If you’re looking for the perfect meal prep lunch recipe, these Beef Gyros are it! Picture toasted pita pockets stuffed with the most deliciously seasoned, tender, shredded beef, crunchy romaine lettuce, onions, olives, tzatziki, fresh mint, and tangy feta. This recipe is flavorful and so easy to make ahead for the week!
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This recipe is…
It really doesn’t get tastier than these beef gyros! The flavor of the meat (think: lots of herbs, garlic, lemon, and red pepper flakes) is truly unbeatable, and when stuffed into a perfectly toasted pita pocket alongside a bunch of other flavorful goodies, becomes an unforgettable lunch experience that you’ll be excited to dig into all week long.
Meal prep lunch recipes are kind of our thing! It’s just so convenient to have a week’s worth of lunch prepped in the fridge and ready to grab in a moment’s notice. If you’re looking for more meal prep lunch recipes, try this Thai-inspired chopped chicken salad, these harissa honey chicken bowls, and, if you love a classic chicken salad lunch, this smoked paprika chicken salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy – the ONLY pitfall of meal prep is that, sometimes, it can be more difficult than it needs to be and end up taking up a lot of your weekend time. This recipe, though, calls for throwing the meat and spices in a slow cooker, and letting it cook until perfectly shreddable. Once the meats cooked, you can assemble the gyros right away or store all of the components separately (washed and ready to go) for quick day-off assembling.
- It’s delicious – the flavors of this recipe are really, really delicious. The meat is perfectly seasoned, and all of the toppings add an extra layer of bold, irresistible flavor.
- It’s completely customizable – if you don’t like one (or several) of the toppings included in the recipe, simply swap for something you do like!
Beef Gyro Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need stew meat, a handful of spices and seasonings, and then toppings galore! Rest assured that everything on the list is easy to find at the local grocery store. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Pita bread – grab and pita bread rounds you love for this recipe. We picked a gluten free option (this one is our favorite!), but any brand that you enjoy (or already have on hand) will work great.
- Tzatziki – feel free to go with store-bought tzatziki here or make your own. If you want to make your own, this homemade tzatziki recipe is easy and delicious.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it gluten free – grab gluten free pita bread to make this recipe gluten free.
- Make it dairy free – skip the tzatziki and feta cheese to make this recipe dairy free.
- Enjoy over rice or as a salad instead – nix the pita bread altogether and enjoy the shredded gyro meat atop a bed of fluffy white rice or crisp romaine lettuce. Top with all of the same toppings and enjoy!
How to Make Beef Gyros
This recipe is incredibly easy to make – you’ll throw a handful of ingredients into the slow cooker, practice a lot of patience while your home fills with mouthwatering aromas, and then assemble the gyros and dig in! Follow along below.
Step 1: Toss the beef stew meat with the oregano, cumin, thyme, rosemary, grated garlic, lemon zest, salt, and red pepper flakes in the basin of your slow cooker.
Step 2: Set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Step 3: Once the meat is cooked, use a fork to shred the meat.
Step 4: Warm the pita breads either in the microwave for 30 seconds or toasted over an open stovetop flame until warmed through. Cut the pita in half and stuff with the romaine lettuce, shredded beef, feta cheese, tzatziki, olives, and any other toppings you enjoy.
Recipe Tip
Double the meat – you’ll only need 2 pounds of stew meat for this recipe, but, because cooking double that in the slow cooker is just as easy, it’s a GREAT idea to double the meat, cook all of it until shredded, and then use half for the week ahead and freeze the other half for the next time you want to make these beef gyros.
How to Serve
Serve the gyro meat pita-style (as pictured) or over white rice or a bed of salad greens. Top to your liking, and enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat
If you’re meal prepping these pitas for the week, you can go one of two routes when it comes to both storing and reheating:
- Assemble right away – assemble the gyros and store them in separate food storage containers in the fridge. This allows you to QUICKLY grab a lunch and head out the door. The only pitfall here is that heating the gyros is a little trickier (since you won’t want to heat the fresh toppings), so, if you’re assembling a week’s worth of lunches on your meal prep day, it’s best to enjoy your beef gyros cold (still very delicious, I promise!) when lunch time comes around.
- Assemble the day of – if you choose to go this route, simply cook the meat, shred it, and store it in its own large container. Wash all of the toppings (if needed), chop them, and store each in a separate container. Then, each day that you plan on enjoying a beef gyro, you can simply heat the gyro meat, toast the pita, and assemble.
Frequently Asked Questions
Great question! Traditional gyros are usually made of very thinly sliced lamb, but beef is pretty common too. Our spin on gyro meat calls for a shredded version with all of the same bright, delicious flavors of the traditional.
The answer to this question is completely dependent on your specific body and how you tolerate different foods. Overall, yes, this is a healthy recipe loaded with iron-rich beef and a bunch of vitamins and minerals by way of the fresh veggie toppings. If you know that something included in this recipe doesn’t sit well with you, though, absolutely nix it!
More Favorite Steak Recipes
If you tried this Beef Gyro Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Beef Gyro Recipe
Ingredients
For the Gyro Meat
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- ½ tablespoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the Pitas
- 4 pita bread rounds
- Romaine lettuce, for serving
- Tzatziki, store-bought or homemade tzatziki, for serving
- Fresh mint, for serving
- Purple onion, thinly sliced, for serving
- Cherry tomatoes, for serving
- Fresh parsley, for serving
- Kalamata olives, for serving
Instructions
- Toss the beef stew meat with the oregano, cumin, thyme, rosemary, grated garlic, lemon zest, salt, and red pepper flakes in the basin of your slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Once the meat is cooked, use a fork to shred the meat.
- Warm the pita breads either in the microwave for 30 seconds or toasted over an open stovetop flame until warmed through. Cut the pita in half and stuff with the romaine lettuce, shredded beef, feta cheese, tzatziki, olives, and any other toppings you enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Make it gluten free – grab gluten free pita bread to make this recipe gluten free.
- Make it dairy free – skip the tzatziki and feta cheese to make this recipe dairy free.
- Enjoy over rice or as a salad instead – nix the pita bread altogether and enjoy the shredded gyro meat atop a bed of fluffy white rice or crisp romaine lettuce. Top with all of the same toppings and enjoy!
Nutrition
my local Greek restaurant makes gyros in a wrap and sears them. so good and less bread
We are so happy you enjoyed them Faye!