Venison Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
There are lots of gyro recipes out there, but this Venison Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce is my quick and simple twist when you want to make homemade gyros in less than 30 minutes. The gyro is one of the most popular street foods in Greece and for good reason. WHAT IS GYRO MEAT?The question of "What is Gyro Meat?" has many different answers depending on who you ask and what country they are from. You can add these homemade gyros to your list of deer meat recipes. But if you find yourself in Greece, pork is traditionally used in most gyro recipes, and chicken, lamb, and beef are also common. Restaurant gyros found here in the United States are traditionally made with a combination of lamb and beef, roasted for hours on a spit, and are absolutely delicious! Seasoned meat, garnished with a cooling tzatziki sauce, wrapped in a delicious crispy pita and best of all? Every version of a Greek gyro recipe I've ever had tastes like heaven!My venison gyro recipe is perfect for those busy parents like me who get a craving for Greek food at 3:00 p.m. on a Wednesday, and find themselves searching on their phone or work computer for "gyros near me." You will love these homemade gyros because you can easily whip them up for a weeknight supper for the family in less than 30 minutes. HOW TO PRONOUNCE GYROWhen you hear people arguing about their favorite Greek gyro, it’s usually not about how good they taste, but about the correct gyro pronunciation. If you’re ordering a gyro for lunch from GP's Greek Kitchen here in Fargo, you pronounce it yee-roh. To help you remember, check out the fun and catchy tune from Jimmy Fallon and Luke Bryan’s “I Don’t Know How to Pronounce Gyro” song: “No more fear-o, you’re a hero, ’cause now I know it’s gyro (yee-roh).” Now if they can just come up with a song on how to pronounce tzatziki sauce, we'll be all set.THE DEER HUNT FOR VENISONI used a package of ground venison from a whitetail I got during North Dakota deer season. It was only 10 degrees F on the day I shot this doe. But everything happened so quickly I didn’t have time to get cold. Most people don't enjoy hunting in freezing weather. But cold temperatures are a big factor on getting more deer up on their feet before it gets dark. I had only walked 200 yards through rolling hills covered in prairie grass when I came up on a corn stubble field along a dry river bottom. There stood six unsuspecting does, all ripe for the picking. I crouched down with the wind in my face and all the time in the world. I waited about 5 minutes before taking the shot, relishing in the fact that I had snuck up on the deer and could watch their behaviors without being detected.I made a nice clean shot, and made quick work of the big whitetail doe, getting every last bit of meat from the animal, including the precious venison in between the rib cage that I would grind up to make this new gyro recipe.HOW TO MAKE GYROS AT HOMEWhen you're NOT in the mood to cook, and you find yourself searching for "Greek food near me" on your phone, be sure and head to GP's Greek Kitchen. But if you want to stay in and easily recreate a Greek gyro to add to your venison recipes repertoire, be sure and try my venison gyro recipe. Instead of forming the venison into a mini meatloaf like most gryo recipes have you do, I just browned the meat like you would for tacos. A faster and simpler version of homemade gyros, and it tastes the same as a traditional Greek gyro recipe.Homemade gyros are a delicious sandwich for lunch or dinner, and I created this wild game version with spiced venison topped with cucumber, tomato, onion, and a flavorful tzatziki sauce. I originally made these homemade gyros in February, but I love coming back to it and making it during the late summer months when I can make the Tzatziki sauce with fresh cucumbers from our backyard garden. GYRO VS SHAWARMAThe difference between gyro and shawarma is where they come from and the spices and sauce used. Gyros are Greek and Shawarma is Middle Eastern. The meats and pita are basically the same. Gyros are usually made with spices like thyme, oregano, and rosemary. Shawarma meat is usually flavored with things like turmeric, cardamom, and cloves. Gyros are traditionally served with tzatziki sauce and shawarma is usually served with tahini. Gyros are served with tomato, cucumber, and onion. Shawarmas are served with pickled vegetables like I made for this recipe.MORE VENISON RECIPESI have a delicious and easy-to-make Shawarma Spiced Deer Shank Recipe and a Venison Steak Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce Recipe if you want to try another venison recipe with pita bread.I hope you and your family now know how to pronounce gyro and that you enjoy this Greek Gyro recipe. It's one of our favorite ways to use more venison in fun and creative ways! If you are looking for another great venison sandwich, check out my Venison Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich recipe. Or you can find all my Venison Recipes here.COME HUNTING IN NORTH DAKOTAIf you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here. CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYDid you make these Venison Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce? I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of this dish and all of your wild game and fish creations. Be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #wildgameandfish and tagging me @wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Venison Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce recipe? Did it inspire you to make your own homemade gyros? Be sure to leave a rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ground venison
- 1 teaspoon Za'atar seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 4 pocketless pitas
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
Tzatziki Sauce
- In a medium size bowl, make the Tzatziki Sauce by combining Greek yogurt, olive oil, 1/4 cup diced cucumber, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and mint leaves. Mix ingredients until well blended and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.
Venison Gyros
- Brown ground venison in a skillet. After is fully cooked, add Za'atar, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, thyme, and cumin, stir together, and transfer cooked meat into bowl.
- Remove the pita from the skillet and transfer to serving plate, Fill pitas with some Tzatziki sauce, cooked venison, sliced tomato & red onion, some of the 1/4 cup remaining diced cucumber, and more sauce. Serve immediately.
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3 Responses
My new favorite recipe!
Thanks Brenda! Glad you love it as much as we do!