This fresh and flavorful Gyro Dip is sure to bring some life to any party! It's a fun twist on a classic gyro and can be made with lamb or beef!
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When I think of a gyro, the first word that comes to mind is FRESH. I think it's the combination of the soft pita, creamy gyro sauce and loads of crisp veggies on top....SO good! My sister randomly asked me last week what I thought about turning a gyro into a dip. My response? GENIUS.
After trying out a few ideas, I'm excited to share this recipe with you. It's got a homemade tzatziki sauce mixed with gyro meat on the bottom and fresh veggies on top. It's a perfect summer snack, tailgating dip or appetizer for a party!
Gyro Dip Ingredients
- Lamb or Beef - If you can find lamb, that's the traditional meat for a gyro. However, roast beef from the deli will work well too!
- Greek Seasoning - If you use beef, I like to mix some Greek seasoning into it for a little added flavor.
- Fresh Cucumbers - I use a regular cucumber, but if you have an English cucumber, that'll work great too and you won't have to remove the very thin skin or seeds (they're also known as seedless cucumbers).
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Sour Cream - I recommend using full-fat sour cream in this recipe as light sour cream can be runny.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Seasoning - Garlic powder and dill weed
- Toppings - Lettuce and tomatoes
- Dippers - Pitas or Pita Chips
What is a Gyro?
A gyro is a Greek dish with roasted meat (traditionally lamb), fresh veggies and tzatziki sauce wrapped up in a soft pita.
What is Tzatziki Sauce?
Tzatziki sauce is the white sauce you'll see on a gyro. It's a combination of yogurt, cucumber, lemon, garlic and other seasonings.
How to Make Gyro Dip
First, you'll prepare the meat. Though gyros are traditionally made with lamb, it's not always readily available in all grocery stores. You might be able to find these in the freezer section or cook and dice lamb burgers. If not, you'll start by dicing up some sliced roast beef from the deli counter and mixing it with Greek seasoning.
Next, you'll peel the cucumber, remove the seeds (I use a small spoon to scoop out the inside) and shred it with a box grater. Then, you can use a clean thin towel, paper towel or layers of cheesecloth to squeeze out the excess moisture. Discard the excess liquid and place the grated cucumber in a large bowl.
Add the yogurt, sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder and dill weed. Once combined, stir in the meat.
Spread the dip mixture into the bottom of a shallow bowl. A pie plate, small casserole dish or a plate would work just fine, too. Refrigerate until ready to serve!
When ready to eat, sprinkle the shredded lettuce and tomatoes over the sauce and enjoy!
Anything you'd enjoy on a gyro would be great as a topping on this recipe! For this dip, I recommend topping it with shredded iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes. However, feel free to add diced red onion, black olives, kalamata olives, fresh dill and/or feta cheese.
To get the most "traditional gyro" flavor, I like to serve this with fresh pita slices. I simply take warm pitas and cut them into triangles. You could also use pita chips or fresh veggies for a little crunch!
Other Delicious Dip Recipes
Pickle Wrap Dip - If you like pickle wraps, you're going to LOVE this Pickle Wrap Dip! It's got all the ingredients that make up a pickle wrap, but is so much less tedious!
Easy Lemon Fruit Dip - Just four ingredients come together to make this creamy & easy lemon fruit dip! And it's really not just for fruit - try it with animal crackers and vanilla wafers, too!
Hot Pizza Dip - Scoop it up with a toasted baguette and watch this warm, cheesy pizza dip disappear (quickly)!!
Cherry Cheesecake Dip - Just five ingredients make up this sweet & smooth Cherry Cheesecake Dip recipe! It's the perfect appetizer (or no-bake dessert!) for any occasion!
Gyro Dip
Ingredients
- ½ pound cooked, cooled and diced lamb/gyro meat OR roast beef
- ½ teaspoon Greek seasoning optional
- ⅔ cup peeled, seeded and shredded cucumber
- One 5.3 ounce tub plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dill weed
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- pitas or pita chips for dipping
Instructions
- If you're using roast beef, I recommend tossing the diced meat with the Greek seasoning. If you use traditional Gyro meat, it shouldn't need any extra seasoning. Set aside.
- Use a thin clean towel to ring out the moisture from the cucumber. Discard the juice.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cucumber, yogurt, sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder and dill.
- Stir in the meat and then spread into the bottom of a shallow bowl or serving tray and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Sprinkle the lettuce and tomatoes over the dip.
- Serve cold with pita bread or pita chips.
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