Greek Lamb Meatball Gyros for daysssssssssss.

How to make Greek Lamb Meatball Gyros

And not just any gyro.  This is special.  Why, you ask?  Because Mr. Gryo is now made with grilled lamb meatballs, folks.  

Yep.  Spiced ground lamb {coriander & cinnamon, meet meatball} is made into tasty lil morsels and grilled to perfection.  

Juicy,  golden brown, crispy-on-the-outside, melt-in-your-mouth-inside lamb meatballs.  {Or chicken, if that’s your style.}

I understand some of you may be upset because I am calling this a gyro when in all reality I am not using traditional gyro meat.  

BUT.  I challenge you to try it this way because you will fall in love and we will become friends again.  Best friends.

And as if the Greek lamb meatballs are not good enough all by their lonesome, I thought we should add some mint pesto into the mix.  

Lamb + mint pesto = the perfect marriage. There are some things that are just meant to be together forever {like cheese + hamburger} and this combination is one of those times.  

Making mint pesto is really no different than making traditional pesto, except we add a bundle of fresh mint sprigs into the mix.  

And drizzle it alllllll over lamb meatballs.  Like an excessive amount.

This tasty recipe comes with coconut milk tzatziki and mint pesto!

Oh, and coconut milk tzatziki.  I simply cannot forget to tell you about it.  I am not really sure why I decided to use coconut milk instead of sour cream in my tzatziki.

It seems like it was one of those shower moments where I was thinking all about life and a light bulb went off.  Some people might think about important things while they are showering, like a deadline at work or what time they have to pick the kids up from school.  

But I think about food.  And recipes.  And ingredients.  All the time.  So the light bulb went off, and I had just picked up a can of coconut milk, so it seemed right that this would go in my lamb meatball gyros.  

And I tell ya what… it makes the best freakin’ tzatziki ever.  

Which leads me to a confession…  I am that girl who douses everything in tzatziki sauce.  

Like, not just a tablespoon.  I swim in it.  And in the case of these lamb meatballs, it’s acceptable to just dip {eh, drown} them in the sauce {and the pesto, together}.

P.S. Is anyone counting how many times I say meatball in this blog?  Please don’t.  It’s embarrassing.

Wow, I’m really going a little bit overboard with this one, and I may just be scaring you off.  I certainly hope that is not the case because I love you guys.  

So anyway, if you didn’t already dip all your meatballs in the tzatziki sauce and mint pesto and eat them, you can assemble a beautifully messy gyro in a toasty pita with some cucumber, feta and cilantro.  

Or whatever floats your gyro boat!  Tomato?  Sure.  Hummus?  Definitely.  Red onion?  Of course.  Make these Greek lamb meatball gyros your own!  

That is what’s so incredible about this thing we call cooking.

Greek Lamb Meatball Gyros

Greek lamb meatballs stuffed in fluffy pita with coconut milk tzatziki and mint pesto.

• Author: Julie Andrews
• Prep Time: 20-25 mins
• Cook Time: 15-20 mins
• Total Time: 35-45 mins
• Yield: Serves 6 1x
• Category: Entree
• Method: Grill, No-Cook
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Tzatziki sauce:

• ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk (or sour cream)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
• Zest and juice of ½ medium lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 teaspoons fresh dill
• 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
• Dash salt & ground black pepper
• ½ English cucumber, shredded

Mint Pesto:

• 2 cups fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
• ¼ cup pine nuts, almonds or walnuts
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon
• Dash salt and ground black pepper
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Greek Lamb Meatballs:

• 1-pound ground lamb, beef or chicken
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ yellow onion, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Cooking spray

For serving:

• 6 whole grain pita rounds, toasted or grilled
• ½ English cucumber, diced or sliced
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• Fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. To prepare Tzatziki sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
2. To prepare mint pesto, combine mint, spinach, nuts, garlic, lemon, salt and black pepper  in a food processor. Pulse while drizzling olive oil in through the vegetable shoot until you reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat. In a bowl, combine all meatball ingredients, except the oil. Work with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined. Form meatballs using your hands and place them on a plate. Spritz meatballs with the cooking spray. Place them on the grill and cook, rotating a few times, about 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.
4. To serve, place meatballs in toasted or grilled pita bread. Drizzle with Tzatziki and mint pesto and top with cucumbers, feta and fresh cilantro leaves.

Notes

Cooking Tip: You can also roast the meatballs in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or saute them in a large nonstick skillet on the stove.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
• Calories: 487
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 541mg
• Fat: 29g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Unsaturated Fat: 21g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Fiber: 7g
• Protein: 26g
• Cholesterol: 40mg

Keywords: healthy, easy, weeknight, quick, simple, Greek, Mediterranean-style, whole grain