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Updated September 2026
September 1st is National Gyro Day, and the first thing you need to know is that gyro is pronounced YEE-ro, not JY-ro.
Some people might then ask, “What’s a gyro?” We tell all below.
Pita also has a national holiday: March 29th. On these two days and every day, we’re glad we live around the corner from a good gyro shop.
Below:
> What’s a gyro?
> The history of the gyro.
> Related dishes.
> Making gyros at home, and drink pairings.
> Recipe: feta-crusted lamb gyros with herbed yogurt sauce.
Elsewhere on The Nibble:
> Tzatziki recipe.
> The year’s 27+ sandwich holidays.
> The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary.
> The different types of bread: a photo glossary.
> The history of bread.
> The year’s 20+ bread holidays.
> The year’s 16 Greek food holidays.
> The history of pita bread.
1. WHAT’S A GYRO?
The word “gyro” comes from the Greek word for “turn,” referencing the meat that is turning on the spit (see photo #4). It usually isn’t lamb—something we recently learned when writing this article.
In New York City, where we live, we think of a gyro as a spit-roasted lamb sandwich on pita bread, served with tomato, onion, and tzatziki, a yogurt-cucumber sauce.
The meat is grilled on a rotating vertical spit, shaved off the leg in thin slices to order, and wrapped in pita with vegetables and condiments.
Eating food off of pita bread like an edible plate, or wrapping food in the pita, is an Ancient Greek tradition.
The tradition continues today—although you’ll also get a piece of foil or kitchen parchment to hold the pita from a street vendor, and a conventional plate in a restaurant.
In Greece, Pita = Pork
In modern Greece, pork (and secondarily chicken) is by far the most traditional and common meat used for gyros. Lamb is actually rare in native Greek gyro shops.
American gyros popularized the ground lamb/beef mixture “cone” in diners (see the history in the next section).
The independent gyro shops in our town roast lamb (or beef) onto the spit rather than pork; thus we grew up thinking that gyro = lamb.
The substitution comes down to market demographics:
- Pork does not appeal to Jewish customers who don’t eat pork, and Muslim customers who observe Halal rules.
- By using lamb or beef, vendors instantly double or triple their potential customer base.
- This is also why signage on Middle Eastern-style shawarma street-carts state “Halal lamb/chicken over rice.”
Additional Options
Outside of Greece, you can find beef, lamb sausage or another sausage, even veal. In addition to sliced meat, the meat can be minced and shaped into small patties, bifteki.
Making gyros at home?
- If you’re a vegetarian, you can substitute grilled portabello mushrooms.
- If you’re avoiding bread, turn the ingredients into a gyro salad bowl (see photo #10 and the link to recipe
below).
2. THE HISTORY OF THE GYRO
Gyros, per se, originated in Greece as a descendant of the Turkish döner kebab.
While humans have roasted meat on horizontal spits for millennia, the vertical rotisserie was a 19th-century innovation from the Ottoman Empire around the 1830s–1850s.
Grilling stacked meat on a vertical spit and cutting it into slices is a technique developed in the Turkish city of Bursa in the 19th century.
Cooking meat vertically allowed the juices to baste the meat as they dripped down, and it saved significant space in crowded city markets.
The name döner comes from the Turkish word for turning. Döner kebab literally means “rotating roast.”
Döner Kebabs Migrate To Greece
Döner kebabs traveled from Turkey to Greece following the 1922 population exchange between the two countries†. Greek and Armenian refugees from cities like Constantinople (Istanbul) and Smyrna (Izmir) brought the vertical spit technology to Athens.
In Greece, the name eventually was translated as gyros, from the Greek word γύρος (yee-ros), which also means to turn or circle.
Gyros Shift To Pork
While the döner kebab uses lamb or beef due to Islamic dietary laws, the Greeks used pork, which was more affordable and widely available in Greece.
Gyros Come To America
The gyro sandwich as a mass-market fast food happened in Chicago and New York.
Most food historians credit Greek immigrant George Apostolou with serving the first American gyro at the Parkview Restaurant in Chicago, in 1965.
In fact, the reason Americans eat “gyros” and not “döner kebabs” is due to the far larger number of Greek immigrants to the U.S. in the 20th century. They set up gyro stands and introduced a delicious new fast food to the nation.
And then came pre-manufactured gyro “cones.”
Traditionally, gyros were made by hand-stacking individual slices of meat. But when the gyro began to take off, Chicago entrepreneurs like Chris Tomaras (Kronos Foods) and Peter Parthenis (Grecian Delight) industrialized the process.
They created the mass-produced, ground-meat-shaped cones. The blend of beef and lamb could be frozen and shipped to restaurants nationwide, to be cooked and wrapped in pita. We’re guessing this was not exactly a heightened gyro experience.
The gyro got a boost from a 1971 New York Times article, which introduced the “new” sandwich to New Yorkers, describing it as a “lamb, tomato, and onion concoction nestled in a fold of soft bread called pita.”
And thus our misunderstanding that gyro always means lamb.
3. RELATED DISHES
In the same casual food family, you’ll find:
- Döner kebab. Döner kebab typically features lamb or beef with yogurt or tomato sauce, often served with rice. While gyros are typically wrapped in fluffy pita, döner kebabs often use thicker pita or lavash.
- Shawarma. Döner kebab and shawarma are both Middle Eastern vertical rotisserie meats, but they differ in seasoning and service. Döner kebab uses mildly-spiced, often minced lamb/beef in thicker bread with salad, while shawarma is heavily spiced (cumin, garlic) with bolder toppings like tahini or pickles.
- Tacos al pastor (“shepherd style”) are a spit-grilled meat (usually pork) served in the flatbread of Mexico, tortillas. The spit-grilling technique was brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the early 1900s. Mexican cooks created a marinade using chiles and achiote, accompanied by chopped white onions, salsa, cilantro. Served with a lime wedge, it was eventually topped by some people with pineapple and today, many more options*.
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[1] Gyros made from chopped meat patties, with the traditional tzatziki sauce (yogurt and cucumber). Here’s the recipe from The Little Spice Jar (photo © The Little Spice Jar).
[2] Pork gyros served American style, with fries. Sometimes, a smaller number of fries are tucked into the pita, alongside the meat (recipe by Sam Sifton, photo © Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times, food stylist Maggie Ruggiero, prop stylist Rebecca Bartoshesky).
[3] Steak gyros. Here’s the recipe from Le Creme De La Crumb (photo © Le Creme De La Crumb).
[4] Lamb roasting on a spit (photo © Meruyert Gonullu | Pexels).
[5] A modern Döner kebab with tomato sauce, cucumber, and a side of fries (photo © Nano Erdozain | Pexels).
[6] No lamb to roast? Use lamb sausage, as in this gyro from Kevin Eats (photo © Kevin Eats).
[7] We love tzatziki, herb-flavored Greek yogurt with cucumbers. While the recipe below is a yogurt sauce that doesn’t include the cucumbers, here’s a classic tzatziki recipe that does (photo © Cava Grill).
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4. MAKE YOUR OWN GYROS
Most people eat gyros made by food vendors, but for National Pita Day, try making your own at home.
You can go traditional or go creative. These days in Greece, a classic gyro is topped with sliced tomatoes, raw onions, tzatziki (or a mustard-yogurt sauce), and a handful of French fries wrapped inside the pita with them.
Lettuce is practically non-existent in traditional Greek gyro shops. It was added primarily by American diners and fast-food spots.
Ingredients
Pita
Pita comes in two forms: pocket pita, which puffs up and leaves a hollow inside you can stuff, and pocketless pita, which stays soft and flat for wrapping or dipping.
It’s up to you if you want pocket pita, and will stuff the ingredients inside, or pocketless pita, where you lay the ingredients and roll them into a cone.
[9] Feta-crusted lamb gyro with herbed yogurt sauce (Gemini Photo).
Meat
You may not want to make a lamb roast or a roast beef, but it’s relatively easy to prepare:
- Grilled or roasted chicken or pork
- Lamb sausage or other sausage variety
- Grilled portobello mushrooms
- Grilled fish fillet
Additions
- Traditional: shredded lettuce, chopped onion, sliced tomato, tzatziki
- Cilantro or parsley, chopped
- Feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
- Black olives (pitted), pickles, pepperoncini
- Shredded red cabbage or yogurt-based slaw
- Tahini sauce (recipe)
Drink Pairings
- Crisp lager: See if you can find Greek beers like Mythos.
- High-acidity white wines: Sauvignon Blanc or Assyrtiko (from Santorini).
- Light red wine: A light Pinot Noir or a Greek Xinomavro.
[9] Lamb and fixings atop pocketless pita, ready to roll. Here’s the recipe (photo © Taste Home).
5. RECIPE: FETA-CRUSTED LAMB GYROS WITH HERBED YOGURT SAUCE
The recipe below is adapted from one by Maria Benardis, award-winning author, chef and founder of Greekalicious, Sydney, Australia’s first exclusively Greek cooking school.
With Maria’s recipe you don’t need a spit: Roasting the lamb in the oven is just as delicious.
This recipe is more layered and elevated than a gyro, and meant as a main course. A salty feta crust forms on the lamb with some heat from the red chili flakes.
Instead of the standard tzatziki yogurt-cucumber-garlic-dill sauce, Maria makes an herbed yogurt sauce which eliminates the cucumber but adds basil, mint and parsley. (It’s also a delicious dip.)
Maria also adds the baby potatoes to the gyro, but we prefer to serve them on the side. You can replace them with an all-American side of fries.
Ingredients For 8 Servings
- 8 pocketless whole wheat pita breads
- 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups baby arugula, washed and patted dry
For The Lamb
- 2-pound leg of lamb, de-boned
- Salt and freshly-cracked pepper
- Extra olive oil for drizzling
- 16 bite size potatoes
For The Feta Mixture
- 6 ounces Greek feta, cubed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 green onions or shallots, chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
For The Herbed Yogurt Sauce
You can substitute store-bought tzatziki, but this is easy to make.
- 1-1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 green onions (scallions), chopped
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup dill fronds
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt, to taste
Preparation
1. PREHEAT the oven to 355°F (180°C).
2. MAKE the yogurt sauce. Place the ingredients in a food processor and blend until all the herbs are chopped and the sauce is smooth and thick. Place in a bowl and refrigerate.
3. PLACE the lamb and potatoes in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Place all ingredients for the feta mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. Coat the lamb well. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the lamb and the potatoes. Add enough water to the baking dish to just cover the base.
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4. COVER the baking dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 300°F (150°C). Bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours until the lamb is cooked through to 155°-160° on a meat thermometer for medium, 160° for well done. Because ovens vary, it is important to use a meat thermometer! Uncover and cook for a further 30-45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
5. SLICE the lamb thinly. Warm the pita; if you like, you can lightly brush each side with olive oil and place the bread on a hot grill or in a grill pan for warming and grill marks.
6. ASSEMBLE: Place some yogurt sauce in the center of the pita, arugula and slices of tomato and onion. Top with some lamb and some more yogurt sauce. Serve flat, with an optional side of roasted potatoes.
Find more of Maria’s delicious recipes at Greekalicious.com.au.
[10] Avoiding bread? Try these lamb gyro bowls. No pita is required—but don’t let that stop you from enjoying some on the side. Here, the meat is ground lamb, easier than roasting one Here’s the recipe (photo © Tasty Yummies).
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*Al pastor toppings can include avocado sauce, lime wedges, Mexican crema (sour cream), pickled onions, pico de gallo, salsa roja and/or salsa verde.
†This mandatory exchange between Greece and Turkey was a formal attempt to create ethnically homogeneous nation-states following the end of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Turks in Greece returned to Turkey, Greeks in Turkey returned to Greece. This event is unique in history because it was not just a side effect of war, but a legally mandated “exchange” enshrined in international law. The exchange was officially authorized by the Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations, signed in Lausanne, Switzerland, on January 30, 1923. Crucially, the exchange was based on religion, not language or ethnicity. Greek Orthodox Christians living in Turkey were defined as “Greeks.” Muslims living in Greece were defined as “Turks.” Approximately 1.2 million Christians moved from Asia Minor (Turkey) to Greece, and roughly 400,000 Muslims moved from Greece to Turkey.
The logic at the time was “prevention of further bloodshed.” Both countries had been through years of battle: horrific violence and ethnic cleansing. The international community believed that by physically separating the two religious groups, they could prevent future civil wars and minority persecution. However, this forced millions of people who had lived in their ancestral homes for centuries to leave everything behind. While it arguably stabilized the borders between the two nations, it left a deep “cultural trauma” on both sides, as families were uprooted from lands they had inhabited since antiquity. The exchange radically changed agriculture. In many cases, the departing Greeks were the primary vintners and silkworm farmers in Turkey, while the departing Muslims from Crete and Macedonia were expert olive and tobacco growers.
On a positive note regarding the culinary “exchange”: Refugees from Smyrna (now Izmir) brought the Smyrna style of more sophisticated, spice-heavy culinary tradition to Athens. This included the use of cumin, cinnamon, and allspice in savory dishes like Soutzoukakia Smyrneika (spiced meatballs). The refugees, often arriving with nothing, turned to small-scale vending. The gyro and bougatsa, a custard or meat-filled phyllo pastry, became staples of the Greek urban diet.
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