Steak Gyros start with soft, warm pita bread loaded with succulent grilled steak, packed with fresh chopped veggies, and coated in an incredible lemon tzatziki sauce.
MARINATESTEAK: Pat steaks dry with a paper towel and place the steaks in a large zipper bag. In a bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Once the marinade is combined, pour over the steak in the bag and seal the bag without air. Turn to coat and massage into the steak; then refrigerate for 2-3 hours and up to 8 hours (at a minimum, marinate for 20 minutes). I like to make the tzatziki sauce when marinating the steak, because it becomes more flavorful as it sits.
TZATZIKI: While the steak marinates, prepare the sauce so it can chill 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, place the grated cucumber in a medium-sized bowl and 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. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
GRILL: Preheat grill to medium heat (400-450 degrees F). Prepare the preheated grill by cleaning and then generously oiling the grill (I drench a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates). Return heat to 400 degrees. Remove the steak from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade.
GRILL CONT.: Add the steak to the grill. Cook the steak for 4-5 minutes on one side and then flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes for medium-rare (I usually grill 5 mins, flip, and then 3 mins). For medium-rare, the internal temperature should be 135 degrees F. Add 1-2 minutes to get to medium (140 degrees F) and 3-4 minutes to get to medium-well (150 degrees F). I generally grill 5 degrees below, as carryover heat will take it up 5-10 more degrees. Remove the grilled steak to a plate and tent with foil. Once everything is removed, give the grates a quick clean with the brush and grill the pita bread for 15-30 seconds per side or until toasted and warmed through.
VEGGIES: In a large bowl, toss the thinly sliced red onion, 2 cups diced cucumber, and 2 cups diced tomato. Season with salt and pepper (just a pinch) and toss to combine.
ASSEMBLY: While the steak is resting under the foil (5 minutes), set everything out: grilled/warmed pita, sauce, and veggies. Very thinly slice the steak against the grain. Set out pita bread and top with veggies and fresh parsley. Add steak on top (season with a pinch more of salt and pepper if desired), and drizzle tzatziki sauce on top. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Note 1: If you don’t like the bite of raw red onions, soak the sliced onions first in some cold water with a pinch of salt. Drain thoroughly and then add to the salad or directly to the steak gyros.