Gyros is a Greek dish you would recognize as roasted meat combined with vegetables and a yogurt-like sauce, then stuffed into a piece of pita bread. While pita wrap is a traditional way of serving gyros meat, you can also enjoy it through other means.
For instance, some prefer laying their gyros meat, vegetables, and sauce on a bed of steaming rice or fresh, healthy salad. Others like to change the dressing or even serve it with more side dishes, like roasted potatoes or fries. If you need recipes, this article has them all, so check them out to know what to serve with gyros!
1. Pita Bread
The traditional way of serving gyros meat is as a pita wrap or pita bread filled with flavorful meat, veggies, and sauce. The bread is soft, fluffy, fragrant, and convenient, too – you can carry it anywhere you need! Also, good quality pita bread is easy to make at home. All you need is bread and wheat flour, lukewarm water, instant yeast, salt, and sugar.
2. Yellow Ric
You’d prefer this recipe if you don’t like having your gyros meat wrapped. It makes easy yellow rice, a hot, golden, and fragrant bed for your gyros. It’s also buttery and flavorful, as various spices are mixed into the rice. The flavorings used are turmeric, garlic powder, chili, pepper, red pepper flakes, cilantro, and bell peppers. Aesthetically speaking, it’s the perfect shade of gold, too.
3. Rice Pilaf
Warm basmati or yellow rice is impressive with gyros on top, but why not try it with rice pilaf? Like yellow rice, it’s very flavorful, but its taste is distinct from other rice dishes. That’s because the grains are toasted first in aromatic spices, then cooked in a savory broth. This allows the flavorings’ tastes to go deep into every grain, and the result is nothing like any other.
4. Greek Spinach and Rice (Spanakorizo)
As gyros is a Greek dish, you must serve it with a Greek-influenced rice dish. Spanakorizo has a distinct flavor and texture, especially compared to other rice recipes. For one, it’s pretty creamy, and the flavorings are unique: spinach, lemon, onions, olive oil, mint, dill, water, salt, and pepper; some even add tomato paste. Also, it’s very nutritious, as it’s packed with antioxidants and other nutrients!
5. Tzatziki Sauce
Tzatziki sauce, a Greek condiment, is often poured on top of gyros before serving. You can also fill a tiny bowl, and those who want more of it on their gyros can use it as a dip. It’s creamy, cool, and tangy and has an off-white color as it’s mostly made of Greek yogurt. Besides the yogurt, you’ll need cucumber, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
6. Red Lentil Hummus
Another dish you can serve with gyros is red lentil hummus. It’s tangy and creamy, like tzatziki sauce, but you also get the unique flavors of chickpeas and these spices: turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, coriander, and onion. There’s also ginger, garlic, tahini, coconut oil, and lemon on the ingredients list. Thus, if you’re looking for a fresh set of flavors to pair with your gyros, try it out!
7. Greek Salad
Try serving your gyros on a bed of salad, and see your options expand even further. Many salads go excellently with gyros, but you can start with a classic: light and refreshing Greek salad. The two dishes’ flavors complement perfectly, making them a safe choice. This salad consists of the following: tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, olives, feta cheese, parsley, and a homemade dressing.
8. Greek Lemon Orzo Salad (Risoni)
Another Greek-inspired salad you can serve with gyros is risoni or Greek lemon orzo salad. If you’re unfamiliar with orzo, it’s pasta shaped like a long grain of rice. Thus, if you make this recipe, you’ll combine that pasta with fresh ingredients, like tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, onions, capsicum, olives, and oregano. Then, toss all those together in a tangy, mustard-flavored, and savory dressing.
9. Creamy Cucumber Salad
Among the many vegetables, cucumbers make the best tandem with gyros. Every slice contributes refreshing flavors as well as a juicy crunch. Instead of mixing your cucumber slices into gyros mixture, as is usual, why not try turning it into a side salad instead? With this recipe, you get cool and creamy flavors that go great with gyros; it takes only 10 minutes to make!
10. Cucumber Salad with Herb Garlic Vinaigrette
Another way to turn your cucumbers into a salad is by combining them with diced red onions and then tossing them in an herb garlic vinaigrette. You’ll make the herb garlic vinaigrette using red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, dried herbs, white sugar, salt, and pepper. It’s less creamy and more savory but as refreshing as any other cucumber salad.
11. Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
Besides cucumbers, a tomato is another juicy vegetable – or technically a fruit – that’s perfect with gyros. If you opt for tomatoes, you do not just bring a refreshing feel, as you also contribute acidic flavors. Aside from that, this salad also has creamy, smooth, and buttery mozzarella, red onions, and romaine lettuce. The recipe is similar to caprese salad, but the basil leaves are optional, and there’s lettuce instead.
12. Greek Lemon Potatoes
A Greek gyros meal is commonly served with a side of potatoes, either as french fries or roasted wedges, and this recipe is for those who prefer the latter. These potatoes are unique because they’re braised in lemon-garlic broth, which imbues a savory and tangy flavor. After that, it’s roasted, and you can serve it with gyros and tzatziki sauce.
