Traditional Gyro Meat

“The gyro meat is moist, tender, and super aromatic from the dried herbs,” says Allrecipes recipe tester . “It would be perfect in a gyro with all the fixings. It’s super versatile and rather easy.”

How to Make Gyro Meat

You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

What Is In Gyro Meat?

This gyro meat recipe calls for a pound of ground lamb and a pound of 80 percent lean (20 percent fat) ground beef. It also features an onion and lots of seasonings.

Gyro Meat Seasoning

This gyro meat is seasoned with minced garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin, dried marjoram, ground dried rosemary, ground dried thyme, ground black pepper, and fine sea salt.

How to Make Gyro Meat at Home

Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade gyro meat:

Pulse the onion in a food processor, then squeeze in a towel to drain.
Combine the onions with the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
Mix with your hands until well-combined, then chill.
Place meat mixture into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and tacky.
Place the loaf pan in a roasting pan lined with a damp kitchen towel.
Pour boiling water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
Bake until the loaf is no longer pink in the center.
Pour off any accumulated fat, let cool slightly, then slice thinly.

Serving Tip

Serve the gyro meat wrapped in warm pita bread and topped with tomatoes, onions, feta, and tzatziki.

Test Kitchen Tips

This top-rated user recipe was tested in our test kitchen. Here are some tips from our recipe testers:

The meat is easier to slice if it is chilled. Use a sharp chef’s knife for thin slices.
Processing the meat in the food processor and overworking it ensures that the proteins in the meat stick together, like sausage. Essentially, this prevents the meat from falling apart.
Use all lamb, all beef, or substitute the lamb for sausage.

Editorial contributions by

Traditional Gyro Meat

4.6

(330)

A plate with a pita stacked with gyro meat, chopped vegetables, and yogurt sauce

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

1 hr

Additional Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

2 hrs 15 mins

Servings:

10

Yield:

1 (7x4-inch) loaf

Ingredients

½ medium onion, cut into chunks
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound 80/20 ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
cooking spray

Directions

Gather all ingredients.

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped, about 5 (1-second) pulses. Scoop onions onto the center of a towel, gather up the towel ends, and squeeze to remove liquid.

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Combine onions, lamb, beef, garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until well combined. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Evenly coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

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Working in 2 batches if necessary, place meat mixture into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and the texture feels tacky, about 1 minute.

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Transfer mixture into prepared loaf pan, and pack down to make sure there are no air pockets. Line a medium roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan in the center of the towel-lined roasting pan, and transfer it into the preheated oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.

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Bake in the preheated oven until gyro meat is no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour to 1 hour 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Pour off any accumulated fat, and allow to cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Serve and enjoy!

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

From the Editor

This recipe was tested in our test kitchen in November 2023 and updated to increase the cooking time and amount of salt based on user feedback. The original recipe used ¼ teaspoon of salt.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

258	Calories
17g	Fat
1g	Carbs
24g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 10
Calories 258
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17g	22%
Saturated Fat 7g	33%
Cholesterol 84mg	28%
Sodium 396mg	17%
Total Carbohydrate 1g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 24g	47%
Vitamin C 1mg	1%
Calcium 35mg	3%
Iron 3mg	14%
Potassium 348mg	7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.