Thumbnail

Lamb & Beef BBQ Gyros Recipe

By: Andrea Alden

Lamb & Beef BBQ Gyros is a recipe that I have been itching to try for a while. I’ve seen the gigantic spinning cones of meat at Greek food stands, tasted the succulent meat sliced from the still spinning spit, served with feta and fresh tzatziki on a pillowy steamed pita. I wanted desperately to recreate this on my grill. Flavor-wise, this recipe is a huge success. Unfortunately, the meat did not want to stay on the spit, and I wound up roasting it instead. Don’t let that deter you. When you taste that first morsel, you’ll be very pleased.

*PRO TIP – save the drippings from your gyro meat for making gravy later. It’s full-bodied and will give the gravy a depth of flavor that bacon or butter won’t provide.

Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
120 min
Yield
6
Difficulty
Medium

Lamb & Beef BBQ Gyros Recipe

Print

Ingredients

Method

Photos

Ingredients

1 lb.

ground lamb

1 lb.

ground brisket

2 tbsp.

bacon fat

3 tsp. 

kosher salt

1 tsp. 

freshly ground black pepper

1½ tsp.

dried oregano

2 cloves

garlic, shredded


Homemade Tzatziki

¾ cup

Balkan or greek style plain yogurt

¼ cup 

mayonnaise

2 cloves

garlic, shredded

½

lemon, juiced

2 tbsp. 

minced cucumber

1 pinch

salt


To serve


soft greek pita
chopped fresh tomato
chopped fresh cucumber
sliced red onion
feta cheese, crumbled
lettuce 
French fries

Method
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the meats, bacon fat, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic. Pulse the meat until everything is thoroughly mixed together, but stop before the meats have liquefied.
  2. Use your hands to form a cylinder and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Chill the meat for an hour, or make, up to 24 hours ahead of time.
  3. While the meat is chilling, make some fresh tzatziki, because this sauce is even better when it’s had some time for the flavors to meld. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and cucumber. Chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve your gyro.
  4. Preheat the grill to 375°F, preparing for indirect grilling. Place the meat onto a wire rack over a BBQ drip tray. Slow roast the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 155°F. Remove the gyro meat from the grill and allow it to rest a few minutes before slicing. While the meat is resting, steam the pitas by bringing a pot of water to boil
  5. Slice the meat as thin as you can. Assemble by spreading fresh tzatziki on a steamed pita, topping that with generous slices of meat, fresh veggies, feta, maybe a little more tzatziki, and a side of fries.

Lamb & Beef BBQ Gyros are delicious! I am still eating leftovers and wondering when I can make another batch. Now there is a bit of a debate on how to actually pronounce gyro. Is it JY-Row, or is it YEE-rohs? A true Greek will pronounce it YEE-rohs, but whatever way you say it, you will love the intense flavor. I have to be honest here. I did try to use the rotisserie to cook the meat initially. Things seemed to be going well, the outside was browning beautifully. However, about 15 minutes in, the meat could no longer support its 3 lbs. on the spit and I heard a splat as it slid free. So yes, you could conceivably roast this gyro meat in your oven if so inclined, however, there’s just something about meat from the grill that just tastes better. We even have a blog that explains why grilled meat tastes so good. You should read it.

Thumbnail

Grill slowly

Thumbnail

Use indirect heat

Thumbnail

Start with fresh tzatziki

Thumbnail

Load up on meat

Thumbnail

Top with veg and cheese

Thumbnail

Serve it all together

Thumbnail

Look at that tastiness

Thumbnail

Overflowing with yum

Thumbnail

Don't forget some fries

AndreaAlden
Andrea Alden

I used to be the Sultana of Sizzle, but you can call me Andrea. I have always been passionate about food. Even though I was majoring in Art and Graphic Design, I would frequently be found cooking for my friends and family.

Read More
Thumbnail

Grill slowly

Thumbnail

Use indirect heat

Thumbnail

Start with fresh tzatziki

Thumbnail

Load up on meat

Thumbnail

Top with veg and cheese

Thumbnail

Serve it all together

Thumbnail

Look at that tastiness

Thumbnail

Overflowing with yum

Thumbnail

Don't forget some fries

Accessories

Feel like a professional griller