I don’t feel like I could do a week of Trader Joe’s meals without including their gyro meat. My sister and my husband both love it, and this Greek Gyro Salad with Tzatziki actually comes from my sister’s table – it’s on a regular rotation in her house. I love it because it reminds me of my favorite salad from a local Greek restaurants (so. many. veggies.). It’s also really easy to customize (take off anything you don’t like, or load it up with even more veggies…I’ve got suggestions below!).
Greek Gyro Salad
This week I’m focusing on recipes using favorite items from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, it’s ok – you can still make this! You’ll need sliced gyro meat, which you can find in the refrigerated section at your local grocery store (I spot checked several grocery stores to make sure they carry it, and you should be able to find it – Walmart and Kroger both have it).
You’ll also need to pick up a tub of tzatziki. You can make your own tzatziki, and we’ve done it before, but it’s time consuming. The whole point of this recipe is that it’s easy and you’re pretty much just prepping and combining ingredients. Homemade tzatziki takes a little extra time.
Can I use other meat instead of gyro meat?
Yes, you can swap it out for any leftover meat you already have. Chicken is a good one (the salad I love to get at my favorite Greek place has similar ingredients to this salad with chicken on it). Bacon would also work, because bacon works with everything. You could use any meat on this, or leave it off entirely (I actually prefer a meatless version).
Here are the ingredients you need to make this Greek Gyro Salad (with notes on substitutions):
Greek Gyro Salad with Trader Joe's Gyro Meat
Ingredients
- 8 oz gyro meat 4 servings
- 4 c romaine chopped
- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 cucumber chopped
- 1 c cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes of your choice
- 1/2 c feta crumbled
- 1/2 c black olives sliced
- 4 pita bread cut into quarters
- 1 c tzatziki
Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- artichoke hearts
- avocado
Instructions
- Heat gyro meat per package instructions. The Trader Joe's brand has a few different options. I chose to use the pan method and heated the meat in a pan over medium heat until the meat starts to brown, about a minute per side (just watch it and remove it when it starts to brown). Alternately, you could heat in the microwave, but the pan method is our preferred method.Place cooked meat on a paper towel.
- Add all lettuce and all veggies to a large bowl. The pita bread, feta, gyro meat, and tzatziki will be added later.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and pepper. Taste and make any adjustments necessary.
- Add dressing to bowl of veggies and toss until everything is coated.
- Heat pita bread. Use a toaster or warm in the microwave (about 10 seconds for one piece).
- Top with feta and gyro meat. Add a dollop (1/4 cup) of tzatziki to each serving and one piece of pita bread. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Are you enjoying Trader Joe’s Week? I hope you are loving it. I extra loved working on it because it meant I had a good reason to go to TJ’s several times in a row (it’s kind of a drive, so I definitely don’t go every week).
Be sure to check out all of the Trader Joe’s recipes and printable meal plan with grocery list here.
And if you need help with meal planning, I have you covered! Join my 30 Day Meal Plan Challenge below. It’s free, and you’ll get tons of recipes and exclusive printables!