If I had to choose any cuisine to eat exclusively forevermore, it would probably be Mediterranean. I love the bold flavors they use in their cooking and the fact that I don’t feel like a tub of lard after eating it. Gyros have always been some of my favorite things to eat, and for years I’ve been making them with sliced chicken (I’m personally not a huge lamb fan). Those were good, but a few weeks ago I finally had the epiphany to try making them with a twist on my favorite turkey meatballs, and all I can say is WOW. The meatballs are so soft and tender and are complimented perfectly by the crunchy toppings, chewy pita, and fresh tzatziki. I can’t say enough good things about this recipe! The first time I made it, I also attempted making homemade pita for the first time, and those didn’t work out too great (plus they took way too much time and effort). This time around, I actually didn’t have any pita on hand (I don’t like the Trader Joe’s pita—too thin and dry!), so I decided to use naan, and I regret nothing! It was perfectly thick and chewy and just what I wanted for my gyros. So if you can’t find a good-quality, thick and chewy pita at your local grocery store, try naan! One more note: you may be temped to just buy a pre-made tzatziki sauce from the store (trader joe’s sells one), but be warned, these will not be as good if you don’t take 10 extra minutes to make the sauce yourself (I personally think the TJ’s tzatziki sauce is gross actually). It’s easy and so worth it! The leftover sauce is awesome to dip pita chips or fresh veggies in, and I also love it as a topping for tuna on crackers.
Greek Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki serves 4-6
For the Tzatziki Sauce: Ingredients:
1/2 an english cucumber, peeled
1 c plain greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced very finely
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp distilled vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Method:
Using a box grater, grate the cucumber into a small bowl. Remove as much liquid as possible from the grated cucumber by pressing firmly with paper towels or squeezing through a cheesecloth.
Add remaining ingredients* to bowl and stir until well-combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
*NOTE: If you want your tzatziki to be smooth without the small pieces of grated cucumber, transfer cucumber to blender along with only half of the yogurt and all of the remaining ingredients except for the dill. Blend until smooth, then return to bowl and gently whisk in remaining yogurt and dill.
For the Greek Turkey Meatballs:
Ingredients:
1/2 c breadcrumbs (Italian style is fine) OR finely crushed ritz crackers
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1/2 small onion, grated (or very finely minced)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 lb ground turkey meat
Directions
Preheat oven to 400º F. Line 1 large nonstick cookie sheet with foil, spray with oil, and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except turkey meat. Stir to blend using a wooden spoon.
Add the ground turkey, and using your hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined. Mixture will be quite wet—don’t worry!
Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop (or rolling with your hands), form meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and space evenly on prepared pan.
Bake until cooked through, 13-15 minutes. While meatballs are cooking, prepare and set out gyro toppings.
Gyro Toppings:
6-8 soft, thick pitas or naan, warmed
1/2 an english cucumber, peeled and sliced
Tomatoes (whatever type you prefer), sliced
Romaine or baby spinach
Crumbled feta
Pickled red onions (*see recipe below)
Assembly:
Slice one or two meatballs and place in the middle of the warmed pita. Add desired toppings and a generous swipe of tzatziki.
For gyros that stay together and are easier to eat, wrap bottom half of gyro tightly in foil or parchment paper and unwrap as you eat.
You can also assemble into a salad instead of wrapping into pita if you prefer!
Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients:
1 red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 c boiling water
1/4 c distilled vinegar
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Method:
At least 30 minutes (and up to two weeks) before eating, combine all ingredients in a resealable jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.
As you start to run low on pickled red onions over time, you can continuously add more sliced red onion to the liquid already in the jar to replenish your supply.
