Homemade Pork Gyros
These Homemade Pork Gyros are the closest that you will get to authentic gyros. Perfectly seasoned and cooked pork wrapped in soft pita bread is just the start. The real game changers in the gyro are the tzatziki sauce and french fries.
Yes, when you order a gyro in Greece, most restaurants will serve their gyro with french fries inside of the pita and I think it’s the best thing ever. Along with the French fries, the other staple ingredients are sliced tomatoes and onions. However, you can customize your gyro as you would like.
The most common misconception is that gyros are made of a mixture of beef and lamb. Maybe that depends on the region in Greece, however, I have only had pork gyros in Greece and that is what inspired this recipe.
What ingredients are needed for Homemade Pork Gyros?
Below are ingredients that are most commonly used in traditional Greek gyros so I used them in this recipe. However, don’t be afraid to play around with toppings. There is no right or wrong and it always comes down to personal preference. To me, a gyro is not a gyro without the tzatziki and I believe that’s the most important ingredient you can after after the pork.
- Pork (pork loin or pork shoulder)
- Marinade-sunflower oil (or any flavorless oil such as vegetable or canola) garlic, paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper
- Pita bread
- Tzatziki-I have a great recipe here or you can use store bought
- French fries-Homemade or use pre-cut frozen
- Freshly sliced tomatoes and onions.
What kind of meat is used in these Homemade Pork Gyros?
All of the gyros I have tried in different cities in Greece were made of only pork. That is the reason I use pork when I make homemade gyros. Traditionally, pork pieces are seasoned and then layered on a rotisserie. The pork cooks on the rotisserie and just before it goes in the gyro, the pork meat is shaved off of the rotisserie. Since it is shaved, the pork meat is very thin.
Preparing the pork.
Since pork is shaved for a traditional gyro, I make the gyro as close to authentic as possible and the meat has a lot to do with that. To be able to slice the pork thinly, I find it helpful if the meat is slightly frozen. When the meat is firm, you can get thiner slices much easier.
If your pork is frozen, slice it before defrosting. If it is not frozen, place it in the freezer for about 1-2 hours or until it is relatively firm.
Once it is sliced, place the pork in marinade one hour prior to cooking or make it one day ahead and leave it in the marinade and refrigerated overnight.
Making the Homemade Gyro.
- Make the tzatziki if you are not using store bought. I have a great tzatziki recipe here, or you can purchase it already made. If you are making the tzatziki, I recommend making it first so it has time to cool in the refrigerator or you can make it one day ahead. The recipe will be more than you need for 4 gyros, however it makes a great dipping sauce for almost any vegetable.
- Prepare the pork. Slice it thin, sprinkle seasonings, garlic, and oil over it. Mix and let it marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight if making ahead.
- Make the french fires. I like to make them from scratch using butter potatoes but you can also make them using pre cut french fries. To get closest to an authentic gyro, I fry my french fries. However, you can use an air fryer as well as an oven to bake them.
- Cook the meat. Since I recommend cutting the pork as thin as possible, it will cook relatively quickly which is why I recommend making the French fries before the meat. That way your French fries are still warm when you assemble the homemade pork gyros.
- Lightly toast pita. This is optional but it does make a difference. When warm, the pita is easier to fold without it cracking in half. I like to toast the pita in the same pan that I used to cook the pork in. Place pita in pan, about 30 seconds on each side, on low heat.
- Assemble the gyros. First add the tzatziki, followed by cooked pork, tomatoes, onions, and french fries.
Homemade Pork Gyros
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs pork loin sliced thin
- 3 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1-2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ½ lb potatoes about 4
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 4 pitas
- 2 plum tomatoes
- ½ yellow onion
- ¼ cup tzatziki
Instructions
- If you are going to make my homemade tzatziki recipe, start by doing that first. If using store bought, procees to preparing the pork.
- Slice pork loin as thin as possible. The easiest way to do this is when the pork is slightly forzen so that it is firm.
- Place sliced pork in a shallow bowl and sprinkle oregano, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. Grate in 2 garlic cloves. Lastly, pour oil over the seasoned pork and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and let it marinade in the refrigerator for at least one hour prior to cooking or overnight.
- About 30 minutes before cooking the pork, prepare the french fries. You can use a small bag of pre cut french fries or make them home made. For this recipe, I used 4 butter potatoes (peeled, cut, and deep fried in canola oil).
- Once fries are ready, set them aside. Take the pork out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before cooking. Heat a large skillet on high heat, once hot, decrease to medium heat and add sliced pork in a single layer. Cook about 5-6 minutes or until pork is fully cooked through. If you slices are thicker, cooking time may be longer. Remove pork from heat.
- Decrease heat to low and lighty toast each pita bread in the same pan used to cook pork in, about 30 seconds on each side. This is optional but pita will fold better when warm.
- To asseble, spread tzatziki on each pita bread, add pork, tomatoes, onions, and fries. Evenly distribute pork and french fries among 4 pitas. Tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki can be added per preference, as much or as little as you would like.
Notes
- For a fresh and soft tasting pita bread, toast it on hot skilled used to cook the pork in for about 30 seconds on each side on low heat.
- If you are using my tzatziki recipe, it will make more than is needed for 4 gyros. You can make half of the batch or save the rest to use as a dipping sauce for your favorite vegetables.
- Frozen pork is easier to slice into thin slices. I recommend freezing pork slightly prior to slicing to get a thin slice. If already frozen, slice prior to thawing.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it on Instagram.
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