Greek Gyro Salad
This Gyro Salad is filled with savory flavors, feta cheese, homemade gyro meat, and a delicious tzatziki dressing.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 383kcal
Ingredients
Gyro Meat:
- 2 Pounds Burger (we used 1.5 pounds elk and ½ pound lamb)
- 5 Slices Bacon, raw
- ¾ of a Large Onion
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon Marjoram
- 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
- 2 Teaspoons Mineral Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- Coconut oil, for frying the gyro meat
Tzatziki Dressing:
- 1 Large English Cucumber
- 1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
- ½ Teaspoon Mineral Salt
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Salad Ingredients:
- Lettuce of choice
- Red onions, sliced
- Feta Cheese
- Kalamata Olives
- Cherry Tomatoes
Instructions
Make the Gyro Meat:
- Preheat oven to 325.
- In a food processor, process the onion until completely broken down.
- Add bacon and process again until the bacon is mixed with the onion.
- Add burger (or lamb) and spices and process for about two minutes, until everything is completely mixed. (It will look like a paste of sorts.)
- Divide meat mixture between two loaf pans.
- Place loaf pans into a 9x13 dish and fill dish halfway with water. (This creates a water bath for the meat mixture.)
- Bake for 60 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- As soon as you remove the meat from the oven, cover with a bit of parchment paper, and set something heavy on top of the meat (think cans of vegetables, glass jars of peanut butter . . . ).
- Let rest for 30 minutes, then move to the refrigerator and refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Place chilled gyro meat on a cutting board and slice as thinly as possible.
- Place 1 - 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Fry gyro meat in hot oil until browned and a bit crispy around the edges, flipping meat part way through. (This only takes a moment or two.)
- Remove meat from skillet and drain on paper towels.
- Continue frying meat in batches, adding more coconut oil as needed.
Make the Dressing:
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until well blended.
- (Peeling the cucumber is optional. I do not, but if the skin seems tough, you would want to peel it. Processing in the blender makes this a very thin dressing. If you want your dressing to be a little thicker, grate the cucumber, place it in a cheesecloth and squeeze to remove all the excess water. Then stir ingredients together with a wooden spoon, instead of processing in the blender.)
For the Salad:
- Assemble salads as desired (with added toppings), then top with fried gyro meat and dressing.
Notes
This recipe makes enough for 8 servings. A little of the meat goes a long way, as it is so savory.
This would give you approximately 7 - 8 slices of meat and a little over ⅓ cup of dressing per serving. Of course, if you would like more than that, that is fine as well!
Nutritional information is calculated for ⅛ of the meat and ⅓ cup of dressing. Optional toppings are not included.
Nutrition
Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 29g | Fiber: 1g