Gyro Tacos with Tzatziki Sauce
Gyro Tacos??? Yes you heard right… Why not take 2 things I love and just put them together (Gyros + Tacos = perfection!)
I’m always trying to switch things up and try different foods and the result is hopefully healthier and delicious recipes for you and I!
Gyros have always been a guilty pleasure my whole life… it would be such a treat when my parents would pick up a few gyros on the way home from work! So much flavor all wrapped up in a warmed pita… ah just the best combo 🙂
Now as I’ve gotten older I find I need to limit my take out ( as I’m sure a lot of you feel me on this!) but that doesn’t mean I don’t indulge from time to time. But I also find with meals like this that give me the feel of a take out meal and leave me feeling fulfilled, I don’t crave that bad stuff as much.
These gyro tacos are so flavorful and filling, packed with all the seasonings and spices you love from a traditional gyro topped with a creamy and rich tzatziki sauce, load this up with veggies (red onion, tomato, cucumbers… the works) all wrapped up in a corn tortilla or even a low calorie pita wrap (I’ve found some for 100 calories).
Gyro Tacos Ingredients:
For the Gyro meat:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. majoram
1 1/2 tsp. rosemary
2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
cooking spray
loaf pan
corn tortillas or low-calorie pita pockets
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
1 cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings:
red onion
lettuce
cucumber
tomatoes
crumbled feta or goat cheese
olives
Directions:
For the Gyro Meat:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large mixing bowl add turkey, lamb, chopped onion, majoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup tomato sauce, egg, panko, breadcrumbs and olive oil.
- Using your hand mix together all ingredients, try not to over mix but mix until all ingredients seem evenly incorporated.
- In a loaf pan spray with cooking spray, take meat and pat into a even log shape to fit the loaf pan.
- Place meat into pan, spread remaining 1/4 cup tomato sauce over the top evenly.
- Place into the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. (prep the sauce in the meantime, see below)
- Remove from oven when fully cooked and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice into 3 oz. slices, cut those in half, lengthwise.
- One half will go in each taco, so 3oz. of meat for 2 tacos.
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
- While the meat is cooking you can start to prep the sauce.
- In a medium sized bowl add greek yogurt, chopped cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir all ingredients together until fully combine.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutritional Information:
For the Gyro Meat:
Servings: 12
Serving Size: 3 0z. meat (enough for 2 tacos) *
Calories: 192
Fat: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 115 mg (w/o added salt)
Protein: 15 g
* this doesn’t include the tortillas or toppings, just the meat
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
Servings: 8 approx.
Serving Size: 2 tbsp. approx.
Calories: 21
Fat: >1 g
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Fiber: 0 g
Sugar: >1 g
Sodium: 13 mg (w/o added salt)
Protein: 3 g