You don’t need to head to the Mediterranean or the mall to enjoy a great gyro. These Grilled Steak Gyros are packed with flavor and are so easy to make.
When I was a kid, circa 1980, “ethnic food” wasn’t as widespread as it is today. Things are a little fuzzy, but it seems to me that restaurant dining was really dependent on the local community and not widespread trends. I grew up in Los Angeles County, which I seem to think was “cutting edge” and even back then most of us didn’t know our sriracha from our kimchi.
A food experience outside my family food culture was largely the result of knowing someone who knew someone who made something really different. Back in 1980, gyros were that something different. There were food stalls at the mall and there was Pop’s Restaurant. Pop’s was owned by a Persian family — I ended up being good friends in high school with their son — after they sold the property and it was turned into a strip mall. Bummer!
It was at Pop’s that I tasted my first gyro. And I was hooked. Ever since then the search for a great gyro has dominated any mall crawling I might do. I was so disappointed that our local Daphne’s closed. They made a good gyro.
And now, I endeavor to do the same — at home. While these Grilled Steak Gyros aren’t quite the same as the traditional lamb-style gyro, they’re still amazingly good. The combination of feta cheese, yogurt dressing, juicy steak and crisp veggies is such a refreshing meal.
Back in 2009, during a Pantry Challenge, I created this recipe for grilled beef gyros by using this recipe for grilled steak. It has become a family favorite. I don’t make homemade pita that often, but when I do, there are never any leftover, especially when we have these Grilled Steak Gyros for dinner.
How to make this good and cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. The meat and the cheese are the high price items in this recipe. Watch for sales and stock up.
How I make this recipe easy:
This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.
Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
- plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
- Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
- salad spinner – I love this large model salad spinner with a salad serving bowl.
- 1 batch Mediterranean Grilled Steak
- 8 pita breads
- 6 ounces lettuce shredded
- 1/4 red onion sliced
- 3 tomatoes chopped
- 1 batch Yogurt-Dill Dressing
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
- Cook the steak over a hot grill until desired doneness. Rest for 10 minutes and slice against the grain.
- Assemble the gyros ingredients: sliced steak, pita breads, greens, onion, tomatoes, dressing, and feta cheese.
- Allow diners to assemble their own open faced sandwiches, layering meat, greens, onions, and tomatoes on a pita bread. Drizzle with yogurt dressing and sprinkle feta cheese over the top.
Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
Nutritional values are approximate and based on 1/8 recipe.
Originally posted November 29, 2010. Updated May 14, 2017.
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Thanks for this! I was looking for something different to make on our vacation to the mountains next week, and I think I’ve found it! =)
they look AMAZING! I can’t wait to try them, we love gyros & I haven’t found a good recipe yet, we’ll be trying them this week! 🙂
That sounds yummy! I have a bunch of feta cheese to use up!
Holy cow, how did you eat that! It’s enormous! But looks absolutely delicious! Thanks!
@Debbi Does Dinner Healthy, you’re so funny! I probably ate two that night!
This looks so delicious! I’m making it tonight but I don’t have a grill. What’s the best way to cook the steak and still have it turn out juicy? Not a lot of experience with cooking steak. 🙂
I don’t personally have much experience with that, but I know folks who pan sear it in a cast iron pan or use the broiler. Do you have a generic all-purpose cookbook? That will probably explain both methods.