Pork gyros at home
Γύρος χοιρινός (gyros choirinos): spiced sliced pork thigh crisped in a pan, wrapped in pitta with chips
GreekThis is a pork recipe; chicken thigh works the same way. In Thessaloniki and Athens gyros is cut from a tall turning spit, so thin that the edges crackle, and wrapped with chips, tomato, onion and tzatziki for a late-night bite after a football match or a night out. Home kitchens have no spit, so here thinly sliced pork shoulder is marinated in paprika, cumin, garlic and oregano, roasted in a tight stack, then sliced and crisped in a hot pan to get those charred edges. Chef's tip: slice the cooked meat as thinly as you can, then fry it in a dry hot pan; the crisp edges are what make it taste like the street version.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the gyros
- 1 ¾ lb boneless pork shoulder steaksor chicken thighs, sliced 1 cm thick
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
To serve
- 7 oz tzatziki
- 2 tomatoesdiced
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 1 pinch sweet paprika, for dusting (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 3 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and rub into the 1 ¾ lb boneless pork shoulder steaks. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
10 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F). Stack the slices tightly in a small loaf tin or pile them tightly in a small baking dish so they cook like a spit.
5 minStep 3: Roast for 35–40 minutes until the top is browned and the pork reaches 160°F in the middle (165°F if using chicken). Cook the 14 oz oven chips or homemade fries in the oven at the same time. Rest the meat for 5 minutes.
40 minStep 4: Turn the stack out and slice it as thinly as you can across the layers.
3 minStep 5: Heat a large frying pan over a high heat, add the sliced meat in one layer with some of its juices and fry for 2–3 minutes until the edges are crisp and charred. A common mistake is skipping this step, which leaves the meat soft and pale.
4 minStep 6: Warm the 4 pitta breads. Spread with 7 oz tzatziki, add the meat, a few 14 oz oven chips or homemade fries, 2 tomatoes and 1 red onion, dust with 1 pinch sweet paprika, for dusting and roll up tightly in baking paper to eat.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pork gyros at home take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sandwich grecKebab baguette
In Paris, a "grec" is the late-night kebab sandwich named after the Greek-run shops that first sold it in the Latin Quarter. On rue de la Huchette and rue Saint-André-des-Arts near Saint-Michel, students queue after a night out for crusty bread or pitta stuffed with meat shaved from a turning spit, lettuce, tomato and onion, a garlicky white sauce, and, the Paris touch, a handful of fries pushed right inside. This home version marinates chicken thighs in spiced yoghurt, sears them hard and slices them thin, with oven fries. It contains milk, egg (in the mayonnaise) and wheat. Chef's tip: slice the meat thinly across the grain after resting; thick chunks don't feel like a grec.
French
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek village salad
A true Greek salad has no lettuce: just ripe tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, sharp onion and olives, dressed with good olive oil and dried oregano, with a whole slab of feta on top. Salt the tomatoes first and they'll make their own dressing.
