Slow Cooker Gyros

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These Slow Cooker Gyros are an easy and tasty spin on classic Greek gyros. Made with juicy and flavorful chuck roast, tender onions, and a dreamy homemade tzatziki sauce, this recipe is guaranteed to be a crowd favorite.  

two gyos on sheet pan filled with meat and creamy tzatziki sauce


 

Crockpot Beef Gyro Recipe

These slow cooker beef gyros are a weeknight dinner game-changer! A delicious combination of tender, flavorfully seasoned meat, with a homemade creamy tzatziki sauce all wrapped up in warm pita bread makes for one irresistible meal. The best part is that you can set it and forget it in the slow cooker, allowing the meat to cook low and slow for hours until it’s fall-apart tender and bursting with flavor.

With their versatility, these easy-to-make beef gyros can be easily customized to suit any taste preference, making it a great choice if you happen to be serving picky eaters. It’s also a budget-friendly meal that can be made in large batches, making it perfect for feeding a crowd or meal prepping for the week. You can serve them as a wrap in soft pita bread or make a delicious Greek salad with some of the shredded meat and the sauce. 

If you gave extra pita bread left over, you could serve it with this tangy Dill Dip or this Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Why We Love This Recipe

  • Nice twist to traditional Greek gyros: This roast beef version is the perfect way to satisfy your gyro cravings without having to prepare the meat with any type of special equipment.
  • Made with simple ingredients: The ingredients you need to make these gyros are easy to find in any grocery store. 
  • Easy, hands-off recipe: With only minutes of prep time, this recipe allows you to go about your day while the crockpot
  • Delicious flavors and textures: The meat is fall-apart tender and full of flavor, while the homemade sauce is cool and refreshing. 

Ingredients

Slow cooker gyros ingredients include beef chuck pot roast, onion, sliced; fresh cloves garlic, minced; dried oregano, salt, black pepper, lemon, water, plain Greek yogurt, grated English cucumbers and fresh dill
  • Beef chuck pot roast
  • Onion, sliced
  • Fresh cloves garlic, minced
  • Dried oregano
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Lemon
  • Water
  • Plain Greek yogurt
  • Grated English cucumbers
  • Fresh dill 

How to Make Delicious Beef Gyros in the Slow Cooker

Step One: Prepare the Beef

Another process of preparing Slow Cooker Gyros is to add the seasonings.
  • Place the roast to the bottom of the slow cooker. 
  • Add in the sliced onion.

Step Two: Add Seasonings

  •  Add the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon juice and water.

TIP: For extra beefy flavor, you can use beef stock instead of water.

Step Three: Cook the Seasoned Meat

Freshly cooked Slow Cooker Gyros
  • Cook beef gyro meat on low heat for 8 hours or high heat 4-6 hours until tender and easily shreds with a fork. 

Step Four: Prepare the Traditional Tzatziki Sauce

Plain Greek yogurt, grated English cucumbers and fresh dill for Slow Cooker Gyros
  • In a small bowl combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, salt and dill

Step Five: Shred Beef and Serve

A closer look on Slow Cooker Gyros
  • Remove the flavorful beef from the slow cooker and remove any large pieces of fat. 
  • To make the gyros spread some yogurt sauce on warm pita bread, add the tender beef and you can serve it with red onion, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. 

Store the leftover shredded beef mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze in in the freezer bag with the juice for up to 3 months.

Crock Pot Gyro Variations to Consider

  • Chicken gyros: You can easily swap the roast beef with boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
  • Crispy vegetables: For extra texture, you can add some fresh veggies like sliced cucumbers, lettuce, or diced tomatoes.
  • Yogurt Sauce: You can make the creamy sauce with sour cream instead of yogurt for a less tangy bite.
  • Cheese: You can add some salty feta cheese or gooey mozzarella to your gyro wraps.
  • Hummus: Spread some of your favorite hummus on the pita bread before adding the beef and vegetables. It adds a wonderful nutty, earthy flavor.
  • Pickled red onions: Though not traditional, you can add a zesty kick with pickled red onions.
  • Roasted red peppers: Add a few slices of jarred, roasted red peppers for an extra layer of flavor.
Servings of Slow Cooker Gyros with ingredients on table

Can I Make This Recipe in the Instant Pot?

You certainly can. Add the roast with the other beef gyro marinade ingredients to the instant pot. The cook time will depend on the size of the roast. As a general rule of thumb, you will cook a 2–3-pound chuck roast for 70-90 minutes on high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes. 

What Kind of Meat Is Used to Make Gyros?

Greek restaurants typically use either ground lamb or ground lamb mixed with beef. The meat is mixed with a variety of spices and shaped into a large cone shape. It’s then cooked on a vertical rotisserie and is shaved off in thin slices as it cooks. Luckily, this recipe is much less complicated but just as tasty. 

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Gyros recipe thumbnail
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Slow Cooker Gyros


Course Dinner
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings
These Slow Cooker Gyros are so full of flavor and a crowd pleaser! Beef roast cooks all day in the slow cooker with onions, seasonings and lemon juice until it is fall apart tender. Then you pile it high on pillowy soft pita bread with a homemade tzatziki sauce that you also get the recipe for! These are always a favorite!

Equipment

  • Crockpot

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • ¼ cup water

For the Tzatziki Sauce

  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • ½ cup grated cucumber
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh dill

Instructions

  • In your slow cooker place the roast.
    3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
  • On top place the onions, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon juice and water.
    1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 lemon, ¼ cup water
  • Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH 4-6 hours until tender and easily shreds with a fork.

Prepare the Tzatziki Sauce

  • In a small mixing bowl combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, salt and dill.
    1 cup plain greek yogurt, ½ cup grated cucumber, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon fresh dill
  • To make the gyros spread the tzatziki sauce on a pita bread, add the meat and you can serve with red onion, lettuce, tomato and cucumber.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 665mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 4mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

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