Beef Gyros (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)

This Beef Gyro recipe produces the most flavorful and tender beef, and can be made in a slow cooker or instant pot. Topped with fresh vegetables, and a homemade tzatziki sauce, this tasty dish couldn’t be easier to make from home!

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

View the print-ready version of this article on Tastes Better From Scratch.

Why I Love This Recipe:

• Quick—Just dump it in and walk away! The slow cooker takes a few hours, but the Instant Pot is ready to eat in under an hour.
• Delicious—From the tender and flavorful beef, to the crisp fresh vegetables and the homemade tzatziki sauce, this meal really can’t be beat!
• Crowd Pleaser—This is one of my favorite meals to make for company. It’s made in one pot so my kitchen stays clean, and everyone can assemble their own! I always get so many compliments!

How to Make Beef Gyros:

Make Tzatziki Sauce: Combine all ingredients and stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Prep Beef: Remove any large pieces of fat from the beef roast and then slice the meat into thin, 1/4 inch strips (You could ask your butcher to this for you). Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Make Marinade: In a small bowl combine the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, thyme, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over meat.

Cook Beef Gyro Meat: Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or until beef is tender.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Assemble: Add a lettuce to a pita. Top with tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Top gyro sandwich with meat and drizzle with homemade tzatziki sauce.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Serve: I like to add a little hot sauce as well, but that’s optional.

Courtesy of Lauren Allen

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead

The tzatziki sauce can be made and all the vegetables can be sliced and prepped ahead of time, just keep everything in separate containers in the fridge until ready to serve.

To Freeze

The gyro meat can be frozen in a freezer safe bag before or after cooking. My preference is to freeze before cooking. Thinly slice the beef and place in a freezer bag with the beef gyro marinade, then freeze. Let thaw completely in the fridge then dump and cook in the instant pot or slow cooker.

More Instant Pot Recipes:

• White Chicken Chili
• Beef Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Short Ribs
• Instant Pot Yogurt

Beef Gyros (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)

Author: Lauren Allen Servings: 5 Calories: 798 Cost: 13 Prep 15 Mins Cook 4 Hrs Total 4 Hrs 15 Mins

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, sliced into thin quarter inch strips
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For Serving:

• 5 soft pitas
• 5 lettuce leaves
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 of a red onion thinly sliced
• 1 English cucumber, sliced, and then halved

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Tzatziki Sauce: Combine all ingredients and stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For Slow Cooker

Remove any large pieces of fat from the beef roast and then slice the meat into thin, 1/4 inch strips. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a small bowl combine the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, thyme, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or until beef is tender.

Add a lettuce leaf to a pita. Top with meat, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and tzatziki sauce.

For Instant Pot

Remove any large pieces of fat from the beef roast and then slice the meat into thin, 1/4 inch strips. Place in Instant pot.

In a small bowl combine ⅓ cup of WATER, olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, thyme, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Pour over meat.

Cover and turn the valve to “sealing.” Press “manual” or high pressure, and set the timer for 30 minutes.

After the timer beeps allow the instant pot to rest for 15 minutes before releasing any of the pressure. Remove the lid, taste, and add additional seasonings if needed.

Add a lettuce leaf to a pita. Top with meat, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and tzatziki sauce.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: The tzatziki sauce can be made and all the vegetables can be sliced and prepped ahead of time, just keep everything in separate containers in the fridge until ready to serve.

Freezing Instructions: The beef can be frozen in a freezer safe bag before or after cooking. My preference is to freeze before cooking. Thinly slice the beef and place in a freezer bag with the beef gyro marinade, then freeze. Let thaw completely in the fridge then dump and cook in the instant pot or slow cooker.

Nutrition

Calories: 798kcal Carbohydrates: 40g Protein: 63g Fat: 44g Saturated Fat: 15g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Monounsaturated Fat: 24g Trans Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 190mg Sodium: 898mg Potassium: 1285mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 4g Vitamin A: 2062IU Vitamin C: 17mg Calcium: 188mg Iron: 8mg

This article was originally published on tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Follow on Instagram.