These vegan gyros are easy to make and tasty! With vegan chicken marinated in greek spices, fresh vegetables, drizzled with homemade vegan tzatziki, all wrapped up in soft pita bread.
Gyros or greek food, in general, were something I never tried growing up.
I had a very limited amount of foods that I would eat prior to meeting my husband when I was 18.
He opened my eyes to foods I would have never touched, like these vegan gyros. I can relate to my 5-year-old in many ways, in his limited pallet.
Gyros were one of those things that I would have never in a million years tried.
They had way too much going on for me even to entertain the idea of eating them.
But the first time that I got brave enough to try one, it was game over.
They are SO good.
If they weird you out as they did me, it’s worth trying!
Even my eight-year-old loves them. I am so glad I have one adventurous child in the food department.
These vegan gyros taste best with fluffy pita bread or this homemade wrap. If you want to make your own wrap, they are easy to make, but they take time to rise; it’s not my recipe, but it’s delicious!
I couldn’t even alter it to make them any better, so I will send you there for the wrap part if you choose to make your own.
The wrap makes a huge difference.
It seems like a lot of pita bread is dry if you buy it from the store; make sure you get the soft stuff. It makes all the difference.
I use a fake vegan chicken for these vegan gyros like Gardein.
How do you make vegan tzatziki sauce?
You need plain unsweetened yogurt to make the magic happen.
Just pick whichever is your favorite vegan yogurt.
You need a peeled cucumber with the seeds removed.
The seeds provide a lot of the wateriness cucumbers have, so removing them will make your time squeezing the water out a little quicker.
I slice mine down the middle and take a spoon to scoop out the seeds and dispose of them.
Once this is done, you want to shred or grate your cucumber.
Then it’s time to get the water out.
You are going to be doing a lot of squeezing.
You want the grated cucumber to be as dry as possible. Just do your best.
Once that’s done, you can mix all your tzatziki ingredients with your mostly dried cucumber shreds.
I would do this when you marinate the vegan chicken strips so that the sauce has time to build the flavor. It’s not as good when first mixed.
Feel free to add more seasoning if yours isn’t where you want it.
Vegan Gyro Recipe FAQS-
Can you use other vegan meat substitutes for vegan gyro meat?
Yes, if you want to go for a different flavor, you can sub in some other “meats”; however, you may have to up the seasoning depending on what you’re using.
- portobello mushrooms
- garbanzo beans or (roasted chickpeas)
- soy curls
- seitan
- oyster mushrooms
- firm tofu
What are some good toppings for a traditional gyro?
- tomatoes
- pickles
- lettuce
- feta cheese (vegan in our case)
- onions
- tzatziki sauce
What ingredients do you need for this vegan gyro recipe?
Take a look at the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post for the full recipe.
Protein-
- vegan chicken strips
Homemade tzatziki sauce
- plain vegan yogurt
- garlic
- cucumber
- red wine vinegar
- lemon juice
- oil
- salt
- dried dill
- pepper
Marinade
- fresh garlic
- lemon juice
- red wine vinegar
- olive oil, extra virgin
- plain vegan yogurt
- dried oregano
- salt
- black pepper
Toppings
- Soft Pita Bread
- Red Onion
- Fresh tomato
- Romaine lettuce
- Vegan feta
- Pickles
How do you make this vegan gyros recipe?
If you’re making your own soft wrap bread, then start that first. This is a fabulous recipe for soft wrap bread.
If you’re using a store-bought pita bread wrap, then start below.
Start by thawing your vegan chicken strips just enough so you can cut them.
Cut them into strips and set them aside while you make the marinade.
Take a large bowl and mix all the marinade ingredients and stir. Then add the fake chicken strips to it and stir until combined.
Cover and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
You can do it overnight; it will have more flavor if you have the time.
Make your dairy-free tzatziki sauce.
Start by shredding your peeled and seeded cucumber. I use a cheese grater; you can also use a food processor if you’d rather.
You want the strain all the liquid you possibly can from the cucumber.
I start by just hand squeezing multiple times and then finish squeezing with paper towels to help soak up the water. Set it aside- you will likely have to squeeze this again.
Mix all the tzatziki sauce ingredients until incorporated, then add the cucumber shreds and mix well.
Cover and stick in the fridge to let the flavors marinate. It’s best if it sits for a few hours or even overnight.
Cook your vegan chicken strips according to the back of the package on a baking sheet- mine takes 15-20minutes @ 425 degrees. Or you can cook them in the air fryer.
All the marinade should be soaked into the strips.
Once the vegan chicken strips are cooked, you should be ready to assemble.
Start by taking a warm pita or soft wrap bread, then put some vegan chicken strips, tomato, onion, and a generous amount of tzatziki sauce and enjoy!
How do you serve these homemade gyros?
These can be served warm or cold depending on how you like them. Add as much or as little of the extra fresh veggies you want.
These would go great with a greek salad, hummus + vegetables, or even french fries.
How do you store leftovers?
These are best stored with the different components in separate containers, except for the pita bread, which is best in an airtight bag on the counter at room temperature.
Can you freeze this greek dish?
You can freeze the vegan gyro meat in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, thaw then reheat in the oven or air fryer.
The bread can be frozen as well and let defrost on the counter.
The sauce is probably best made fresh; I would worry that the cucumber would freeze weirdly.
Want some more vegan recipes?
Ingredients
- 1 bag vegan chicken strips
Tzatziki sauce
- 10 oz plain vegan yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium cucumber peeled and seeds removed
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Marinade
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 TB lemon juice
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 TB olive oil extra virgin
- 2 TB plain vegan yogurt
- 1 TB dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
- Soft Pita Bread
- Red Onion cut into slices
- Tomatoes cut into chunks
Instructions
- Start that first if you're making your own soft wrap bread. An awesome recipe for soft wrap bread is here.
- If you're using store-bought, then start below.
- Start by thawing your vegan chicken strips just enough so you can cut them. Cut them into strips and set them aside while you make the marinade.
- Mix all the marinade ingredients and mix the fake chicken strips into it. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour. You can do it overnight if you have the time.
- Make tzatziki sauce. Start by shredding your peeled and seeded cucumber. I use a cheese grater. You want the strain all the liquid you possibly can from the cucumber. I start by just hand squeezing multiple times and then finish squeezing with paper towels to help soak up the water. Set it aside- you will likely have to squeeze this again. Mix all the additional ingredients until incorporated, then add the cucumber shreds and mix well. Cover and stick in the fridge to marinate. It's best if it sits for a few hours or even overnight.
- Cook your vegan chicken strips according to the back of the package- mine takes 15-20minutes @ 425 degrees. All the marinade should be soaked into the strips.
- Once that's done, you should be ready to assemble. Start by taking a pita or soft wrap bread, then put some vegan chicken strips, tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe then give it a 5 star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook.
I AM IN GREECE – Katti Mieth – Journalist for Travel & Culture
Friday 29th of April 2022
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