Falafel Gyro with Greek Tzatziki

View on a plate with a falafel gyro sandwich made with chickpea falafel, tzatziki, fresh veggies and pita.

5 from 1 vote

Falafel Gyro with Greek Tzatziki

This Greek-style falafel gyro is seriously packed with flavors and easier to make than it seems. It includes homemade crispy falafel, dairy-free tzatziki sauce, pita bread and crunchy fresh veggies. Makes for a filling and delicious lunch or dinner your whole family will love!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: healthy, Vegan, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 442kcal

Author: Jessica Laroche

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

For the falafel

2 cloves of garlic
2 x 15 oz canned chickpeas (cooked) rinsed and drained
½ cup red onion roughly chopped
¼ cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup fresh parsley

For the gyro sandwich

1 ½ cup tzatziki sauce find the tzatziki sauce recipe here, see notes
6 pita bread
1 cup cucumber sliced
1 cup romaine sliced
¼ cup red onion sliced
fresh herbs such as dill, mint and parsley
½ cup cherry tomatoes halved

Instructions

Prepare the sauce

You can find the tzatziki sauce recipe here. I recommend making it ahead of time (or at least an hour ahead) and keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve to allow the flavor to infuse better into the yogurt.

Make the falafel

Add the garlic to your food processor and pulse/process until broken down. Then, add the rest of the falafel ingredients (chickpeas, breadcrumbs, tahini, lemon, spices, salt, baking powder, parsley and onion).
Process until smooth. A fine but coarse texture is ok, as long as there are no large pieces of chickpeas or red onion. Test the mixture by squeezing a small amount in between your fingers: it should stick/hold well!
Use about 2 heaping tablespoons at a time to shape the mixture into 14-16 falafel. I like to create small balls, then gently press on them, they cook evenly that way.
Warm up a large pan on medium-high heat with a little oil and cook the falafel for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Careful when flipping, they are delicate! You can also bake them in a preheated oven at 400º for 20 minutes flipping them halfway through.
When ready to eat, then add the tzatziki sauce, falafel (2-4 per sandwich), fresh veggies and more fresh herbs over the pita bread, fold and enjoy!

Video

Notes

This Greek-style gyro is made using tzatziki sauce. You can find the sauce recipe on my blog. If you want to use a traditional tahini sauce or something else, then check out the blog post where I share more sauce options.
Storage: enjoy the gyro sandwich right away once assembled. You can make the tzatziki sauce and even the falafel ahead and keep them in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Customization: feel free to include other veggies or condiments in your gyro, such as pickled vegetables, olives, tahini, hummus and more. The blog post shares many more ideas, be sure to check them out!
Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

Nutrition