Gyro-Style Greek Tacos Recipe
Sure we all love a good taco night, but let's face it: if you're making tacos at home regularly, you've probably found yourself in a little bit of a taco rut. These gyro-style Greek tacos are here to shake things up. They take everything you love about a classic Greek gyro – savory lamb, creamy tzatziki, and fresh veggies — and tuck it all into a flour tortilla with a drizzle of food-truck-style hot sauce for a little kick. It's a fun mashup that feels completely unique while also familiar enough for the whole family to love.
Since each component is easy to prepare, these tacos are an ideal weeknight meal. Just set everything out and let everyone assemble their own with their preferred toppings. If you're looking for a shortcut, store-bought tzatziki and hot sauce can easily be substituted. Serve with a fresh Greek salad, crispy potatoes, or any of your favorite sides for a complete and crowd-pleasing meal. Light and refreshing enough for warm summer days but delicious enough to make year-round, these gyro-style tacos are sure to become a staple in your meal rotation.
Gather the ingredients for gyro-style Greek tacos
Okay, the ingredient list may not be short, but good things are worth it. The good news is that most of the ingredients are simple pantry and fridge staples. For the tzatziki, you'll need Greek yogurt, kosher salt, garlic powder, ground black pepper, a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavor, and crumbled feta cheese. The feta adds a salty, cheesy element to the tzatziki (and keeps it from falling off your taco when you take a bite), but you can also keep it separate for sprinkling over the tacos before serving, if preferred.
For the cucumber salad topping, a seedless English cucumber is tossed with cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Feel free to use seeded cucumbers if needed, and larger tomatoes, chopped, if that's what you have on hand. Now for the foundation of the dish: the tacos. Flour tortillas are tender and sturdy and perfect for holding the ground lamb seasoned with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and optional dried oregano and cumin if you want to lean into those Mediterranean flavors. It all comes together with sliced red onion and fresh parsley or mint for garnishing, if desired.
For an added boost, a red sauce made with white vinegar, cayenne pepper, sugar, chile flakes, and kosher salt adds a nice kick and extra-special touch, although you can also grab your favorite hot sauce from the fridge.
Step 1: Prepare the tzatziki
To prepare the tzatziki, in a small bowl, stir to combine the Greek yogurt, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and lemon juice.
Step 2: Add the feta
Stir in the feta cheese; cover and chill until ready to use.
Step 3: Prepare the salad
To prepare the salad, halve the tomatoes and halve and thinly slice the cucumber.
Step 4: Toss to combine
Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Step 5: Lay out tortillas
Lay the tortillas out on a baking sheet.
Step 6: Season the lamb
In a bowl, gently mix to combine the lamb, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and oregano and cumin, if using.
Step 7: Portion the meat
Portion the meat evenly over tortillas.
Step 8: Press to flatten
Press to flatten the meat to almost cover the surface of each tortilla. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Step 9: Prepare the optional hot sauce
To prepare the hot sauce, in a blender, blend to combine the vinegar, cayenne, sugar, chile flakes, salt, and ¼ cup water.
Step 10: Simmer to thicken
Transfer to a small pot and simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly. Set aside to cool.
Step 11: Cook the tortillas
In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the tortillas lamb side down until golden brown.
Step 12: Flip the taco
Flip and cook the remaining side for an additional minute until cooked through. Repeat with all the tortillas.
Step 13: Top with tzatziki
Top each with tzatziki.
Step 14: Finish and serve the tacos
Top with cucumber salad, sliced onions, parsley or mint if using, and hot sauce if desired, before serving.
What can I serve with gyro-style tacos?
Gyro-Style Greek Tacos Recipe
In our gyro-style Greek tacos recipe, you get everything you love about a gyro -- savory lamb, crispy veggies, and tangy tzatziki, but in fun taco form.
Ingredients
- For the tzatziki
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 ounces (about ¾ cup) crumbled feta
- For the cucumber salad
- 1 English cucumber
- 5 ounces cherry tomatoes
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- For the tacos
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
Optional Ingredients
- Fresh parsley or mint for garnishing
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, for the lamb
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, for the lamb
- For the optional hot sauce:
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon chile flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
- To prepare the tzatziki, in a small bowl, stir to combine the Greek yogurt, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Stir in the feta cheese; cover and chill until ready to use.
- To prepare the salad, halve the tomatoes and halve and thinly slice the cucumber.
- Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper; set aside.
- Lay the tortillas out on a baking sheet.
- In a bowl, gently mix to combine the lamb, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and oregano and cumin, if using.
- Portion the meat evenly over tortillas.
- Press to flatten the meat to almost cover the surface of each tortilla. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- To prepare the hot sauce, in a blender, blend to combine the vinegar, cayenne, sugar, chile flakes, salt, and ¼ cup water.
- Transfer to a small pot and simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly. Set aside to cool.
- In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the tortillas lamb side down until golden brown.
- Flip and cook the remaining side for an additional minute until cooked through. Repeat with all the tortillas.
- Top each with tzatziki.
- Top with cucumber salad, sliced onions, parsley or mint if using, and hot sauce if desired, before serving.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 699 |
| Total Fat | 42.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18.0 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 111.3 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 45.6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.0 g |
| Total Sugars | 6.9 g |
| Sodium | 938.7 mg |
| Protein | 34.1 g |
How can I change up gyro-style Greek tacos?
Want to switch things up? These gyro-style tacos are incredibly easy to customize, so feel free to swap ingredients based on what you have on hand or the flavors you're craving. For the protein, replace the ground lamb with ground beef, ground chicken, chicken souvlaki, or sliced traditional gyro meat. If you're looking for a meat-free option, opt for crispy roasted chickpeas, which would add protein and a pleasing texture.
When it comes to toppings, there are plenty of ways to build on the cucumber salad and tzatziki. Add shredded lettuce, pickled red onions, olives, hummus, or whipped feta for even more flavor and texture. For a spicy twist, combine the tzatziki and homemade red sauce for a cool, creamy sauce with a little kick.
For a sweet and savory combo, finish the ground lamb tacos with hot honey and feta, caramelized onions, or roasted veggies. And while soft flour tortillas are ideal, you can easily swap them for corn tortillas, naan, pita, or another favorite flatbread (albeit the meal might feel less taco-inspired).
What can I serve with gyro-style Greek tacos?
While these tacos already come complete with a refreshing cucumber-tomato salad topping, it's nice to pair them with other warm-weather salads like watermelon feta salad, a classic Greek salad with olives and feta, or a simple arugula salad. You can also serve the tacos with pickled veggies or pepperoncini for a tangy, crunchy contrast to the rich lamb and creamy tzatziki.
For something more substantial, serve the tacos with Greek lemon potatoes, crispy smashed potatoes, or even sweet potato fries. The crispy potatoes are especially good for scooping up any extra tzatziki or hot sauce.
Feeling small plates? Offer hummus with fresh crudites or pita on the side, a smoky eggplant dip, whipped feta, zucchini or halloumi fries, or Greek classics like spanakopita. And don't forget a Greek-style spritz, cold beer, or lemony gin and tonic to serve alongside. Bulk the recipe up to make a bunch — these are great for serving a crowd.