How To Make Taverna Quality Gyros Using Only Trader Joe's Ingredients

There are three things I love more than anything else in this world: Greek food, saving money, and Trader Joe's. So when I stumbled upon the $3.99 gyro slices in the prepared meat section of my lover, Joe's pad, I was overjoyed.

Though I admit they look a little sketch, and the initial coloring is a little off-putting fresh out of the box, these thin, delicate slices of grey-ish meat are incredible tasting.

One of my favorite meals to make with them is a gyro sandwich. A gyro is a traditional Greek sandwich made with pork, chicken, lamb, or beef that's been stacked on a spit and cooked rotisserie-style. The meat gets sliced thinly off the spit and wedged into pita, then is usually topped with your choice of tomato, onion, cucumber, lettuce, feta, hummus, tzatziki sauce, or really whatever your heart desires. From there, you can make it your own (sometimes, even Greek fries are added).

#SpoonTip: The correct way to pronounce "gyro" is not, as many believe, jai-row or gee-row, but is in fact pronounced by Greeks as yee-ros. The more you know.

The Trader Joe's gyros take a lot less effort than the traditional rotisserie way of cooking the meat. All you have to do is put a couple slices in a pan and heat them for about 2 minutes. Then, assemble the rest of the sandwich using a couple more of TJ's products, and you're done. 

Here's the best part: Everything included in the recipe below can be purchased at TJ's, and the total for everything comes out to around $14. That's less than $4 for each full gyro!

Beef Gyro, Trader Joe's Style

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:1 min
• Total Time:6 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 pita pocket
• 3 slices Trader Joe's gyro meat
• 1 dollop hummus
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic chopped finely
• Sliced red onion
• Chopped tomato and cucumber
• Lettuce leaves
• Feta

• Step 1

  Chop up your gyro toppings—tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, and anything else you feel like adding.

  

• Step 2

  To make the sauce, mix together the Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon juice, garlic, and oregano.

  

• Step 3

  Heat gyro slices in a hot skillet for 20 seconds per side. Alternatively, you can also microwave the slices on high for 30 seconds.

  

• Step 4

  Cut the pita bread down the center to make a little pocket for everything to go in. Spread a layer of hummus inside.

  

• Step 5

  Stuff the pita pockets with the meat and toppings. Garnish with your yogurt sauce and the feta.

  

#SpoonTip: For a packed-lunch version, stuff the meat inside the pita before cooking and store separate from other ingredients. When it's time to eat, heat the pita and meat together in the microwave for 30 seconds, then assemble the rest.

Since you can make 3-4 gyros total based on the amount of meat in the pack, each sandwich comes out to less than $4. And then you get plenty of hummus, cheese, and healthy veggies left over for future meals. Who needs overpriced Mediterranean joints like Cava or Taïm when you've got trusty Trader Joe's?