Gyro lovers and burgers lovers each are going to crave this juicy gyro burger packed with the Greek flavors you know and love!
One bite into this flavorful burger and you will see what all the fuss is about. This easy burger recipe transforms the classic Greek wrap into a unique burger that is perfect to enjoy at home without trying to mess with shaving meat off a vertical spit.
What is it?
This Greek gyro burger recipe can be made with ground beef or lamb and is blended with all of the mouthwatering herbs and seasonings that give traditional Gyros their unmistakable flavor. This is essentially gyro meat in burger form, loaded onto a gourmet hamburger bun with homemade tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onions.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Gyro Burger Meat
- Ground meat - Either lean ground beef or ground lamb can be used. Using half of each would be the best choice!
- Plain bread crumbs
- Yellow onion - I prefer the more mild flavor of a yellow onion in the meat mixture, but you can use a red onion since that is the recommended onion for topping the burger as well.
- Garlic cloves - You can substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Dried oregano
- Dried marjoram
- Dried rosemary
- Dried thyme
- Ground black pepper
- Ground coriander
- Cumin
Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
- Fresh cucumber
- Plain Greek yogurt
- White wine vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Dried dill
- Extra virgin olive oil
Burger Assembly & Toppings
- Red onion
- Ripe tomato
- Green leaf lettuce - Romain lettuce or iceberg lettuce can also be substituted.
- Hamburger buns - I recommend brioche hamburger buns.
How to make it
Your homemade gyro burger is made very similarly to a classic meatloaf, at least initially. The ground meat, breadcrumbs, herbs, and seasonings all need to be well combined in a large bowl to form the gyro meat mixture. Once combined, separate the meat into three large chunks and form them into hamburger patties by pressing them flat.
Next, prepare your homemade tzatziki sauce by combining the grated cucumber, Greek yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice, dill, and olive oil in a small bowl. Then set this aside.
Cook the burger patties in a large skillet set over medium heat for 2-4 minutes per side, or until they are done to your liking. Toast the hamburger buns while the burger cooks, then assemble the burger by adding a lettuce leaf to the bottom bun, followed by a burger patty. Finally, add the onion slices, tomato slices, and tzatziki sauce on top of burger, followed by the top bun. Serve immediately with French fries.
Recipe FAQ
Traditionally, a gyro sandwich contains seasoned lamb meat, tzatziki sauce, onion, lettuce, and tomato on pita bread. Sometimes the meat mixture is combined with ground beef, chicken, or even pork.
The correct pronunciation of gyros is sometimes hotly debated, but most commonly the 'G' is silent, resulting in a pronunciation sounding like "yee-ro".
Gyro translates to "turning" in Greek, which describes the verticle rotisserie cooking method most commonly used to prepare this meat.
Can you do me a favor? If you enjoyed my post would you mind sharing it with your friends? You can see more of my recipes by liking me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. Otherwise, stay up to date by getting each new post sent directly to your inbox by subscribing today.
Gyro Burger
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Gyro burger
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
- ½ yellow onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
Tzatziki Sauce
- ⅓ cup grated cucumber
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 dash black pepper
Burger Assembly
- ½ sliced red onion
- 1 sliced tomato
- 3 leaves lettuce
- 3 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Crumble ground meat into a large bowl and combine with breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, and all herbs and seasonings until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the meat mixture.
- Separate the meat into three equal-sized chunks and press firmly to flatten into burger patties. Ensure each patty is slightly wider than your hamburger bun.
- Prepare the tzatziki sauce by squeezing the excess liquid out of the grated cucumber and then combine everything in a small bowl with Greek yogurt, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Place patties in a large skillet set over medium heat, working in batches if needed. Cook patties for 2-4 minutes per side, or until the burger is cooked through.
- While the burger is cooking lightly toast the interior of your hamburger buns.
- Assemble your gyro burgers by adding a leaf of lettuce to the bottom bun and top with gyro patty, onion, tomato, and tzatziki sauce. Serve immediately.
Leave a Reply