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Close up of an gyro burger in a pita.
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Easy Gyro Burger

All the flavors of an gyro but in an accessible burger form
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Keyword grilling recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 bowl
  • grater
  • grill
  • spatula

Ingredients

Burger patties

  • 1 lb ground beef 80/20 is best
  • 1¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Homemade Tzatziki

  • ½ c Greek yogurt
  • ½ c sour cream
  • ½ c grated cucumber strained
  • 1 clove garlic minced or grated
  • juice of half a lemon
  • ¼ tsp salt or more to taste
  • 2 tsp fresh dill chopped

Toppings

  • 4 pitas
  • red onion sliced
  • feta cheese crumbled
  • tomatoes sliced
  • lettuce

Instructions

Make Tzatziki

  • First mix together your tzatziki. In a small bowl, add plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic, salt, and chopped dill. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess liquid in a small fine mesh strainer. Stir to combine. add a drizzle of olive oil if you wish. Set aside in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Make Burgers

  • Next make the spice mix for the burgers by combining salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, thyme, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
  • In a medium bowl, add the ground meat and work in the spice mix with your hands. Mix just enough until the spices are evenly distributed, taking care not to over work the meat to avoid a tough burger.
  • Divide the meat into four equal portions and form the meat mixture into round burger patties.

Grill Burgers

  • Pre-heat grill over medium-high heat.
  • When the grill is preheated, brush and oil the grates.
  • Place each burger patty on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes.
  • Once it is seared on one side flip to the other side and cook for a total of 6-7 minutes. Remove when meat reaches and internal temperature of 160 degrees F. You can even remove them at 155 degrees to account for carryover cook time once they are off the grill.
  • Lastly, build your burger. Stuff the pita pockets with lettuce, burger patty, tomato, red onion, feta cheese crumbles, and tzatziki.

Notes

If you do not have a grill, they burgers can be made on the stovetop. Pre-heat large skillet to medium heat. Add a pat of butter or drizzle of oil to the pan. Place burger patties in pan and cook for about 3 minutes until a brown crust has formed. Flip to other side and cook until patties reach an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees F.
Store-bought tzatziki can also be used if you do not want to make your own.