Gyro Bowls (Meatballs with Tzatziki, Lemon Rice, and Cucumber Salad) (2024)

For the Meatballs

• ▢ 1 pound ground lamb, beef, or pork lamb preferred
• ▢ ¼ cup minced onion
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ½ cup finely crumbled feta cheese
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

For the Tzatziki

• ▢ 1-2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
• ▢ half of one European cucumber peeled, grated, drained (see Notes)
• ▢ 1 cup plain yogurt drained
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint plus more to taste, see Notes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill see Notes
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Lemon Rice

• ▢ 2 cups cooked rice white or brown
• ▢ juice of one half lemon roughly 1 tablespoon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt to taste

For the Cucumber & Tomato Salad

• ▢ 1 cup tomatoes diced, halved, or chopped
• ▢ 1 cup diced cucumber drained, see Notes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt to taste

Recommended Garnishes (All Optional)

• ▢ hummus
• ▢ olive oil
• ▢ crumbled feta
• ▢ Kalamata olives
• ▢ chopped dill
• ▢ chopped parsley
• ▢ sumac
• ▢ pitas

For the Meatballs

• Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray foil or parchment paper lightly with cooking spray and set baking sheet aside.

• Add all meatball ingredients to large mixing bowl. Using your hands, gently mix together ingredients until uniformly combined.

  

• Divide mixture into even portions using scoop with release handle. Roll each scoop between palms of hands to form meatball, then place on lined baking sheet. Repeat until all mixture has been formed into meatballs. Mixture should yield 14 to 20 meatballs depending on size of scoop. Note: if not using scoop, divide entire mixture into 4 equal parts, then divide each part into 5 equal meatballs.

• Place baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until meatballs are nicely browned and cooked through. Prepare remaining components of gyro bowl while meatballs bake.

For the Tzatziki

• Place garlic on cutting board. Sprinkle salt over garlic then use back of fork to mash garlic into paste.

• Add garlic paste, drained cucumber (see Notes), drained yogurt, mint and/or dill, black pepper, and olive oil to medium bowl. Stir well to combine all ingredients, then taste and adjust salt as needed. Set aside.

For the Lemon Rice

• Add 2 cups cooked rice, juice of one half lemon, and salt to medium mixing bowl. Stir well to thoroughly incorporate ingredients, then taste and adjust lemon juice and salt as needed. Set aside.

For the Cucumber & Tomato Salad

• Add all components to small mixing bowl. Gently stir to distribute ingredients, then taste and adjust salt as needed. Set aside.

To Assemble the Bowls

• Divide rice evenly into serving bowls. Top rice with meatballs, tzatziki, cucumber & tomato salad, and any other desired garnishes. Serve immediately.

• Tzatziki: You can use fresh mint AND fresh dill, or choose just one.

To Drain Water from Cucumbers

1. Peel and grate/dice cucumbers.
2. With paper towels, squeeze as much water as possible out of cucumber.
3. Place cucumber in colander. Set colander over bowl to catch liquid. Liberally sprinkle salt over cucumbers, tossing or moving cucumbers as needed to salt entirely.
4. Let cucumbers rest 20 minutes.
5. Transfer drained cucumbers to fresh paper towels. Press or blot to remove any remaining liquid. If desired, you can quickly rinse the drained cucumbers in cold water to remove excess salt, then press or blot with paper towels.