Traditional Gyro Meat

“The gyro meat is moist, tender, and super aromatic from the dried herbs,” says Allrecipes recipe tester Craig Ruff. “It would be perfect in a gyro with all the fixings. It’s super versatile and rather easy.”

How to Make Gyro Meat

You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

What Is In Gyro Meat? 

This gyro meat recipe calls for a pound of ground lamb and a pound of 80 percent lean (20 percent fat) ground beef. It also features an onion and lots of seasonings. 

Gyro Meat Seasoning

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

How to Make Gyro Meat at Home

Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade gyro meat: 

1. Pulse the onion in a food processor, then squeeze in a towel to drain. 
2. Combine the onions with the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
3. Mix with your hands until well-combined, then chill. 
4. Place meat mixture into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and tacky.
5. Place the loaf pan in a roasting pan lined with a damp kitchen towel. 
6. Pour boiling water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
7. Bake until the loaf is no longer pink in the center. 
8. Pour off any accumulated fat, let cool slightly, then slice thinly.

Test Kitchen Tips

This top-rated user recipe was tested in our test kitchen. Here are some 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 contributions by Corey Williams