Classic Gyro Meat

"This gyro meat is tender, juicy, and packed with fragrant dried herbs," says Dinogo recipe tester Craig Ruff. "It’s ideal for making a gyro with all the classic toppings. It’s incredibly versatile and surprisingly easy to prepare."

How to Prepare Gyro Meat

You'll find a full list of ingredients and detailed step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but here’s a quick overview of the process:

What’s Inside Gyro Meat?

This gyro meat recipe combines a pound of ground lamb with a pound of 80% lean ground beef (20% fat). It also includes a chopped onion and a variety of flavorful seasonings.

Seasoning for Gyro Meat

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

How to Prepare Gyro Meat at Home

Here’s a quick look at what to expect when preparing homemade gyro meat:

1. Pulse the onion in a food processor, then squeeze out the excess moisture using a towel.
2. Mix the onions with the other ingredients in a bowl.
3. Use your hands to combine everything thoroughly, then chill.
4. Transfer the meat mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and sticky.
5. Place the loaf pan in a roasting pan lined with a damp kitchen towel.
6. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
7. Bake until the center of the loaf is no longer pink.
8. Drain any excess fat, let the loaf cool slightly, and then slice it thinly.

Serving Suggestion

Test Kitchen Advice

This highly-rated recipe was tested in our kitchen. Here are some helpful 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 input by Corey Williams

Ingredients List

• 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

Instructions

Prepare all the ingredients before you begin.

Pulse the onion in a food processor until finely chopped, about 5 quick pulses. Transfer the onions to the center of a towel, gather the ends, and squeeze out the excess liquid.

In a large bowl, combine onions, lamb, beef, garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt. Mix by hand until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Lightly coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In two batches if necessary, transfer the meat mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and sticky, about 1 minute.

Transfer the meat mixture into the prepared loaf pan, pressing down to eliminate any air pockets. Line a medium-sized roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan in the center of the towel-lined roasting pan and carefully transfer it to the preheated oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until the gyro meat is fully cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 1 to 1 hour 25 minutes. The internal temperature should reach at least 160°F (70°C) when measured with an instant-read thermometer.

Drain off any excess fat, then allow the meat to cool slightly before slicing it thinly and serving.

Serve and enjoy your delicious creation!

Editor's Note

Nutritional Information (per serving)