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Duration
1 hour
Serves
4
Chef’s notes
I love a good gyro from an authentic Greek restaurant, but making it at home requires some serious effort. This venison smash gyro recipe is a riff on the viral smash taco trend. It uses pita bread instead of tortillas and is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and a Greek tzatziki sauce. It comes together really fast for an easy dinner you’ll crave over and over.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground venison
- 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp. granulated garlic
- ½ tsp. granulated onion
- ½ tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. dried ground oregano
- ½ tsp. coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground coriander
- 4 pita bread, warmed
- 2 tomatoes, sliced into half-moons
- Shredded romaine lettuce
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Tzatziki (recipe below)
Tzatziki
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup minced cucumber
- 1 garlic, grated on microplane or very finely minced
- 2 tbsp. minced fresh dill
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
Also works with
Any ground wild game
Preparation
- Combine the venison, salt, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, pepper, cinnamon, and coriander together in a large bowl and mix until the spices are well incorporated. Divide and roll into four equal-sized meatballs. Set aside while you prep the toppings.
- To make the tzatziki, combine all of the ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. This can be made a day or two ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm the pita bread (brushing with a touch of water if it seems dry) in a microwave or in the oven wrapped in foil to steam for a few minutes so that they’re pliable.
- When you're ready to cook, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in about 2 teaspoons of cooking oil and swirl to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add one of the meatballs and top it with the pita bread. Use a large spatula or bacon press to smash it flat. You want it to be about ¼-inch thick so that it cooks quickly. You won’t flip and cook the opposite side unless you want the pita bread to get oily. Sear it on one side for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until it’s cooked all the way through, and remove from the skillet. Repeat this process with the remaining meatballs.
- Serve immediately with tzatziki, sliced tomato, red onion, and lettuce.
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Chef’s notes
I love a good gyro from an authentic Greek restaurant, but making it at home requires some serious effort. This venison smash gyro recipe is a riff on the viral smash taco trend. It uses pita bread instead of tortillas and is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and a Greek tzatziki sauce. It comes together really fast for an easy dinner you’ll crave over and over.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground venison
- 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp. granulated garlic
- ½ tsp. granulated onion
- ½ tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. dried ground oregano
- ½ tsp. coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground coriander
- 4 pita bread, warmed
- 2 tomatoes, sliced into half-moons
- Shredded romaine lettuce
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Tzatziki (recipe below)
Tzatziki
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup minced cucumber
- 1 garlic, grated on microplane or very finely minced
- 2 tbsp. minced fresh dill
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
Also works with
Any ground wild game
Preparation
- Combine the venison, salt, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, pepper, cinnamon, and coriander together in a large bowl and mix until the spices are well incorporated. Divide and roll into four equal-sized meatballs. Set aside while you prep the toppings.
- To make the tzatziki, combine all of the ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. This can be made a day or two ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm the pita bread (brushing with a touch of water if it seems dry) in a microwave or in the oven wrapped in foil to steam for a few minutes so that they’re pliable.
- When you're ready to cook, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in about 2 teaspoons of cooking oil and swirl to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add one of the meatballs and top it with the pita bread. Use a large spatula or bacon press to smash it flat. You want it to be about ¼-inch thick so that it cooks quickly. You won’t flip and cook the opposite side unless you want the pita bread to get oily. Sear it on one side for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until it’s cooked all the way through, and remove from the skillet. Repeat this process with the remaining meatballs.
- Serve immediately with tzatziki, sliced tomato, red onion, and lettuce.