Name: Smoked Beef and Lamb Gyros
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 375 min
Ingredients: 6 Pita Bread Rounds; 1/2 Red Onion (Thinly Sliced); 1 Tomato (Sliced); 1 Cup Tzatziki Sauce; Lettuce (for topping); 1.5 Pounds Ground Beef; 0.5 Pounds Ground Lamb; 1 White Onion; 5 Garlic Cloves; 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt; 1.5 Tablespoons Oregano; 1 Tablespoon Parsley; 2 teaspoons Thyme; 2 teaspoons Black Pepper; 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt; 1 teaspoon Rosemary; 1 teaspoon Paprika; 1 teaspoon Cumin; 1 teaspoon Coriander

Last Updated on July 11, 2023 by Carne Diem

Protein: and

Origin: Greek, European

Method: Smoker, Trompo

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Smoked lamb and beef gyro meat in warm pitas with lettuce, tomato, and Tzatziki sauce.

Also known as doner kebabs in the Middle East, Greek gyros are a classic food that instantly comes to mind when you think of Greek or Middle Eastern cuisine. Fortunately you do not need to travel all of the way to Athens enjoy some of the best gyros ever. This easy lamb and beef gyro recipe can be made at home. While you can cook these Greek gyros in your oven, we will show you how to make some out of this world smoked doner kebabs using a trompo on your grill or smoker.

2 Homemade Greek Gyros on a parchment lined plate with toppings.

This Gyro trompo recipe is super easy to make and uses common ingredients that can be found in most households.

Making the Best Homemade Gyros

Smoked gyro wraps made with smoked gyro meat.

To make this smoked beef and lamb gyro recipe you will need to make the seasoned homemade gyro meat, let it rest for a few hours, or overnight, and then cook the meat on your grill or smoker. The entire process takes about 6 hours, but most of the time is letting the meat rest in the refrigerator, and then cooking it on the smoker.

Prepare the homemade gyro meat recipe

To make gyro meat at home, you will need your beef, lamb, a white onion, 5 cloves of garlic, and assorted seasonings for the meat.

To make the gyro meat from scratch, you will want to use some high quality ground lamb and ground beef.

What is the best ratio of beef to lamb for gyros?

When making homemade gyro meat with lamb and beef we typically go with a ratio between 3:1 beef to lamb and 1:1 beef to lamb depending on your personal preference. If you like lamb, we highly recommend using closer to equal parts of beef and lamb for the doner kebabs.

We recommend using a fairly lean ground beef for the gyros, such as 85/15 or 90/10. Because it is so lean, the more lamb you use in the gyro meat, the higher fat content you can get away with for the beef.

Prepare the seasoning for the homemade gyro meat

Onion and assorted spices for seasoning homemade gyro meat.

Our seasoning mix for gyros includes oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, paprika, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and salt. We find this to be a pretty well balanced gyro seasoning, but you can play with the ratios depending on your personal preferences.

Garlic on a cutting board and Greek spices in a bowl.

Preparing the homemade beef and lamb gyro meat

To make the seasoned meat for the smoked doner kebabs, first combine your spices and seasonings in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Using a food processor, finely chop the garlic, then add the white onion and 1 teaspoon of the salt and process until very finely chopped.

Place the onion mixture in a strainer or colander over a bowl and allow the liquid to drain for about 10-15 minutes. Squeeze out any additional liquid.

Removing liquid from onion puree in a colander.

In a large bowl, mix the beef, lamb, and onion mixture with the spices until well combined.

Onion and garlic being mixed in with seasoned homemade gyro meat.

After the gyro meat is thoroughly mixed, place the meat on a counter top and knead the meat. Forcibly throw the ball of meat on the counter top several times to remove any air pockets. You want to develop a nice dense loaf of meat.

Next, wrap the meat in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to help develop the flavors in the seasoned gyro meat.

Homemade gyro meat wrapped in plastic wrap.

Remove the gyro meat from the refrigerator and unwrap from the plastic wrap. Place the meat on a vertical spit, trompo, or in a metal pan.

What is a trompo?

A trompo is a vertical spit for roasting meat. These large vertical rotisseries are common in the Mediterranean and Middle East in doner kebab shops and gyro shops. There are also smaller versions available to using on your grill or smoker so you can now make these dishes at home. Trompo King makes a popular version for home use but we prefer this less expensive trompo with a wider skewer.

In addition to making these great smoked gyros on your smoker, you can also use your trompo to make other International recipes like our Trompo Al Pastor Tacos, or Lebanese Chicken Shawarma.

Cooking Gyros on a Smoker or Grill

Smoked gyro meat on a trompo on a Big Green Egg.

Preheat you grill or smoker to 275 degrees and set up for indirect heat. We made these smoked gyros on a Big Green Egg, but a pellet smoker, or other smoker works great too. Cook the gyro meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, then remove from the smoker. This typically takes about 2-3 hours, but cook times may vary.

Cover the smoked gyro meat with foil and rest for 10 minutes, then slice.

Slicing lamb and beef gyro meat off a trompo.

What to Serve with the Lamb and Beef Gyros

The homemade gyro meat is great served in warm pita bread along with sliced tomato, red onion, lettuce, and homemade Tzatziki sauce. Stuffing French fries or pickles into the pita wrap are also common ingredients in a Mediterranean gyro or doner kebab recipe.

The best homemade gyros served with Tzatziki, red onion, lettuce and tomato.

Some of the best sides to serve with gyros, include baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, and homemade hummus. Other Greek and Middle Eastern sides like stuffed grape leaves, and kibbeh are also great side dishes to serve with gyros.

Once you have assembled your smoked gyro, it is time to dig in! We feel these homemade doner kebabs are pretty great but we also want to hear what you think.

Homemade smoked gyros on pita with lettuce, tomato, and Tzatziki.

Don't forget to try more of the best Greek recipes that can be made on your grill or smoker:

Gryos cooked on a smoker at home, served on pitas.

Smoked Greek gyros in a parchment lined plate.

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