Lamb & Beef BBQ Gyros Recipe
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.
Lamb & Beef BBQ Gyros Recipe
PrintIngredients
Method
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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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
Grill slowly
Use indirect heat
Start with fresh tzatziki
Load up on meat
Top with veg and cheese
Serve it all together
Look at that tastiness
Overflowing with yum
Don't forget some fries
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Grill slowly
Use indirect heat
Start with fresh tzatziki
Load up on meat
Top with veg and cheese
Serve it all together
Look at that tastiness
Overflowing with yum
Don't forget some fries
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Feel like a professional griller