Vegan gyros

Vegan gyros

vegan gyros one

As promised, today I bring you another Greek-inspired recipe that goes well with Tuesday’s tzatziki recipe. I never thought I would create a vegan version of this dish as gyros is quintessentially a meat-lover’s choice, but it turns out that the mighty jackfruit has made it totally possible 🙂 .

In case you haven’t had the real thing, traditional gyros is a Greek dish made of pork or chicken meat, usually served wrapped in a soft and fluffy pita, with tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce and sometimes a few potato fries too. Well, I have followed exactly the same formula except for the meat component, of course.

Aside for the animal welfare aspect of this choice, my version is also considerably lighter than the original and just as delicious. It’s ideal if you are trying to cut down on your saturated fat intake. It’s also very portable – great for taking along for a walk in the hills, which is exactly what is in our weekend plans.

vegan gyros jackfruit pork

vegan tzatziki

vegan gyros

makes
6
PREP
30 min
COOKING
45 min
makes
6
PREPARATION
30 min
COOKING
45 min
INGREDIENTS
JACKFRUIT PORK (for best flavour, make a day ahead)

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dry oregano, plus more for fries
  • ½ tsp chilli power, adjust to taste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tins of young (green) jackfruit in water
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp white pepper (black is okay too)
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

  • 1 small cucumber, sliced
  • a handful of sweet cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • vegan tzatziki (recipe here)
  • 6 large Greek pitas (gluten-free if required)
  • 6 Romaine lettuce leaves, shredded
  • 1 small red onion, super finely sliced
  • 2 medium potatoes (optional)
  • olive oil

METHOD
JACKFRUIT PORK (for best flavour, make a day ahead)

  1. Drain both jackfruit tins. Cut the firm, pointy ends off each triangular piece of jackfruit (you can still use them if you wish, I don’t). Set aside.
  2. Heat up olive oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed, pan. Fry diced red onion until softened, translucent and lightly caramelised. Add chopped garlic and fry off gently until soft and fragrant.
  3. Add most of the spices: cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and oregano to the onion-garlic mixture. Fry them off gently, stirring the whole time, for a minute or so.
  4. Mix in the tomato paste.
  5. Now add in the prepared jackfruit along with soy sauce, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Mix everything really well. Squash the jackfruit pieces with your mixing spoon so that the individual fibres separate more. Season with white pepper and a pinch of ground chilli if you wish. Simmer the mixture gently for another 10-15 minutes and then allow it to cool down. Place in the fridge overnight to intensify the flavour.
  6. Just before you are ready to assemble your gyros, set the oven to 200° C / 390° F (fan function). Spread the jackfruit pieces on a baking paper-lined baking tray and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a little caramelised and browned around the edges.

POTATO FRIES (optional)

  1. Heat the oven to 200° C / 390° F (fan function) and line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper.
  2. Scrub potatoes well (or peel them) and cut them into thick matchsticks of similar size.
  3. Coat them in olive oil (about 1 tbsp) and spread them on a baking tray, making sure they don’t overlap.
  4. Bake for about 30 minutes (until browned in places), flipping them to the other side half way through.
  5. Season with fine sea salt and dried oregano.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Just before serving, warm pitas up in a low oven.
  2. Place warmed-up pitas on a work surface, fluffier side down.
  3. Fill with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, baked jackfruit pork and warm potato fries.
  4. Gently fold the pitas over the filling, wrap in a piece of paper and tie with a string. Serve with a generous dollop of tzatziki.

NOTES
As jackfruit pork and fries both require baking, I suggest you bake jackfruit first and bake fries directly before serving.

SHARE
NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
369
18%
sugars
10 g
11%
fats
14 g
20%
saturates
2 g
9%
proteins
8 g
15%
carbs
51 g
20%
*per gyros
How would you rate this recipe?
This is a test string

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

5.0
37 reviews, 81 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Tara:
How many ounces of frozen jackfruit would you recommend?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Tara,
    I have never used frozen so hard for me to say but once it defrosts, you will want about 600 g or 21 oz. Hope this helps! Ania
Lisa:
Loved it! I made the it and my wife loved it! I made Tzatziki vegan by using almondmilk yogurt. I also added a thin pickle slice because O felt it needed more acid. Very delicious!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Lisa, delighted to hear that both you and your wife enjoyed these! I am with you, can never go wrong by adding a pickle, right? Thank you for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Danika:
I've made this recipe before and loved it! However, I am wondering how many oz is cans you use for this recipe. In the grocery store there is a smaller normal size can and a fatter-sized can - what do you use?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Danika,
    Glad you loved this recipe. As for the size cans I used 565 g / 20 oz cans. Hope this helps! x Ania
Melanie:
I made this for our fakeaway Friday night and it was delicious! I let the jackfruit marinade overnight and the flavour was amazing. We served ours with garlic mayonnaise as I’m not a Tzatziki fan- the flavours went together really well!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much Melanie, I'm really happy to hear that you enjoyed these so much and garlic mayo sounds like a great condiment in place of tzatziki for sure! x Ania
Bekah:
Very good!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Bekah, I am delighted to hear that! x Ania
Mel:
can I freeze this?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Mel,
    If you mean jackfruit filling on its own, yes! Hope this helps! x Ania
Jeriah:
How many servings does the recipe serve?
    Ania
    Ania:
    My estimation is 6, approximately! Hope this helps! Ania
Gordon Tansey:
Tasted fantastic - even after my oven was hotter than expected, but singed the edges. Flavour was great, brilliant texture. Loved it!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
DON'T MISS A SINGLE RECIPE
Join our mailing list and we we will let you know when we publish a new recipe. You'll receive our DELIGHTFUL DESSERTS E-BOOK as a thank you for supporting us.