Quick Greek Gyros Salad
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This recipe for a quick Greek gyros salad came to me as a fluke, I really wanted Greek gyros, but our favorite Greek restaurant is in downtown LA. I did, however have a jar of their famous Greek seasoning…
All the flavor of gyros, without all the fuss
I made it the first time using Papa Christos’ Greek seasoning. After my daughter said she would eat it “every day…no really, every day!”, I knew I had to put the recipe here. Since the majority of you can’t get your hands on their seasoning, I had to re-create it using regular pantry spices.
How to make Greek seasoning
Since the main herb used in Greek cooking is oregano, and that was the main ingredient on the Greek seasoning jar, I decided to go heavy on the oregano. I wanted to keep it simple, so I just added garlic, some smoked paprika and salt and pepper in addition to the herbs. Traditional Greek gyros usually are more labor intensive and involve a couple of types of meat, stacked and pressed. The name “gyros” comes from the greek word for “circle” or “turn”. That makes sense when you think of the word “gyrate”. The meat cooks by turning on a vertical spit and then is carved off as it’s ordered. If you’re looking for a more traditional gyros sandwich, try this one.
While you could totally put the meat into a pita and serve it like a Greek gyros sandwich, I decided to make Greek style salad to keep it healthier.
Versatile for a variety of diets; Keto, Whole30, or Paleo.
Serving the salad and the extras separately makes it a great meal to serve when you’ve got different diets to contend with. Prepare the salad and serve the cooked meat, feta and tzatziki in separate bowls. Got a vegan? They can eat just the salad. Vegetarians can add Tzatziki and feta. Following Whole30 or Paelo? Just add meat and skip the dairy.
If you’re following a keto diet, load up your salad with the works.
While a traditional Greek Salad is just feta, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, peppers and onions, I’ve added artichoke hearts…just because I love them.
How to assemble this Greek Gyros Salad
For this salad you’ll need a to make a Greek salad, mixed with one or two heads of romaine lettuce depending on how many you’re serving. You’ll also need Tzatziki, either store-bought or homemade. Here’s the recipe for the basic Greek Salad andTzatziki.
Quick Greek Gryos Salad
Ingredients
Gyros Meat
- 24 ounces ground lamb ground turkey or ground beef may be substituted
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Greek Dressing
- 1 lemon, juiced, about 1/4 cup
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Gyros Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce bib or iceberg
- 1 jar artichoke hearts drained, quartered
- 1 large tomato cut into wedges
- 1 bell pepper red, green or yellow, cut into strips
- 1/2 cup Greek olives
- 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into thick slices
- 1/2 purple onion sliced
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
For the gryros meat
- In a large saute pan or skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over a medium heat.
- Add chopped onion, ground meat, garlic, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, salt and pepper (and red pepper flakes if desired).
- Stir, breaking up meat and cook until meat is cooked through and brown. Stir occasionally, about 7-10 minutes. Check seasoning.
- While meat is cooking, prepare Greek salad, tzatziki and salad dressing.
Greek Dressing
- Whisk juice of one lemon, 1/2 to 3/4 cup of olive oil, 2 cloves crushed garlic and salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar. Check seasoning.
Cynthia, thank you for your blog post.Really thank you! Awesome.
you’re welcome!
I love everything about this salad. Mediterranean and Greek ingredients are spectacular!
Oooh! I missed this because I was with YOU in Switzerland! LOVE gyros and greek salads so this is a YES, YES, from me! Even though I’ve eaten dinner, I’ve really wanting Greek food now!
Haha! Yes, I almost forgot that I had scheduled this!
I love gyros!!! Great Healthier take on a Greek fav!!!
Yes indeed! I’m always looking for ways to lighten things up!
Really liked the mix of spices you have put in the meat. Must have tasted so good!
Delicious Sunrita! thank you!
Now this is one I need to make asap! Great flavors in this easy salad!
Thank you Angela, It’s a super fast way to get those great greek flavors too!
What an awesome and flavorful salad. I especially appreciate that it’s Paleo and Whole30!
I’m always looking for ways to make my favorite foods healthier! Thank you!
Love those delicious ingredients! Love greek flavors!! such a fresh and perfect salad!
thank you Camila! We love this one in the summer!
I’m a carbs guy, so I’d miss the wrap – but not for long! I’m sure I could wolf this salad down and enjoy it tremendously.
My husband loves the carbs too…but sometimes his waistline needs a break! 😉
This salad looks amazing – so colorful and I love that flavors combination. Delicious and healthy!
Awesome recipe