This Lamb Gyro recipe with Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce is a delicious combination of flavors from red onion, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper that you can easily make at home. If you prefer, there is an option to make this a Lamb and Beef Gyro recipe below.
If you love Greek cuisine, then try these other Greek recipes: Greek Braised Chicken Thighs, Spanakopita, Greek Fava and Classic Greek Salad.
A gyro sandwich is so delicious, that I have to give you two more options to add to the Beef Gyros recipe from a couple of weeks ago! This Lamb Gyros recipe is awesome and if you want to combine these meats, another great options is my Lamb and Beef Gyros recipe. Also, we have a Greek Chicken Gyros recipe that is also amazingly great!
These gyros remind me of our trip to Greece. We stayed at the AVA Hotel and Suites in Athens, which is great little boutique hotel that is close to many restaurants, shops and sights to see. Here is the view of the Acropolis from our hotel room balcony!
Okay, so back to the gyros recipe. I love all of the seasonings that go into making gyro meat for that Greek gyro taste. If you prefer to use beef instead of lamb, you can use this Beef Gyros recipe. You can also use ½ lamb and ½ beef in this recipe for a Lamb and Beef Gyros recipe. They are all tasty, but you can use the meat you desire. The recipes for both the Lamb Gyros and the Lamb and Beef Gyros are below.
Lamb Gyro Ingredients
Ground Lamb Gyro Meat Ingredients
1 lb. ground lamb – lower the fat content the better
½ large red onion – chopped
2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
2 tsp. Marjoram
2 tsp. Rosemary
2 tsp. Oregano
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Black Pepper
Sandwich Ingredients
7 Pita Breads
7 Lettuce leaves
7 Tomato slices
4 Onion slices
How to Make Lamb Gyros
The process of making ground lamb gyros is quite simple. Start by placing the chopped red onion in a food processor. 
Process until finely chopped.
Remove the onion from the food processor and place in a tea towel, squeezing to remove all the juices, then return it to the food processor.
Add the ground lamb to the food processor.
Add the spices to the food processor.
Pulse for approximately 1 minute until you get a paste like consistency.
The gyro lamb mixture will form together in the food processor, similar to a ball of dough.
Place mixture in a glass baking dish.
Flatten and smooth the meat into a nice meatloaf as shown below.
Place in a water bath and cook at 325°F for 60-75 minutes or you have an internal temp of 165°F-170°F. Once removed from the oven, drain the fat. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and place on a wire rack (I also put a pan under the rack to catch any drippings) and place a heavy object on top to compress the gyros meat. I used a cast iron skillet with 3 cans inside the skillet for additional weight.
Let rest for 30 minutes and slice.
Slice the entire loaf. 
Place meat slices on a baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes until crispy, so the texture is like it came off of your very own rotisserie grill!
Serve in pita bread with lettuce, sliced tomato and thinly sliced onion and don’t forget to add our highly rated gyro sauce from this link: Authentic Greek Tzatziki sauce.
You can also garnish your gyro with crumbled feta cheese and diced cucumbers.
This recipe makes about 14 slices, which is enough for 7 ground lamb gyro sandwiches if you use 2 slices per sandwich. Is your mouth watering already?
More Greek Recipes You’ll Love
- Melitzanosalata (Greek Eggplant Dip)
- Greek Fish En Papillote
- 5 Minute Greek Feta Red Pepper Dip
- Chicken Souvlaki
- Lamb and Beef Gyros
- Beef Gyros
Lamb Gyros Recipe with Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
GROUND LAMB GYRO MEAT
- 1 lb. ground lamb - lower the fat content the better
- ½ large red onion - chopped
- 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 tsp Marjoram
- 2 tsp Rosemary
- 2 tsp Oregano
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
SANDWICH
- 7 Pita Breads
- 7 Lettuce leaves
- 7 Tomato slices
- 4 Onion slices
Instructions
- Place red onion in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
- Remove the onion from the food processor and place in a tea towel, squeezing to remove all the juices.
- Return the onion back to the food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse for approximately 1 minute until you get a paste like consistency. TIP: The gyro lamb mixture will form together in the food processor, similar to a ball of dough.
- Place mixture in a glass baking dish. Flatten and smooth the meat into a nice meatloaf.
- Place in a water bath and cook at 325°F for 60-75 minutes or you have an internal temp of 165°F-170°F.
- Once removed from the oven, drain the fat.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and place on a wire rack (I also put a pan under the rack to catch any drippings) and place a heavy object on top to compress the gyros meat. I used a cast iron skillet with 3 cans inside the skillet for additional weight.
- Remove the weight and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Slice the meat into desired sized slices.
- Place meat slices on a baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes until crispy!
- Serve in pita bread with lettuce, sliced onion, sliced tomato and this Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce.
- Enjoy!
VIDEO
Nutrition
There is a much better sauce for Gyros/Donairs than Tzatziki, thanks to a couple of Greeks who came to Halifax, Nova Scotia (eastern Canada) way back in the 60’s -70’s. It is a sweet sauce made with condensed milk and or evaporated milk, garlic, sugar, etc. Far superior to the old “Tzatyziki Sauce” which never caught on here! Google “King of Donair-Halifax sometime. They never used the name “Gyro” either, but “Donair”,
Hi Frank,
Thanks for sharing. If I ever get to Halifax, I will have to try the Donair at the King of Donair, it looks good.
– Linda
Can you explain a water bath? How much water?
Hi Howard,
A water bath is just a large pan, like a roasting pan or larger oven glass dish, into which you will place the oven glass dish with the meat mixture. Then add hot water into the roasting pan halfway up on the glass dish with the meat mixture. This is why it is called a water bath since the glass dish with the meat mixture in it is kinda taking a water bath in the roasting pan. This water bath helps keep the meat moist and allows more even cooking.
– Linda
I usually take liberties with following recipes, but, having never made this, I followed the recipe to the letter. I fell in love with Greek gyros 35 years ago, and the lamb meat here is just as I remember, minus the roasting spit! I also d ont usually comment on recipes, but had to this time. The spices for the lamb was perfect! As was the tsazki sauce recipe you included! Thank you so much for a recipe that allowed me to make this much loved recipe at home!!
Kate,
Thanks for your comments!
I”m glad you loved it!
– Linda