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Healthy Vegan Gyros with Tempeh

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Your favorite Greek greasy indulgence gets a make over! Now super healthy, vegan Greek gyros, loaded with protein and full of pure authentic flavors and seasonings.

Two tempeh vegan greek gyros rolled up in pita bread and foil stuffed with all the fixings

Anyone else spend a year in Greece gorging on greasy delicious gyros at two in the morning after a night out at the bars? I see you Greeks out there nodding. This was my year abroad when I was supposed to be taking college classes to bring back credits to UC Davis for my senior year. Although biology was my major, I opted for more of a social study term instead 😉

Turning the unhealthy greasy gyro into a weekly staple

Once we changed our diet ditching our meat filled meals, I knew there were some must have foods I needed to convert. Gyros are traditionally a thinly sliced lamb and that clearly wasn’t going to cut it for us anymore. So I put on my science hat and got to work in my lab…aka kitchen.

There are so many ways to make a gyro. I found loads of options when I did a search:

I really wanted to hone in on that traditional flavor and texture so I played around with the tempeh idea. I was not a fan of tempeh the first time I tried it. That bitterness…nasty. Then I learned that you can boil it to get the bitter taste out. Genius!

Once it’s boiled, you can use a sharp knife to cut thin slices. If you over boil, it can crumble if you slice too thin so watch it, but even so, crumbles are still delish. All you need is to soak these puppies in marinade and you are good to go!

Thin slices of marinated tempeh piled in a glass baking dish

That Greek marinade though

After using my mamas traditional recipe to basically nail my Vegan Tzatziki, I went back to her for the perfect marinade. I basically took her flavors, added the broth for soaking plus an ooomph of Tamari for the salty taste a gyro must have, and let this tempeh soak it all in.

Boom. Success. Load these up with ALL the fixings (fries are where it’s at), smother it in Tzatziki and dive in like it’s two in the morning and you’ve just danced your ass off.

Hand holding half eaten vegan greek gyros with tempeh, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, lettuce and tzatziki

These Vegan Greek Gyros look pretty amazing, don’t they? Go ahead, one small lick of the screen.

This recipe was originally published on 2/27/2014

If you like this recipe, please consider rating it with the star rating system and leaving a comment below. I love hearing from you and seeing your awesome remakes! Find me on Instagram and tag me @veggiesdontbite and #veggiesdontbite, or you can also find me on Facebook, and Pinterest. Thanks for helping me spread the word about delicious food!

Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate. Please read more about that here.


5 from 8 votes
Two tempeh vegan greek gyros rolled up in pita bread and foil
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Healthy Vegan Gyros with Tempeh
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
Marinate
4 hrs
Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
 

Your favorite Greek greasy indulgence gets a make over! Now super healthy, vegan, loaded with protein and full of pure authentic flavors and seasonings.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: recipes with tempeh, vegan Greek recipes
Servings: 8
Calories: 262 kcal
Author: Sophia DeSantis
Ingredients
  • 8 oz tempeh (package in block form)
Marinade:
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic , finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons Greek oregano (use regular oregano if you don't have Greek)
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Tamari  , low sodium if needed (or soy sauce for non gluten free version)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (see notes)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup veggie broth , low sodium if needed
Simple Oven Potatoes:
  • 2 red or yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons veggie broth or aquafaba, or drizzle of olive oil (see notes)
To serve:
  • 8 pita bread
  • 2 fresh tomatoes , sliced
  • ½ red onion , sliced
  • 2 cups lettuce , sliced (optional, not a traditional topping)
  • Vegan Tzatziki
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
The day before or early that day:

  1. Cut the block of tempeh in half width wise so it makes two shorter blocks. 

  2. Boil in a pot of water for about 20 minutes. This cuts the bitterness from the tempeh.

  3. Meanwhile, make marinade by combining everything in a large container.

  4. Once the tempeh is done, allow to cool. Then cut into thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a very sharp knife will make this easier.

  5. Add thinly sliced tempeh into the marinade and allow it to soak for at least 4-6 hours, overnight is best.

Next day or later that day:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). 

  2. Take tempeh slices out of the marinade (save it!) and spread them out in a thin layer in a 9 x 13 baking dish. 

  3. Gently pour about 1/4 cup of the marinade over the tempeh slices. 

  4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are brown. 

  5. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes into thick french fry sized slices. I keep the skins on but you can peel them if you prefer.

  6. Place them in a bowl and cover with water to help remove some of the starch. Allow to soak for 5-10 minutes.

  7. Prep the tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and make tzatziki if you haven't yet. 

  8. Drain the potatoes and pat dry. Put them back in the bowl.

  9. Add broth, aquafaba or oil (whatever liquid you prefer) and salt. Mix well.

  10. Once tempeh gyro slices are done, remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Set aside. 

  11. Turn the oven up to 450 F (230 C). 

  12. Spread the potatoes over a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

  13. When the potatoes are done, warm the pita bread in a damp towel for 2-3 minutes to soften. 

  14. Build your gyros with the tempeh gyro slices, potatoes, tomatoes, red onion and lettuce if preferred. 

  15. Drizzle tzatziki over the top and devour!

Recipe Notes

Nutrition info does not include Tzatziki, see the recipe for the info. It also only takes into account about 1/4 of the marinade since you are not eating the entire marinade. 

 

You can use veggie broth, aquafaba or olive oil to coat your fries. Aquafaba is simply the juice from a can of chickpeas.

 

Adjust the amount of salt based on your taste. You may need more or less depending on what both and Tamari/soy sauce you use.

 

You can substitute garlic powder for fresh garlic if you don't have it, but the fresh garlic yields a more authentic flavor. 

Nutrition Facts
Healthy Vegan Gyros with Tempeh
Amount Per Serving
Calories 262 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Sodium 291mg 12%
Potassium 525mg 15%
Total Carbohydrates 45g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 2g
Protein 12g 24%
Vitamin A 5.5%
Vitamin C 13.4%
Calcium 10.2%
Iron 14.6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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Comments

  1. This was my first experience with tempeh and it was EXCELLENT!! I did substitute wild rice (cooked in the Instant Pot) for the potatoes and included a palm-sized amount of grass-fed beef, but even without the beef, it was GREAT! I’m looking forward to the leftovers! Thank you!

    Reply

  2. Wow these were good! I would’ve never thought of including potatoes, but they were great and I’m always looking for ways to use up any potatoes that come in my CSA box. This was my first time eating tempeh, and I thought it was a very good meaty type substitute. I also served these sandwiches with some curried red lentil hummus and pickled turnips. Loved the tzatziki sauce, although next time I’d use less garlic as I’m not really a fan of super strong raw garlic flavors, and I used dried dill because I didn’t have fresh.

    Reply

    • Hi Laura!! Thank you so much for the awesome review! Yes, in Greece they put potatoes in the gyros! They are so good! I was touch and go with Tempeh for a while but once I learned to boil it, I have used it in so many ways! I so appreciate all your support!

      Reply

  3. I woke up to a text from my son, it was your shopping list for these gyros. 🙂 I prepped the tempeh and the cashew tzatziki (YUM) and he prepared dinner. OMG! This was fantastic!! I am a little embarrassed to say, this serving for 8, fed our family of 3 w/ only one leftover lunch. This recipe made the cut and will now be in our rotation. You are a master! Thanks Sophia!

    Reply

    • Hahaha!! Don’t be embarrassed, we eat them all too!! I am so happy you guys love them as much as we do. Thank you so much for the great review!

      Reply

  4. Thanks for helping me get my Greek food fix again! It was one of the things I missed most after going vegan. Your marinade and tzatziki are right on–real keepers.

    While trying to find good vegan Greek food, I stumbled across the Pita Street Food chain. They have a decent-ish falafal, which when covered with their garlic sauce, helped quell my Greek food cravings. But their sandwich isn’t as good as yours. One thing I did learn from them, though, was to use chopped dill pickles. I added them to your recipe as part of the toppings and it was totally delicious. But I’m wondering if that’s an authentic Greek thing to do or if they just made it up. It doesn’t matter because it’s delicious and I’ll keep doing it but I was just curious.

    Thanks again to you (and your mom!) for such great recipes. 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Carla!! I am so happy you loved the recipe!! The dill pickles are not a greek thing, in Greece the gyro have fries, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki. Simple and delicious. But I LOVE pickles and am totally trying it!! Thank you so much for the great review!

      Reply

  5. These look AMAZING! I am so excited to try them. My only request is maybe change the prep time to include the marinating time. I bought everything to make them and came home to start and then saw the marinating time kind of knocks these out of contention for dinner tonight (and my fiance and I were so excited!). Personally, when I meal prep and find recipes, I look at the ingredients and the prep and cook time but not the full steps. But we are still psyched to have them tomorrow!

    Reply

    • Hi Alexandra! So, when I first got this recipe card, they did not have an option for an extra time slot and I didn’t want to include the marinating in the overall time, which is why I put it as the first instruction in bold. Now they do for things like marinating or freezing, so I can go back in and add it. I am slowly adding things like this, just don’t have time to go through every recipe so I add them as I go. Hope you enjoy them!

      Reply

  6. I like this recipe because it doesn’t have cumin. Cumin in my experience isn’t used much in traditional Greek cooking though it is present in a lot of dishes that came from the influence Turkish cuisine had on Greek cuisine… it just overwhelms all other flavors and makes everything taste like generic Middle Eastern food…also for some reason cumin makes food so hard to digest (just me maybe?) but honestly

    Reply

    • Thank you Mila! Yes, cumin is not an ingredient in traditional Greek food. My mom actually can’t stand cumin, probably because she is 100% Greek and doesn’t have the taste for it. So none of my traditional Greek recipes have the spice. Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  7. Oh my lanta!
    I’ve never had a meat gyro, but these are incredible! We just got back from Greece, so this recipe feels like we’ve extended our vacation. I can’t wait to make your moussaka tomorrow!

    Reply

    • Thanks so much Annika, I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Moussaka is one of my favorites, enjoy!

      Reply

  8. Do you think this recipe would work with soy curls by Butler Foods? We really miss gyros! Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Becky! I have never had or worked with soy curls so I honestly have no idea! If they act much like tempeh I don’t see why not! Let me know!

      Reply

  9. Should the marinade with tempeh be refrigerated while it’s soaking? Or just on the countertop?

    Also, the marinade smells amazing and I can’t wait to try these gyros. Amazing recipe!

    Reply

    • Hi Chelsea! So sorry but I was out of town and am just seeing your message. Either way is fine. I put it in the fridge. How did they turn out??

      Reply

  10. I made the gyros. They were not the greasy yummy ness I would normally go and buy. They were darn good vegan replacements. They were so good I ate 2.

    Reply

    • Hi Faye! So good to hear! They are definitely meant to hit that craving but in a much healthier way so I am thrilled to hear you liked them enough to eat 2!! Thanks so much for giving them a try!

      Reply

  11. Hi! I’m a relatively new vegan, a long time celiac, and a mess in the kitchen. I was excited to see you stated your recipes are vegan and gluten free. Many call for tortillas and this one calls for pita. I have yet to find a decent gf tortilla and have never found gf pita. Can you recommend a sub for pita or better, do you know of a brand? I am quite limited in the kitchen due to a disability so I would be grateful to have the option of purchasing over having to make my own if there is such a thing. Love your site!!

    Reply

    • Hi Kitty! So happy to have you here! My go to brand for gluten free is the BFree brand. https://us.bfreefoods.com Check them out! They have a store locator too. It’s the best I have tried so far, although we often do sprouted wheat because we don’t have the celiac issue. But I bet you love these ones!

      Reply

  13. Girl, I’m so confused, I thought this was a new recipe that came through but I see comments from 2014 above, am I losing my mind, LOL?! Regardless, these look insane and full of flavor. Love that you added tempeh! I love tempeh now, so so good. I have never had a gyro though, can you believe that?? But judging by all of these delicious flavors and marinade, I know it’s good! My mouth is watering!

    Reply

    • HAHAHAHA! Sorry to confuse you. I have been going through and updating old recipes. Reshooting the ugly old photos and updating the recipe with little tweaks to make it even better. So it’s technically an “old” recipe that has gotten a bit of a makeover. It happens when you get old, a little upkeep never hurt. LMAO!! Thanks girl! You’d love it!!

      Reply

  16. These are so good. It’s crazy that the flavor is so much like the traditional. I usually get meatless gyros with all the veggies and fries so I love having a “meaty” option!

    Reply

  17. I made this last night and it was so good…I can’t wait to make it again!! The tzatziki sauce is addictive; I had some leftover, so tonight I just poured it over cucumber, avocado and tomato stuffed in a pita with some black pepper. Such a wonderful treat. Thank you for sharing 🙂 Yum!

    Reply

  21. This looks absolutely phenomenal. I loved Gyros when I was a meat-eater, so I am definitely going to try this!

    Reply

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