Are you craving the fresh, vibrant, and unbelievably delicious flavors of a classic Greek gyro from your favorite restaurant? This amazing, easy, from-scratch Turkey Gyro recipe is your ultimate guide to recreating that incredible experience at home, in under 30 minutes! Tender, savory turkey is piled high into warm, soft pita bread with crisp, fresh veggies, and then drizzled with a cool, creamy, and completely addictive homemade tzatziki sauce.
This isn’t just another sandwich recipe; it’s your new weeknight dinner hero. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a perfectly seasoned and juicy turkey filling and a flawless, tangy cucumber-dill sauce that will transport your taste buds straight to the Mediterranean. It’s a healthy, satisfying, and stunningly flavorful meal that the whole family will go crazy for.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Fresh & Flavorful Weeknight Meal
What makes this Turkey Gyro recipe so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, fresh flavor and its lightning-fast preparation. The star of the show is a simple but perfect, from-scratch tzatziki-style sauce, which gets its tangy, herbaceous flavor from fresh dill, lemon, and cucumber. Lean turkey breast tenderloin is sliced into thin strips and quickly sautéed with a classic Greek seasoning blend until it’s perfectly tender and savory. All of these delicious components are then piled into a warm, soft pita bread with fresh lettuce and tomato for a complete, well-balanced, and unbelievably satisfying meal.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 25 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 gyros |
The Essential Ingredients for This Healthy Meal
This recipe uses a handful of simple, fresh ingredients to create its signature vibrant and savory flavor.
- The Turkey:
- Turkey Breast Tenderloin: This is a fantastic, lean, and incredibly tender cut of turkey that is perfect for this recipe. Because it is so tender, it cooks in just a few minutes, making it ideal for a quick weeknight meal. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are also a perfect substitute.
- The Cool & Creamy “Tzatziki” Sauce: This is the heart and soul of any great gyro.
- The Base: The recipe calls for reduced-fat sour cream, which creates a wonderful, tangy sauce. For a more traditional, authentic, and even healthier version, you can use a thick, plain Greek yogurt.
- The Cucumber: It is absolutely crucial to remove the excess water from your cucumber before adding it to the sauce. This is the number one secret to a thick, creamy, not-watery, tzatziki.
- The Flavorings: A classic, fresh combination of finely chopped onion, bright lemon juice, and herbaceous dill weed gives the sauce its signature, addictive flavor.
- The Seasoning:
- Greek Seasoning: A good quality, pre-made Greek seasoning blend is a fantastic shortcut. These blends are typically a savory and aromatic mix of oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and other herbs.
Pro Tutorial: The Secret to Thick, Creamy Tzatziki Sauce
The number one, non-negotiable secret to a perfect, thick tzatziki that isn’t watery is to squeeze your cucumber!
- Grate or Finely Chop: For this recipe, finely chop one-third of your peeled cucumber. For an even better result, you can grate it on the large holes of a box grater.
- Squeeze: Place the chopped or grated cucumber in the center of a clean, thin dish towel, a few layers of paper towels, or a piece of cheesecloth.
- Wring it Out: Gather up the edges of the towel and, over the sink, twist and squeeze as hard as you can. You will be amazed at how much green, watery liquid comes out! Discard the liquid and add your dry cucumber pulp to the sauce. This simple step guarantees a thick and creamy result every time.
Step-by-Step to Perfect Turkey Gyros
This delicious meal comes together in just a few simple stages.
Step 1: Make the Cool & Creamy Tzatziki Sauce
First, prepare your cucumber. Peel the medium cucumber. Finely chop about one-third of it and thinly slice the remaining two-thirds. For the best sauce, squeeze the excess moisture out of the finely chopped portion, as described in the tutorial above.
In a small bowl, mix together the 2/3 cup of reduced-fat sour cream, the 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion, the 2 teaspoons of dill weed, the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and your prepared, finely chopped cucumber. Set this sauce aside.
Step 2: Cook the Turkey and Assemble Your Gyros
Step 1: In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Add the 1/2 pound of turkey breast tenderloin strips to the hot skillet. Sauté the turkey for 4 to 6 minutes, until it is golden brown and no longer pink.
Step 3: Stir in the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt-free Greek seasoning.
Step 4: Now, it’s time to assemble your masterpieces! Warm your 4 whole pita breads according to the package directions.
Step 5: Serve the cooked turkey, the 1 1/2 cups of shredded lettuce, the 8 thin tomato slices, and your thinly sliced cucumber on the warm pitas.
Top each gyro generously with the prepared tzatziki sauce and a sprinkle of the 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese.
The Best Easy & Healthy Turkey Gyros (20-Minute Recipe!)
A quick, easy, and healthier take on a classic Greek gyro, using seasoned turkey breast instead of traditional lamb or beef. This recipe features thin strips of turkey tenderloin that are quickly sautéed with Greek seasoning. The cooked turkey is served in warm pita breads with lettuce, tomato, and a simple, homemade tzatziki-style sauce made from sour cream, finely chopped cucumber, onion, and dill. The gyros are finished with a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled
- 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons dill weed
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound turkey breast tenderloin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt-free Greek seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
- 8 thin tomato slices
- 4 whole pita breads, warmed
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Finely chop one-third of the cucumber. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, chopped onion, dill, lemon juice, and the finely chopped cucumber to make the sauce. Thinly slice the remaining cucumber for serving.
- In a nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the turkey strips to the hot skillet and sauté for 4-6 minutes, until the turkey is no longer pink.
- Stir in the Greek seasoning and cook for another minute to coat the turkey.
- To assemble, serve the cooked turkey, shredded lettuce, tomato slices, and sliced cucumber on the warm pitas.
- Top with the prepared sour cream sauce and a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese.
Notes
- This is a very quick meal, perfect for a weeknight dinner, that comes together in under 30 minutes.
- The sauce is a quick, tzatziki-style sauce made with sour cream as a base.
- Warming the pita breads before serving makes them soft and pliable.
How to Build the Perfect Gyro Bar
This recipe is perfect for a fun, interactive “build your own” gyro night! Simply place the bowl of warm, cooked turkey on the table with a variety of toppings in small bowls:
- The Classics: The prepared tzatziki sauce, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and feta cheese from the recipe.
- Other Delicious Additions: Thinly sliced red onion, tangy Kalamata olives, spicy pepperoncini peppers, or even a scoop of hummus.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is a fantastic meal-prep recipe for a week of delicious and healthy lunches.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare all the components for this recipe in advance! The tzatziki sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (the flavor will actually be even better on the second day!). You can also cook the turkey and chop all your vegetables and store them in separate, airtight containers.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Protein: If you’re not a fan of turkey, this recipe is also absolutely fantastic with an equal amount of thinly sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. For a more traditional flavor, you could even use ground lamb or beef.
- Make it a Vegetarian Gyro: For a delicious and hearty vegetarian version, you can substitute the turkey with one 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed chickpeas (toss them with the Greek seasoning and warm them in the skillet) or with some pan-fried slices of halloumi cheese.
- Make it a Gyro Salad: For a wonderful, low-carb meal, you can simply serve the cooked, seasoned turkey and all the delicious toppings over a large bed of chopped romaine lettuce, and use your prepared tzatziki sauce as the salad dressing.
Enjoy Your New Favorite Fresh & Healthy Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. These Easy Turkey Gyros are a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch meal to bring joy to your dinner table. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new family favorite.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, and healthy meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute secret to a thick, creamy, not watery, tzatziki sauce?
The number one, non-negotiable secret is to squeeze out as much moisture as you possibly can from the chopped or grated cucumber. Cucumbers have a very high water content. If you stir the cucumber directly into the yogurt or sour cream, it will release all that water and turn your beautiful, thick sauce into a thin, runny dressing. Squeezing the cucumber in a clean dish towel or a few paper towels is the crucial step that guarantees a thick and creamy result.
Q2: What is the best way to warm pita bread so that it is soft and pliable?
The easiest way is to wrap a stack of pitas in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave them for about 30-60 seconds. You can also warm them one at a time for about 10-15 seconds per side in a hot, dry skillet on the stovetop, or place them directly on the grates of a gas stove for a few seconds per side for a slight char.
Q3: Can I make the components for these gyros ahead of time for meal prep?
Yes, this is a perfect meal-prep recipe! You can prepare the tzatziki sauce, cook the turkey, and chop all your fresh vegetables and store them in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This makes the final assembly for a quick lunch or dinner incredibly fast.
Q4: What is in a typical Greek seasoning blend?
A classic Greek seasoning blend is a savory and aromatic mix of herbs that typically includes dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and sometimes a bit of basil, dill, or mint. You can easily make your own simple version at home by mixing equal parts dried oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Q5: Can I use fresh dill instead of dried dill weed in the sauce?
Of course! Fresh herbs are always a fantastic choice. The general rule of thumb is to use about three times the amount of fresh herbs as you would dried. For this recipe, you would want to use about 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped dill.