This Greek-inspired Meatball Gyros and Tzatziki are SO GOOD! It makes for a quick and different weeknight dinner. Plus, you can prep everything ahead if you want, even better right?!? For a added twist in my family we do homemade naan. It is so amazing but if you needed to make this one real fast grab some premade from the store and you could have dinner ready in 35 minutes. The homemade I will say is worth the little bit of extra effort.
The Meatballs Gyros
These come together really quickly and are great prepared early and even frozen for later, if you are into meal prepping. First off, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Next, grab a large bowl and place all the meatball ingredients together. Mix well, I usually just get my hands in there. Then, form in 2 tbsp. sized balls. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until they are fully cooked through.
The Tzaziki Sauce
This sauce is so good and gives the best element to the gyros. This isn’t quite the traditional sauce as it doesn’t include the cucumber but it has all the same flavor. Combine the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Then store in the fridge until ready to serve. If you want to plan ahead this can be made a day or two before. The flavors will just have more time to marinate together, which is never bad.
The Tomato Cucumber Salad
This is your basic tomato and cucumber salad but it really steps up the overall flavor of the gyros and gives you a wonderful crunch. You can make it ahead and the longer this one sits the better it tastes. In a medium bowl combine your cucumber, tomato and red onion. Sprinkle with some pepper, sea salt, lemon juice, and parsley. Finally, give it a stir and place in the fridge till you are ready to serve.
The Naan Bread
Naan is surprisingly easy to make. The only thing that requires a time is letting it sit for an hour.
There are a few key things to good naan. First, a cast iron skillet is really what you need to create the perfect naan. Yes, you could use a nonstick skillet, but you will not get all the pockets of air and toasty parts that characterize tasty naan. Second, it’s important to roll your naan dough out pretty thin. As naan cooks it will quickly puff quickly. If the dough is too thick it will be dense, instead of airy and light.
Putting it together.
In a small bowl add sugar, warm water and yeast mixing together. Then, let it rest for 10 minutes allowing the yeast to become activated. It will get foamy and have a bread like smell to it. Next, place the flour on a flat dry surface and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast mixture, yogurt, salt and oil into the well and knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with thin damp cloth and let rise in a warm place. Allow the dough to double in size, about 1 hour.
Once your dough has risen divide dough into 8 equal balls. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball of dough into an oval shape. It should be about 6-8 inches long and about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the naan on the hot skillet, cover with a lid and bake for 1 minute, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes until large toasted spots appear on the underside.
Hooray, you have made naan finish it up by brushing it butter, then sprinkle with a little salt and garlic powder.
Looking for other easy dinners? Here are some favorites:
Lastly, if you make these Meatball Gyros with Tzatziki with Homemade Naan be sure to leave a comment, or give this recipe a rating! I’d love to hear from you. If you do make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram! I love seeing the photos of the recipes you make!
Meatball gyros with a simple tomato and cucumber salad, lemon Tzatziki sauce alongside homemade garlic naan bread. Healthy and savory dinner. Great as a make a head for a busy night!
Ingredients
UnitsScale
Tzatziki Sauce
1/4cup plain greek yogurt
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. fresh dill (dried also works but its not as flavorful)
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Meatballs
1 lbs of lean ground beef
1/2cup minced onion
3 tbsp of panko bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tsp of flat leaf parsley chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
1cup diced grape tomatoes
1cup cucumber chopped
1/4cup red onion chopped
1 tsp. flat leaf parsley chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste.
Naan Bread
1/2cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. oil olive oil or melted butter for brushing garlic powder for sprinkling.
Instructions
1. Combine sauce ingredients; yogurt, garlic, olive oil, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a bowl and store in the fridge until ready to serve. Can be made a day or two ahead of time.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Combine meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix well and form in 2 tbsp. sized balls. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until they are fully cooked through.
4. Meanwhile dice up all the ingredients for the salad and combine in a bowl.
5. Distribute the meatballs, sauce and salad between your nann . Roll up and enjoy!
Naan Instructions
1. In a small bowl, add sugar, warm water, and yeast together. Stir well to combine. Let rest 10 minutes allowing the yeast to activated. It should become foamy and smell like bread.
2. Place flour on a flat dry surface and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast mixture, yogurt, salt and oil, knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with thin damp cloth and let rise in a warm place. Allow the dough to double in size, about 1 hour.
3. Divide dough into 8 equal balls. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball of dough into an oval shape. It should be about 6-8 inches long and about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4. Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the naan on the hot skillet, cover with a lid and bake for 1 minute, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes until large toasted spots appear on the underside.
5. Brush with butter, then sprinkle with a little salt and garlic powder.
Wow, these were so great. The naan did take little extra effort but totally worth it the flavors were wonderful.
This is one of my favorite dinners. The meatballs are sooo good.
Love the idea of using beef instead on lamb. The yogurt sauce is to die for too. Super nice summer meal!
Meatballs are such a genius idea! I love the flavors in the yogurt sauce!
Such a great work from home lunch or easy family dinner! Love these bold flavors.
Everything was so tasty, but I have to admit, the naan was my favorite! Soft and perfectly chewy.