TEMPEH GYRO
No matter how you pronounce it, Gyros are amazing. Well-seasoned shaved protein in a pita wrap topped with feta, tzatziki sauce, red onion, and tomatoes. At least this was my order. Since switching to plant-based, I've opted for the vegetable version but, if I can be honest (and I can lol), I miss the seasoning from the meat. Not the meat, but the flavor. So, of course, I had to include my version of a plant-based gyro in this recipe collection of my favorite sandwiches.
A traditional gyro is a Greek sandwich made with a lamb, beef or a combination of both. It is topped with fresh vegetables – typically lettuce, tomato, and onion – and tzatziki or ranch sauce. What makes the gyro so unique is the way the meat is seasoned and cooked. Thinly sliced protein is seasoned with cumin, oregano, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, garlic, and onion, then stacked on a spit and cooked on a vertical rotisserie. It is then sliced from the spit and seared on a grill.
For this meat-free recipe, I am swapping the lamb for tempeh and skipping the vertical rotisserie. I know, I know. The rotisserie is a major part, but if you saw my kitchen's size, you would skip the vertical rotisserie, too lol. We won't, however, skip the flavor. Trust me; the tempeh is seasoned and seared to perfection. Although I love vegetables, I will definitely skip my typical veggie gyro take-out order and make this one at home in the future.
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Let’s get into the Recipe!
THE RECIPE
Start this recipe the day before you plan to enjoy this delicious recipe. In a small bowl, mix vegetable broth base, water, liquid aminos, Greek seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and olive oil. The mixture will be very green. Dip each tempeh slice in the marinade. Place coated pieces in a container. Pour the remaining marinade over the slices. Cover the container tightly and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, start by making the tzatziki sauce. Mix vegan yogurt, chopped cucumbers, dried dill, dried parsley, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small container. Mix the ingredients well. Then, cover the container tightly and let it sit in the refrigerator while the tempeh is cooking. You can also make the tzatziki sauce the night before. I find the longer it sits – up to overnight – the better the sauce is.
Now, let's get to the tempeh - pheat oven to 385F degrees. Add marinated tempeh pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. I sprayed cooking oil on the top of each tempeh slice with cooking oil. This is completely optional. Carefully pull the baking sheet from the oven. Flip each tempeh piece over. Use a brush or spoon to spread the remaining marinade on each tempeh piece. Bake for another 20 minutes. Once the tempeh is done baking, warm the pita loaf on the stove or in the microwave. About a minute or two on each side in a pan over medium heat on the stove or 20 seconds in the microwave. The pita should be soft enough to fold.
THE ASSEMBLY
Finally, it's time to assemble. Place the warm pita on a plate. Layer tempeh, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion. These are my preferred toppings but feel free to add your own. Fold the pita sandwich like a taco and enjoy. When wrapping the gyro, I used parchment paper to help keep the sandwich together. Gyros can be messy. This recipe makes two sandwiches – just enough to share!
COOKING NOTES
Make it your own. Feel free to switch up the gyro toppings to make this sandwich your own! Sometimes, I swap out the red onions for cucumbers or spice it up with a little jalapeño.
If you are looking for a beef flavor and more of brown color on the tempeh, replace the vegetable broth base with beef broth base.
This recipe is also good with tofu or mushrooms. If you swap out the tempeh for mushrooms, only marinate the protein for 1-3 hours.
Just A Suggestion…
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Tempeh Gyro
Ingredients
- - 2 loaves of Pita Bread
- - 1 tomato – sliced
- - ½ red onion – sliced
- - ½ C. romaine lettuce – sliced
- - Cooking spray
- 1 package of tempeh – 8oz, sliced into thin slices
- ½ Tbsp vegetable broth base
- ½ C. water
- 1 Tbsp liquid aminos
- 2 Tbsp Greek seasoning
- 1 Tsp onion powder
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- ½ Tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ C. vegan yogurt
- ½ C. cucumber – chopped into small – medium pieces
- ½ Tsp dried dill
- ½ Tsp dried parsley
- ½ Tbsp minced garlic
- ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ Tsp garlic powder
- ¼ Tsp onion powder
- ¼ Tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix vegetable broth base, water, liquid aminos, Greek seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Dip each tempeh slice in the marinade. Place coated pieces in a container.
- Pour the remaining marinade over the slices. Refrigerate overnight.
- Next day, make the tzatziki sauce. Mix vegan yogurt, chopped cucumbers, dried dill, dried parsley, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a container. Once the sauce is well mixed, cover tightly and let sit in the refrigerator while tempeh is cooking. Tip: you can also make the tzatziki sauce the night before.
- Preheat oven to 385F degrees.
- Add tempeh pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake tempeh for 20 minutes. Tip: Spray the top with cooking oil for a little extra crisp.
- Carefully pull the baking sheet out of the oven. Flip each piece over. Use a brush or spoon to spread the remaining marinade on each tempeh piece. Bake for another 20 minutes.
- Once the tempeh is done baking, warm the pita loaf on the stove or in the microwave. About a minute or two over medium heat on each side in a pan on the stove or 20 seconds in the microwave. The pita should be soft enough to fold.
- Place warm pita on a plate. Layer tempeh, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Fold the pita like a taco and enjoy. Tip: Wrap half of the pita sandwich with parchment paper to keep the sandwich together. Enjoy!
