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Slow Cooker Beef Gyros

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By Sarah Olson

9 Comments

May 25, 2022Updated Mar 11, 2025

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A juicy, slow-cooked chuck roast is seasoned with garlic, lemon, and oregano, then shredded to create the ultimate crockpot beef gyros. Piled onto warm pita bread and topped with crisp veggies, these gyros deliver bold Mediterranean flavors in every bite. Serve with creamy tzatziki sauce for the perfect finishing touch!

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If you’re looking for a meal that can be ready when you are but doesn’t require you to stand over a hot stove or oven, this gyros recipe is the answer. Most recipes suggest searing the roast before putting it in the slow cooker, but we skip that step with our beef gyro recipe and still come out with the most tender, pull-apart beef roast you’ve ever had. Perfect for feeding a large family. We also make an easy Crockpot Chicken Gyros recipe, which has all these wonderful flavors as well.

Key Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this wonderful gyro recipe, for recipe amounts, see the recipe card below the images.

• Chuck Roast: look for a meaty 3-4 pound beef chuck roast, which will later be cut into 2-3 inch chunks for cooking. A red onion is used as a base for the roast to cook on (for even more flavor).
• Herbs & Spice: dill weed is used for garnishing, while salt, black pepper, oregano, and garlic are added to flavor the roast. Lemon is added for flavor as well (don’t skip this).
• Tzatziki Sauce: the traditional Greek sauce that pairs perfectly with beef gyros. I find this near the salad mixes at the store (refrigerated). Or you can make your homemade tzatziki sauce with greek yogurt.
• Greek Style Pita Bread: used to sandwich everything together and can be left as-is or slightly charred.

How to make Beef Gyros in the Crockpot

Step One – Slice the onion and lay it in the crockpot over an olive oil-covered bottom.

Step Two – Add the quartered chuck roast pieces on top of the sliced red onion.

Step Three – Cover the meat with salt, pepper, oregano, and minced garlic. Cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Step Four – When cooking time is complete, shred the meat with two forks and serve.

Recipe FAQs

Slow Cooker Beef Gyros

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8

By: Sarah Olson

Tender, flavorful crockpot beef gyros are slow-cooked with garlic, lemon, and oregano, then served in warm pitas with fresh veggies and creamy tzatziki.

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How to Video

Equipment

• Slow Cooker – 4 quart or larger (I own and use this one from Crock-Pot)

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the beef:

• ▢ 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ▢ 1 red onion, sliced
• ▢ 3-4 lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into 2 to 3 inch chunks
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 lemons, juiced
• ▢ 1 tsp. dried oregano
• ▢ 1 tsp. salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. black pepper

For the gyros:

• ▢ 8 greek-style pitas
• ▢ diced red onion
• ▢ diced tomatoes
• ▢ diced cucumber
• ▢ shredded lettuce
• ▢ tzatziki sauce

Instructions 

• Drizzle the olive oil into the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the red onions over the olive oil.
• Arrange the roast over the onions. Drop the garlic over the roast and season the pieces with the lemon juice, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
• Place the lid over the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
• Remove the lid and shred the beef with two forks.
• Warm the pita breads if desired (char them slightly). Serve the beef with a slotted spoon over pitas. Top as desired with onion, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, and tzatziki sauce.

Sarah’s Notes

How to char pita bread?

Brush both sides of the pita bread with olive oil (spraying with cooking spray works too). Place it in a skillet over medium-high heat and “cook” on each side for 10-15 seconds.

How to store:

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to five days, or in the freezer for up to three months. Use it to make more gyros later or make something entirely new like beef tacos or shredded beef salad.

Variations

• A different meat choice can be made. A leg of lamb, beef flank steak, or even chicken breasts.
• Lime juice can be used instead of lemon.
• You can use a whole chuck roast instead of chunking it up into pieces.
• Add the zest of the lemon for even more lemon flavor.

My Serving Suggestions:

• Traditional: traditional gyros are made with pita bread, a scoop of gyro meat, and topped with sliced tomatoes, red onions, and a nice helping of tzatziki sauce.
• Add Extra Toppings: other toppings that pair well with beef gyros are chopped romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and fresh dill.
• Side Suggestions: although the gyros can be the main course, make this a more hearty meal by pairing the gyros with a classic Greek salad, french fries, or a chilled pasta salad.
• Leftovers: The beef is very neutral in flavoring, we like to use the leftovers in Mexican recipes!

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 633mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

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