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.
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!
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.
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
Your favorite Greek greasy indulgence gets a make over! Now super healthy, vegan, loaded with protein and full of pure authentic flavors and seasonings.
- 8 oz tempeh (package in block form)
- 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
- 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)
- 8 pita bread
- 2 fresh tomatoes , sliced
- ½ red onion , sliced
- 2 cups lettuce , sliced (optional, not a traditional topping)
- Vegan Tzatziki
Cut the block of tempeh in half width wise so it makes two shorter blocks.
Boil in a pot of water for about 20 minutes. This cuts the bitterness from the tempeh.
Meanwhile, make marinade by combining everything in a large container.
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.
Add thinly sliced tempeh into the marinade and allow it to soak for at least 4-6 hours, overnight is best.
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
Take tempeh slices out of the marinade (save it!) and spread them out in a thin layer in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Gently pour about 1/4 cup of the marinade over the tempeh slices.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are brown.
Meanwhile, slice the potatoes into thick french fry sized slices. I keep the skins on but you can peel them if you prefer.
Place them in a bowl and cover with water to help remove some of the starch. Allow to soak for 5-10 minutes.
Prep the tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and make tzatziki if you haven't yet.
Drain the potatoes and pat dry. Put them back in the bowl.
Add broth, aquafaba or oil (whatever liquid you prefer) and salt. Mix well.
Once tempeh gyro slices are done, remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Set aside.
Turn the oven up to 450 F (230 C).
Spread the potatoes over a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
When the potatoes are done, warm the pita bread in a damp towel for 2-3 minutes to soften.
Build your gyros with the tempeh gyro slices, potatoes, tomatoes, red onion and lettuce if preferred.
Drizzle tzatziki over the top and devour!
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.Â
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You can use veggie broth, aquafaba or olive oil to coat your fries. Aquafaba is simply the juice from a can of chickpeas.
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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.
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You can substitute garlic powder for fresh garlic if you don't have it, but the fresh garlic yields a more authentic flavor.Â
Annie says
Thank you for this recipe! One of my close friends and I are stepping into the vegan world. We LOVED it! I am so glad I found you and your blog! I love to try new things and adding comfort foods, foods I love, now in a vegan form definitely helps the transition!! I am excited to try so many of your recipes, especially now that I’ve made this and found it to be truly and unbelievably as delicious (in my opinion – better!!) than meat gyros! I can’t wait to make it for my wonderful Greek sister in law! Also, I much prefer the Tzatziki recipe over traditional as well. What next?!!!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy to hear!! Made my night!!
Dee says
So yummy! How long does the tzakziki sauce last in the fridge?
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Dee! I’d say it lasts about 5-7 days!
Carmen Matthews says
Brilliant! Loved your story as I lived and worked in Greece for 1.5 years too and had many a Gyros at 2 or 3 in the morning too. I since managed to turn mine vegan and found our recipes to look alike a lot, only that I am making mine with Portobello Mushrooms soaked in Worcester Sauce a little maple syrup and a little soy sauce. Just loving it! Thanks for bringing this recipe over to the vegan side too.
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Carmen! Those 2 am gyros sure were good! LOL!
Susan says
OPA!! My husband & I were dancing around the room with joyful tastebuds when we tried these tonight. Like many of the other folks who’ve commented before me, I’ve really missed gyros & now they’re back! The tzatziki sauce is also dynamite & a new staple.
Thanks & well done !! Just hope Thanksgiving dinner can measure up after that. If not, we still have leftover gyros…
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so so happy you liked it!!
Colleen says
This was amazing. Thank you!
veggiesdontbite says
So happy to hear you liked them!
Carol says
OMG this blew us all away! Fantastic recipe! The flavors are excellent and I’m so happy. I’ve been missing gyros address these really fit the bill. These are going to be a staple in our meals from now on. I can’t wait to make them for my non-vegan children when they come to visit. Thank you!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you liked it Carol!! Thank you so much for the great review and letting me know.
Cherish says
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!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Cherish! Yay! I am so happy you liked it! And glad you were able to make it your own!
laura says
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.
veggiesdontbite says
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!
Mardy says
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!
veggiesdontbite says
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!
Carla says
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. 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
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!
Alexandra Nash says
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!
veggiesdontbite says
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!
Mila says
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
veggiesdontbite says
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!
Annika says
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!
Veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much Annika, I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Moussaka is one of my favorites, enjoy!