What will we need

For gyros

1. 100 g halloumi (sliced)
2. A spoonful of honey
3. ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
4. ½ tsp chili powder
5. 2 teaspoons of oregano
6. Zest and juice of ½ lemon
7. 3 tablespoons of tzatziki sauce
8. ¼ red onion (thinly sliced)
9. 5 cherry tomatoes (halved)
10. ¼ cucumber (cut into half moons)

For herbed fries

1. A spoonful of olive oil
2. 2 potatoes (peeled and cut into chips)
3. 2½ teaspoons dried oregano

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Grease the baking sheet with olive oil and put it in the oven to heat up
3. Rinse the sliced potatoes in cold water to remove excess starch and then dry them with a clean towel
4. Spread the potato slices on a hot baking tray and sprinkle them with dried oregano and salt well
5. Bake the potatoes for 30-40 minutes until they are crispy and golden
6. Turn the baked potatoes halfway through (after about 15 minutes)
7. When the fries are almost cooked, add chopped halloumi, honey, garlic powder, chilli, oregano and lemon zest and juice to a bowl
8. Cover the halloumi thoroughly in this mixture
9. Then heat the pan to a high temperature and fry the halloumi for 2-3 minutes on each side, until evenly cooked
10. To assemble the vegetarian gyros, heat the pita in a still hot pan
11. The pancake can also be heated at a high temperature in the oven for 2 minutes
12. Spread a good portion of tzatziki sauce on the bread
13. Then add some herb chips, halloumi, red onion, tomatoes and sliced cucumber
14. Sprinkle the dish with oregano and drizzle with a little tzatziki
15. We then wrap the bread around the filling and enjoy it with the rest of the homemade fries

Vegan gyros

If you haven’t tried this real, traditional Greek dish of pork or chicken, usually served wrapped in a soft and fluffy pita with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki sauce and sometimes potato chips, this recipe is an exact copy, without animal ingredients . It is much healthier and easier on the stomach than its classic version!

What will we need

For filling

1. 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2. Medium red onion (sliced)
3. A spoonful of garlic (pressed)
4. ¼ teaspoon cumin
5. ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6. ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves
7. ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
8. ½ teaspoon dried oregano
9. 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
10. 400 g mushrooms (or oyster/shiitake/portobello)
11. 200 g marinated artichokes (drained)
12. 2 spoons of soy sauce
13. 2 tablespoons of maple syrup

For serving

1. 6 pieces of pita bread
2. Salad
3. Cucumber (sliced)
4. Radishes (chopped)
5. Cherry tomatoes (halved)
6. Vegan tzatziki

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
2. Add olive oil and chopped red onion to an ovenproof pan
3. Fry the mixture until the onion softens
4. Then add pressed garlic, cumin, cinnamon, ground cloves, black pepper and dried oregano and sauté for a minute until the ingredients are well mixed
5. Add the tomato paste and mix until the mixture is uniform
6. Add chopped mushrooms and artichokes
7. Fry until soft
8. Add soy sauce and maple syrup
9. We continue to cook until all the liquid has boiled off and the sauce is sticky and thick
10. Then put the whole pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes at 200 degrees
11. While the mushrooms and artichokes are baking, we will prepare the other ingredients for this vegan gyros recipe
12. Warm the pita bread in the oven
13. Cut the salad, cucumbers, radishes and cherry tomatoes
14. When the mushrooms and artichokes are baked, we start assembling the gyros
15. Spread the center of the pita bread with vegan tzatziki
16. Then add lettuce, cucumber, radishes and cherry tomatoes
17. Finally, we add the mixture of mushrooms and artichokes and top it off with tzatziki sauce
18. Fold the edges of the pita bread around the filling and serve

Homemade gyros from the oven

This recipe for homemade chicken gyros boasts huge flavor in just a few simple steps. Gyro night, made from a blend of spices with the perfect balance of herbs, smoke, heat and aroma, can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home! You will be delighted with your own creation.

What will we need

1. 1 kg chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)

For the marinade

• 120 ml Greek yogurt
• 30 ml of lemon juice
• 30 ml of red wine vinegar
• A spoonful of ground cumin
• 30 ml of olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic (pressed)
• A spoonful of dried oregano
• A spoonful of smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Teaspoon of salt
• A teaspoon of pepper

For serving

1. 4 pita breads
2. 60 ml of tzatziki sauce
3. ½ red onion (thinly sliced)
4. 75 g cherry tomatoes (halved)

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl
2. Add the chicken thighs, cover the bowl and put it in the fridge for 1-4 hours
3. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees
4. Line the baking sheet with a baking rack
5. Place the chicken on the rack and bake for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are crispy
6. Then roughly chop the chicken into larger pieces
7. Heat the pita bread for 15-20 seconds in the microwave or toast them individually in a dry pan at a medium-high temperature
8. Put part of the chicken in the bread and add tzatziki, onions and tomatoes on top
9. Serve the dish immediately

Homemade pita bread

This homemade pita bread recipe is easy to make because it only requires a few ingredients that you may already have on hand at home! Make a very simple dough, let it rise and experience the magic of fresh, warm, perfectly fluffy homemade pita bread.

What will we need

1. 300 g plain flour
2. 130 g of Greek yogurt
3. 120 ml of water
4. 3 tablespoons of olive oil
5. A spoonful of sugar
6. A teaspoon of dry active yeast
7. Teaspoon of salt

Method

1. Put the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a bowl
2. Add water, yogurt and olive oil
3. Mix everything together, and once the dough comes together, knead it lightly in a bowl with your hands until it is well incorporated
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for an hour (it will not rise significantly)
5. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface
6. Knead it again briefly and shape it into a bun
7. Cut the bun into six equal pieces
8. Roll out each part into a patty
9. If the dough is sticky, add more flour
10. Keep individual pita slices separated with greaseproof paper and covered with a damp towel
11. Heat up a large non-stick pan and grease it with a little olive oil
12. Fry the pita at a high temperature for a few minutes on each side, until it is nicely colored and golden
13. Individual slices of bread are kept warm or toasted in a pan or grilled in the oven to warm them up before serving

Gyros vs. kebab what’s the difference?

There’s no kebab like gyros and gyros are not like kebabs! Although there are small but important differences between these dishes, they are related to the history of the creation of these individual favorite fast food dishes. Let’s take a look at what makes a gyro a gyro and not a souvlaki kebab or a shawarma!

1. Doner kebab

Döner kebab has its origins in the Ottoman Empire, dating back to the 13th century. The meat was baked in the shape of a large cone on a vertical spike that rotated as it baked. Before serving, the outer layer of meat was cut away, while the rest of the meat log was left on the tip to finish cooking.

Even today, kebabs are still prepared in the same way. In Anatolia, you can get chicken and lamb kebabs served with rice and salad.

1. Gyros – Mediterranean herbs and tzatziki

Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire until the nineteenth century, and its cuisine developed under Ottoman influence. Greek gyros very similar to the famous kebab. Gyros means “turn” in Greek, and both are cooked on a vertical grill.

Gyros are usually made with lamb, beef, pork or chicken. The meat is marinated with Mediterranean herbs such as thyme, rosemary and oregano.

Meat marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and herbs is served in handmade pita bread along with oregano fries, tomatoes, red onions and of course tzatziki sauce, this gyros recipe is the real and genuine one you can taste.

Stay with us a little longer in the Greek kitchen and try other delicious recipes that this country can offer you. Surrender to the taste of this traditional Greek eggplant moussaka !

2. Souvlaki – cooked on a stick

Souvlaki is associated with the Greek word souvla (meaning to spit) and the origins of souvlaki date back to ancient Greece. The main difference between gyros and souvlaki is the way the meat is prepared.

Meat for gyros is cooked on a spike in a vertical position, while meat for souvlaki is cooked on horizontally positioned spikes, rotating on the grill.

Some souvlaki are served on a skewer, but they can also be taken off and served in pita bread with sauce and garnish.

3. Shawarma – flavored and spiced

Shawarma is like a close relative of gyros. It is based on the same heritage given to it by the Ottoman Empire.

As the empire began to expand towards the Middle East, the dish became known as “shawarma”, the Arabic word for “turn”. Shawarma was adapted to local tastes and developed into its own form, which today distinguishes it from gyros or kebab.

Shawarma is often made from beef, lamb or chicken, with the meat marinated for up to 24 hours in various spices.

These usually include bay leaf, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon and coriander. Served with side dishes such as tabbouleh salad, fattoush and chickpea hummus. The most common sauce is sesame tahini.