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!

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Try Slow Cooker Ribs, Pot Roast, Pulled Pork, or Crock Pot Baked Ziti!

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.

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. 

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.

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

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

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

Recipe

4.94 from 116 votes

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!

Print Pin Review

Author Lauren Allen

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, instant pot, Mediterranean, slow cooker

Servings 5

Calories 798

Cost 13

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 4 hours hrs

Total 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Save Recipe

Equipment

• instant pot
• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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
• ▢ 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: 798kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 63gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 190mgSodium: 898mgPotassium: 1285mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2062IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 188mgIron: 8mg

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I originally shared this recipe April 2017. Updated January 2022.

This post contains affiliate links.