Homemade Ground Venison Greek Gyro Meat Recipe

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I’m pretty new to the whole Greek Gyro game. It took me years to try one. Now that I have, let me just tell you I make them all the time. I used to think they were just too fussy and difficult. That the meat had too many “weird spices” and that I would need a special device like a vertical rotisserie to cook it. I was surprised to learn how EASY it actually is to make delicious Homemade Ground Venison Greek Gyro Meat at home. Let me show you. I know you and your family will love this recipe.

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If you are like me and Greek food seems foreign to you, rest assured it isn’t as wild and “different” as you might think. In fact, you will most likely have all the spices and seasonings for this greek gyro meat in your cupboard or pantry right now.

It is the combination of spices that you may find unique. But I promise the resulting flavors in this gyro meat recipe are spot on. They complement ground venison in particular. If you don’t have venison, you certainly can use ground beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, pork or a combination of any of these.

My family and I are always looking for more recipes that use venison.

Ground venison in particular. We eat primarily wild game.

Our freezer is kept well stocked with elk and deer to feed our family of 5 throughout the year. We do purchase some beef and pork from family or local farms.

Ground meat, burger, is always something we are pulling out of the freezer. We really enjoy it but sometimes the “same ole’ thing” gets pretty old.

Ground venison greek gyro meat is unique in a GOOD way. In fact, my husband enjoyed it so much he ASKS me to make it often.

Spices you will need for this Venison Greek Gyro Meat 

You really don’t need any special or crazy seasonings to make this gyro meat delicious. You can use fresh or ground herbs if you like. This recipe is very flexible. FRESH lemon juice and zest is ideal but in a pinch, I have even used bottled.

The spices you will need are. . .

• Fresh lemon (zest & juice)
• garlic
• onion
• Cumin
• Cilantro
• Oregano
• salt & pepper

See!? Not that unusual at all. I wasn’t familiar with mixing this combination of spices BUT trust me. The resulting flavor is so yummy especially with venison. No gamey flavor here!

Why is this homemade ground venison Greek gyro meat recipe so good?

FAST– It really is. When you are ready to cook up the meat it only takes about 10 minutes. Prepare your fresh toppings while the meat cooks and have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. You can mix the meat and seasonings and cook it right away. But it does taste best when mixed and allowed to sit for a couple hours for the flavors meld.

SIMPLE – Simple, clean ingredients in this recipe. Fresh herbs, spices and lean flavorful venison combines for wholesome UN-fussy meal. There is NO fancy equipment or ingredients.

NO SPECIAL COOKING METHOD – Greek gyro meat is traditionally slow roasted on a vertical rotisserie and thinly sliced for the gyro. Don’t get me wrong, this is absolutely delicious BUT you don’t need a fancy rotisserie to get all the yummy gyro flavors at home. A non-stick or cast iron fry pan is all you need.

DELICIOUS LEFTOVERS – I love leftovers but my family isn’t a huge fan. However, this gyro meat gets gobbled up even the next day. I always make sure to double the recipe.

This gyro meat happens to make the BEST leftovers!

The flavors become even more concentrated and delicious the next day.

The patties firm up when refrigerated and I just thinly slice the meat like you would traditional gyro meat.

Try making these gyro patties ahead of time. This makes dinner even faster. Slice it and heat the meat in a pan, oven or even microwave and you can have a 15 minute dinner.

How to properly store & refrigerate or freeze this recipe: I really like to form the raw ground venison into long thin patties so they fit perfectly into Naan or flatbread. Eat the freshly cooked patties warm. If saving until the next day, allow to cool and wrap them in foil or a airtight container. Thinly slice and warm them to eat as leftovers. If you would would to like to save the patties even longer, wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in zip-top freezer bag. Pull a gyro patty out as you need it and allow to thaw in the refrigerator before slicing and warming.

What else do you need to make the perfect ground venison Greek gyro?

Toppings of course!

Traditional toppings include: tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, sliced onion, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce.

You will also need a fresh, flavorful flatbread to wrap up all that deliciousness. Naan is the traditional Persian flatbread that is often made with egg or yogurt. You can buy them in stores but the homemade version is MUCH better.

You can find my soft, pillowy – oh so flavorful flatbread recipe here: Easy Cast Iron Skillet Yeast Flatbread.

Do you HAVE to use venison in this recipe?

NO you do not. You can use ANY ground meat or combination of ground meat you prefer.

Chicken, pork, beef or lamb would all be yummy. The more traditional meats are beef and lamb but here in NW Montana, wild game including antelope, deer and elk is what we tend to have in the freezer.

Venison can taste “gamey” or have a strong flavor to some people.

Lamb, mutton or goat meat to me is super gamey so this recipe and combination of spices is PERFECT for any wild game.

There is no gamey flavor in this gyro meat. Especially when you mix it up and allow to sit, meld and marinate the flavors for at least 2 hours up to overnight.

Here are the ingredients for ground venison Greek gyro meat.

• 1 pound ground venison or meat of choice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove fresh finely chopped or grated
• 1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated onion
• 1 teaspoons lemon zest (1/2 lemon)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro OR 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped
• 1 Tablespoon (or more) of Olive Oil for frying

How to make ground venison gyro meat

FIRST MIX UP THE MEAT AND THE SEASONINGS

In a large bowl mix ground meat with all herbs and seasonings.

 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to let flavors marinate.

 

Form ground meat in long narrow patties about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

Heat cast iron skillet or non-stick pan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. 

Sear ground meat on first side for 4-5 minutes until nicely browned.

 

Flip and brown the second side 2-4 minutes until cooked through.

Remove patties and keep warm.

Serve ground gyro meat patties on flatbread with tomato, cucumber, lettuce, thinly sliced onion, feta cheese.

You can slice and even server over a salad.

Top with homemade Tzatziki Sauce. 

A superfood topping idea: Borage Microgreens

You may or may not know that I grow microgreens as a business. Borage is a newer green for me but it is soooo good.

It is actually an edible flower that can be used for medicinal properties. It is most widely known as a herbal anti-inflammatory.

Borage is an extremely beneficial plant to grow in the garden. It adds trace minerals to the soil and is great for composting. When allowed to fully grow and bloom, this plant grows fuzzy looking stems, leaves and beautiful purple flowers that insects and pollinators love.

Borage can be grown year round as a microgreen. It has a delightful cucumber -melon type flavor.

It is native to the Mediterranean area, making borage and the Greek gyro the perfect combination.

Are you interested in learning how to grow your microgreens?

Did you know you can literally grow greens year round in your home with very few materials. I grow 12+ trays of SUPERFOOD microgreens weekly – in less than 8 square foot of space. Join me in my online class called How to Grow Your Own! Microgreens Crash Course. This online course is pre-recorded with video and lecture-style sessions designed to get you growing your own microgreens at home SUPER FAST. Get 24/7 lifetime access to the online videos PLUS eBook.

Too busy? Not enough space? NO PROBLEM. These classes are designed to allow you to learn ALL THE BASICS in a very condensed time frame. Binge watch all videos or slow it down. . . Learn at your own pace.

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Home Microgreens Store has all the supplies you need you need to start growing your own microgreens at home. From soil and containers to microgreen seed. You will also find all kinds of helpful articles teaching you about growing your own microgreens.

This is a Home Microgreens affiliate link, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure at homemakingwithoutfear.com. Furthermore as Home Microgreen’s Affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases. I know you will love their products. We thank you for your support.

Hey there my friends!

We sure hope you enjoy this venison gyro meat recipe as much as we do. It really is simple, wholesome and tasty. Sure to be a favorite for adults and kiddos alike. Let me know if you make this recipe and I’d love for you to share it and tag me on Instagram!

Love this simple family dinner idea? Here are a few more for you to enjoy.

Healthier Mongolian Beef with Microgreens (use ground meat or sliced steak)

Easy Summer Pesto Pasta

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Hearty & Healthy Pumpkin Chili

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Ground Venison Greek Gyro Meat

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

This ground venison gyro meat is flavorful and so good wrapped in homemade flatbread with all the toppings. This recipe is very good as leftovers. Simply slice the patties in thin strips and heat in a skillet. No gamey flavor at all. Substitute ground beef, pork, lamb or turkey!

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Ingredients

• 1 pound ground venison or ground meat of choice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove fresh that is finely chopped or grated
• 1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated onion
• 1 teaspoons lemon zest (about 1/2 lemon)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro OR 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped
• 1 Tablespoon (or more) of Olive Oil for frying

Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix ground meat with all herbs and seasonings.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to let flavors marinate.
3. Form ground meat in long narrow patties about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Heat cast iron skillet or non-stick pan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Sear ground meat on first side for 4-5 minutes until nicely browned.
6. Flip and brown the second side about 2-4 minutes until cooked through.
7. Remove and keep warm.
8. Serve ground gyro meat patties on flatbread with tomato, lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, cucumber, borage microgreens, feta cheese or even over a salad. Top with homemade Tzatziki Sauce.

Notes

This ground gyro meat is delicious leftover. Simply slice patties thingly (like traditional gyro meat) and heat/fry in cast iron skillet or pan. Can heat up in the microwave if you are in a pinch. Simple and delicious!

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