Easy Lamb Pitas (Greek Style)

A Greek style pita bread stuffed with marinated lamb, feta, and salad and rolled up in baking paper, all on a wooden chopping board.

5 from 1 vote

Easy Lamb Pitas (Greek Style)

Easy Greek style lamb pitas with deliciously tender lamb, tangy tzatziki and fluffy pita bread. The whole family will love this tasty, 30-minute homemade version of the classic 'lamb gyros' you can find in Greece!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: meat

Cuisine: Greek / Mediterranean

Servings:

Author: Helen Schofield

Ingredients

2 pounds lamb cut into bite-sized pieces (or 4-6 lamb leg steaks or 6-8 lamb chops)

For the marinade

¾ teaspoon paprika regular or smoked
¾ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small lemon (around 2 tablespoons, or to taste) zest and juice (reduce amount if you don't like an intense lemony flavor)
1 tablespoon oregano Substitute with 3 tablespoons of fresh oregano.
2 tablespoons thyme Substitute with 2 teaspoons of dried thyme.
1 bay leaf optional
3 cloves garlic (3-4) large, crushed

For the pitas

6 Greek style pita bread (If you can't find authentic Greek pita, use either fresh store-bought flatbread or this 2-ingredient flatbread)
2 cups tzatziki sauce use either store bought or 2 quantities of my 10-minute easy homemade tzatziki sauce. Check out the separate post for helpful notes and tips, or see the homemade tzatziki sauce recipe below in notes section.
¼ iceberg lettuce shredded (Or 2 crunchy lettuce hearts)
2 large tomatoes sliced
1 red onion sliced
1 cup (150g) crumbled feta cheese or according to taste
1 pound oven fries optional

cups/ounces - grams/ml

Instructions

Make the marinade

Mix all of the dry seasoning ingredients together and combine really well.
¾ teaspoon paprika, ¾ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon oregano , 2 tablespoons thyme
Add the honey, lemon juice and zest, garlic, bay leaf (if using) and stir it well.
1 tablespoon honey, 1 small lemon, 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Add the lamb pieces and stir well. Make sure the marinade thoroughly covers the meat.
2 pounds lamb
Cover the lamb with plastic wrap and marinate it in the refrigerator. For best results, marinate it for one to two hours and up to overnight (30 mins minimum if you're in a hurry).

Bake the lamb

Preheat the oven to 430F/200C. Then Line a baking sheet with baking paper and place the lamb pieces on it, spreading them out.
Bake the lamb for about 15-20 minutes, or until the lamb is cooked to your desired level of 'done-ness'.

Assembly

Warm the pita bread either in the oven for a few minutes, or in a pan for a couple of minutes on each side.
6 Greek style pita bread
Place the pita on a piece of parchment or baking paper and add a generous spoonful of tzatziki down the middle. Then add some lamb, followed by onions, tomatoes, fries and lettuce. Top with some crumbled feta cheese.
2 cups tzatziki sauce, ¼ iceberg lettuce, 2 large tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 pound oven fries, 1 cup (150g) crumbled feta cheese
To wrap, bring the edges of the pita together and form a cone shape by pinching the bottom a little more. Roll the pitas up, tucking the end into the bottom. (It's OK if it isn't perfect!)

Notes

What pita bread to use: If you can find an authentic Greek style pita, great! If not, use a fresh bakery or supermarket flatbread (Arabic style) or if you'd like to make your own bread, try this 2-ingredient flatbread recipe.

Storing and freezing instructions: Store leftover cooked lamb in the fridge for up to about 3 days. Reheat spread out on a baking sheet at 340/170C for 10 minutes or until piping hot again. Or you can reheat in an air fryer for around 5 minutes, or until piping hot.

You can also freeze any leftover cooked lamb for up to 2 months.

Quick tzatziki recipe: If you like you can read helpful instructions and tips for making my 10 -minute tsatziki recipe. Alternatively, you can make this simpler 5-minute Greek yogurt dill dip/sauce.

If you just want the tzatziki recipe, here it is:

This recipe is enough for 6 wraps, with a little left over (leftover tzatziki is great as a substitute for mayo!). Simply combine the ingredients below. Any leftovers are fantastic on top of baked potatoes, with any kind of salad, as a healthy dip or spread onto a burger or sandwich!

2 cups Greek yogurt

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cucumber (diced finely)

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 lemon (juice only)

Serving suggestion: Skip the fries inside, and serve with these legendary Greek potatoes instead!

A note about the nutritional info: Please note that for this recipe the nutrition info is only a guestimate. The marinade is for flavor while cooking and so will not all be consumed. Also there is sometimes some of the fillings left over e.g. fries, tzatziki.

Nutrition