Home > Dinner > Beef Gyros Beef Gyros October 1, 2020 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Beef Gyros start with charred pita bread and are topped with succulent and tender shredded beef. The beef is topped with veggies and the best tzatziki sauce. Beef Gyros I’ve finally perfected these Beef Gyros, and they’re absolutely delicious! We’re so obsessed with gyros that we’ve created variations including chicken, vegetarian, and steak. While this recipe needs some prep, the slow cooker does the heavy lifting, yielding tender, flavorful beef. It’s perfect in a charred pita with fresh veggies and tzatziki sauce. Ingredients Sundried Tomatoes: Enhance beef gyros with a rich tomato flavor. Beef Chuck Roast: The main ingredient, tenderized through slow cooking. Seasonings: Add depth and complexity to the beef’s flavor. Tomato Paste and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Contribute acidity and richness. Worcestershire Sauce and Bay Leaf: Provide umami and herbal notes. Pita Bread: The base for the gyro, ideally charred. Tzatziki Sauce: Cucumber, Greek Yogurt, Garlic, Vinegar, Lemon, Olive Oil: Create a creamy, tangy tzatziki sauce. Salad Ingredients: Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Parsley, Red Onion, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Paprika: Form a fresh, tangy salad to complement the beef. How To Make Beef Gyros Season & Brown Beef: Dry beef chuck roast, season with salt and pepper, then brown in a skillet. Slow Cook: Place browned beef in a slow cooker with herbs, spices, tomato paste, and tomatoes. Cook for 7-9 hours. Make Tzatziki: Combine grated cucumber, yogurt, garlic, vinegar, lemon, and oil. Prepare Salad: Toss cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and onion with a lemon-paprika dressing. Char Pita: Briefly grill pita bread until charred. Assemble: Fill pita with shredded beef, top with salad and tzatziki sauce. Serve immediately. STORAGE Beef: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Use leftover beef in these baked sweet potatoes or this Beef Ragu. Tzatziki Sauce: Refrigerate beef gyro tzatziki in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Salad: Best fresh but can be refrigerated for 1-2 days. Pita Bread: Keep at room temperature for 1-2 days or freeze for longer shelf life. More Slow Cooker Recipes: Crockpot Mashed Potatoes Crockpot Quinoa Chili Spaghetti Bolognese Crockpot Cajun Chicken Crockpot Cowboy Casserole FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Beef Gyros 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe Beef Gyros start with charred pita bread, and get topped with succulent and tender shredded beef. The beef is topped with veggies and the best tzatziki sauce. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Beef Gyros 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Beef Gyros start with charred pita bread, and get topped with succulent and tender shredded beef. The beef is topped with veggies and the best tzatziki sauce. Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean Keyword beef gyros Prep Time 1 hour hour Cook Time 8 hours hours Total Time 9 hours hours Servings 6 -8 gyros (See Note 2) Chelsea Lords Calories 650kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $16.21 Equipment6 quart slow cooker IngredientsBeef▢ 1/3 cup (56g) sundried tomatoes packed in oil (See Note 1)▢ 2.5 pounds beef chuck roast▢ Fine sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper▢ 1 cup (124g) diced yellow onion▢ 10 garlic cloves coarsely chopped▢ 2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence▢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin▢ 1/2 tablespoon EACH: dried oregano, dried parsley, beef bouillion powder▢ 1 can (6 oz. 170g) tomato paste▢ 1 can (14.5 oz.; 411g) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (we love Muir Glen)▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce▢ 1 bay leafSauce (See Note 2)▢ 1/2 cup (58g) grated Persian or English cucumber▢ 1/2 cup (107g) full-fat plain Greek yogurt (we love Greek Gods)▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar▢ 1 large lemon (1/2 teaspoon zest and 1 tablespoon juice)▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oilSalad (See Note 2)▢ 1 and 1/2 cups (211g) Persian cucumbers (~2 cucumbers)▢ 1 cup (157g) cherry tomatoes▢ 1/4 cup (15g) parsley▢ 3 tablespoon (27g) diced red onion▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil▢ 1/4 teaspoon paprikaServing▢ 6-8 Pita bread▢ Optional: Fresh parsley and lemon wedges InstructionsCHUCK ROAST PREP: Pat roast all over with paper towel to dry. No need to remove any fat from the roast. Generously season on all sides with salt and pepper (I use 2 teaspoons fine sea salt and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pepper for a 2.5-pound roast.). Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray.SLOW COOKER: While searing the roast (see next step), add everything to the prepared slow cooker: 2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano, 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley, 1/2 tablespoon beef bouillon powder, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (use a fork to pull them from the jar and measure). Stir everything together in the slow cooker and press into one even layer before adding in the roast.SEAR ROAST: Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil surrounding the sun-dried tomatoes (or regular olive oil) in a large Dutch oven (or oven-safe heavy-bottomed skillet/pot) over medium-high heat. Once you can feel the heat when you hold your hand 6 inches above the pot, place the seasoned chuck roast in the pan. Brown the beef about 4-5 minutes per side. (To get a good sear, let the beef cook without being turned; it will release easily once it's seared). Don't skip this step--we are adding layers of flavor here. Once the roast is nicely seared with a good crust, remove it from the skillet and place it in your slow cooker on top of the tomato and seasoning mixture (if there is a fat cap, place the cap facing up so fat can drip down and flavor the roast). Add in the bay leaf.ONIONS AND GARLIC: Allow the skillet used for the beef to cool for about 5 minutes after removing the beef from it. Then return it to medium high heat and add another 2 tablespoons of the oil surrounding the tomatoes (or regular olive oil). Add in the diced onion and minced garlic. Stir and cook until tender, scraping up any bits left from the meat off the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour this mixture, scraping every bit from the pan, over the roast in the slow cooker. Gently spoon the cooking liquid over the beef. Cover, and cook on low for 7-9 hours (8 hours is perfect in my slow cooker). Once the beef is cooked through (and shreds easily), remove the beef to a plate. Scrape off any fat cap if there is one and use two forks to shred the beef and then return it to the slow cooker. Stir the liquid left in the slow cooker. Return the shredded beef into the sauce in the slow cooker and gently stir. Turn the slow cooker to warm. Season beef to taste with salt and pepper. Add freshly squeezed lemon if desired-- we like 1-3 tablespoons (taste and add to personal preference).TZATZIKI: I like to prepare this sauce when starting the beef so it has a chance to get more flavorful before serving! Grate a cucumber with the large holes of a cheese grater. Line a small bowl with a few paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel) and place the grated cucumber on top. Squeeze out as much extra moisture as you can from the cucumber (to keep the sauce from being watery). Once it's drained, add to a medium-sized bowl. Add in the 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Cover the bowl and place in the fridge until ready to serve.SALAD: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, and red onion. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, oil, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Whisk with a fork. Drizzle dressing over vegetables and stir to coat. CHAR PITA BREAD: Spray both sides of the pita bread with olive oil cooking spray and "grill" the bread on the stovetop over an open flame (on medium heat) until slightly charred, about 10-15 seconds per side (flip with tongs). Immediately fold in half after being charred and cover with a clean towel until ready to serve. Alternatively, warm (covered with a damp paper towel) in the microwave.ASSEMBLY: Set everything out: grilled/warmed pita, sauce, and veggies. Use tongs to grab meat from the slow cooker and top the charred/warmed pita bread with. Top with veggies and drizzle tzatziki sauce on top. Enjoy immediately, garnished with additional parsley if desired. Serve with lemon wedges and drizzle lemon on before enjoying! Recipe NotesNote 1: These are the sun-dried tomatoes used in this recipe. They’re sliced (julienne cut) and packed with herbs and olive oil. They add a lot of flavor to the beef and you don't need to chop them since they're already cut. To infuse the meat with even more flavor, we use the oil surrounding these sun-dried tomatoes. If you aren't able to find oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, use regular olive oil instead. Note 2: There is a higher yield of shredded beef to sauce and veggies. If you plan to use all the beef for gyros, I'd recommend doubling the sauce and veggies. Alternatively, check out the recipe ideas above the recipe card for ways to use leftover beef so you can enjoy gyros one night and a different recipe with the leftovers. You can also freeze leftover beef for gyros in the future! Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 1347mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1357IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 9mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
I shouldn’t really add a rating – I had full intentions of making this as written, but failed to realize that I didn’t actually have fire roasted tomatoes in the pantry, like I thought 🙂 Nor did I have herbes de provence – but I made do with what I did have, LOL, and it came out SO tasty! I did make the tzatziki per the recipe – that came out excellent. And I added chopped red bell pepper and crumbled feta to my salad – overall a DELICIOUS dinner tonight, thank you! Reply
