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25 Minute Tzatziki Gyro Rice Bowls – street food inspired! These bowls are made using ground lamb (or beef/chicken) and served over bowls of rice with fresh pitas and all the “extras”. Add delicious creamy tzatziki sauce, homemade lemon harissa, and all of the desired toppings you love. This Greek-inspired loaded gyro bowl is SO GOOD. It’s a quick, fun, delicious, and different weeknight meal that’s perfect any night of the week. Serve with homemade fries + ketchup to complete!
I’ve been so excited to share this recipe. It’s early in the month, but I can see this being one of my personal favorites for February!
I read a quote the other week that said something like “making simple things actually takes the most time”. That’s not the quote exactly, but the meaning behind it was that creating something that’s meant to be simple actually takes a lot of time and effort. I’ve found this to be so true for my recipe development process. The simplest recipe can take the most time to create because making delicious, fast, and easy recipes is such a challenge!
But they’re worth it in the end! When the final tested recipe is easy, simple, and quick, it’s just what we’re all looking for!
It took a while to create this recipe. I’m not sure why it took me so long to embrace the idea of using ground lamb to create a gyro bowl. But I started out with a recipe that was much more time-intensive, so I’m so happy this worked out!
These bowls are fast to make, and they don’t lack flavor, so delicious! My oldest brother, Creighton, has now said that this might be his favorite meal. He was very excited I was using lamb!
Ok, let’s talk about the details
Ingredients – for the meat
- Ground lamb – while lamb is a traditional gyro meat, you could also use ground beef or chicken. I think they all would work great!
- Yellow onion
- Salted butter
- Garlic
- Paprika – you can use sweet or smoked paprika, but we prefer smoked
- Cumin
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
- Chipotle chili powder
- Freshly cooked hot rice
For serving (these are all optional, use what you love most
- Shredded lettuce
- Pickled red onions
- Fresh chopped herbs – we like cilantro, dill, and parsley
- Tzatziki sauce – I make mine at home, but Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods both have great in-store Tzatziki sauces
Ingredients – for the harissa sauce
- Red harissa
- Melted butter
- Lemon juice
- Paprika
- Chili flakes
Special Tools
Nothing much is needed here, just a skillet to cook the meat and a bowl to mix the sauce.
Steps
Step 1: cook the meat
This is as simple as making ground beef tacos. Cook the meat, lamb, beef, chicken – whatever you love most – together with an onion. Start browning the meat, then add some butter, garlic, and the dry seasonings: paprika, cumin, oregano, and thyme. Then season everything with salt.
Now add a little water to help keep the meat from getting too dry and cook until the water has mostly cooked out of the skillet.
At this point, the meat is ready.
Step 2: make the lemon harissa sauce
For this, you need red harissa sauce, melted butter, lemon juice, paprika, chili flakes, and some salt. Mix everything together. This is the harissa sauce.
Step 3: gather the toppings
This is where most of your time will be spent because there is some chopping. I love to add lettuce and lots of fresh herbs, and sometimes I’ll do pickled red onions. Then always Tzatziki sauce. My family loves Tzatziki!
Step 4: creating the bowls
I like to start with a warm piece of naan. You can also use traditional pita bread. I then spoon some rice over the naan. Next, I add the meats and all of the toppings and sauces!
The bowls come out looking so colorful and fresh!
My favorite is to add some fries on the side! You don’t have to make them, but they sure make dinner even more delicious!
Looking for other easy dinners? Here are some favorites:
Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
Sheet Pan Sticky Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros with Feta Tzatziki
Lastly, if you make these 25 Minute Tzatziki Gyro Rice Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
25 Minute Tzatziki Gyro Rice Bowls
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 638 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb, beef, or chicken
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet/smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- salt
- 6 fresh pitas or naan, warmed
- 3-4 cups cooked rice
- pickled red onion, lettuce, and fresh herbs for serving
- Tzatziki, for serving
Lemon Harrisa
- 1/2 cup red harissa sauce
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, combine the ground meat and onions. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, thyme, and salt. Pour over 1/2 cup water. Cook for 2-5 minutes, until the water has cooked out. 2. Meanwhile, make the Harissa sauce. In a bowl, mix the harissa, melted butter, lemon juice, and paprika. Season with chili flakes and salt. 3. Arrange the warm pitas in a bowl. Spoon over some rice, add a couple spoonful of meat, then top with lettuce, herbs, onions, and lots of Tzatziki. Add the harissa sauce to taste. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 10, 2025
I am making this regularly as the taste is fantastic – however between the chopping of the vegetables, sautéing and seasoning the meat mixture. cooking the rice, heating the bread, preparing the Harissa and assembling the bowls it takes me OVER AN HOUR. It would be thoughtful if you were to state this in your title as it takes at least 25 minutes to do the chopping.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for making this recipe so often and sharing your feedback! So sorry the chopping takes so long, I appreciate your suggestion. Have a great Sunday! xx
This was sadly not good at all. The beef seasoning was not good, way too much thyme. Also, there’s no way to make this in 25 minutes when you also have to make the pickled onions and Tzatziki sauce.
Hi Prilla,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
Great recipe! Easy and tastes delicious!! Definitely adding it to the rotation list! Quick question I swear that’s a banana pepper in the second picture!? Am I wrong?
Thanks so much, Sam! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed! It is, you can totally add some if you like!
I did not read where and when to add 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder. Hopefully in the meat? Only problem I ran into.
Hi Peter,
Sorry about that, you can add that in step 1 with the meat. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Another easy and yummy dinner! The family’s family part was the lemon harissa sauce…. My son said it’s his new favorite!
Thanks so much, Kristie! So glad to hear your family enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it! Happy Friday! xx
This dish comes together very quickly and tastes good! It also is good leftover if stuff is kept separate until serving. I have made it with ground beef and ground venison and both were good. I will make this again!
Love to hear this, Elizabeth! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your feedback! Have a wonderful week! xxT
This is soooo good! I used ground chicken and it still tasted great. I couldn’t get any harissa so I substituted gochujang and made then used the rest of the ingredients for the sauce and it’s still yummy!
Thanks a lot, Sarah! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it and your comment!!
10/10! Full flavor and easy to put together on a weeknight. Your tzatziki recipe was fabulous as well!
Hey Heather,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
So good and quick! This is definitely added in our rotation! We love cava and this is a much easier, quicker, and cheaper version of our favorite bowls at home.
Hey Kaylee,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your comment, love to hear it turned out well for you! XxT
I made this with cubed chicken breast. First I sautéed the onion till soft, then added garlic, then the chicken. Once it was going I added the butter and spices in the center of pan mixed them in and finished the chicken till just done. Added cukes and tomatoes to the other toppings. This was so yummy!!! Want to try with tofu for a meat free meal! Great flavors!
Hey Ellen,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I just realized I’m out of Harissa – would gochujang be a suitable alternative?
Hey Erin,
Sure, that would work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Really delicious and a big hit with my family, who requested that this be added to the roster of regulars. Thank you! It really was in the neighbourhood of 25, except I had to make tzatziki and I opted to dice peppers that were on hand.
Hey Karen,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
We made this tonight and absolutely loved it! I make your recipes all the time, whether from online or one of your cookbooks, and I realized I haven’t been letting you know how we love them. Thank you for making unique, yet approachable, recipes packed with flavor. I keep a pretty stocked pantry, but I also find I can easily make a substitution to fit what I have, if needed. So this was ANOTHER hit in our household, and it was so easy! I made a batch of pickled red onions, we added a little feta and the harissa sauce was OMG! Thank you!!!
Hey Tashia,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
Hello,
I am not interested in Jupiter! How can I print the recipe without them?
Please advise, thank you!
Hi Susan,
I am so sorry about this! We are aware of the issue and working to get this fixed! Please let me know if I can help in any other way:) xx
Good Afternoon,
Just wanted to let you know I’m having a problem printing the recipe. It brings me to Half Baked Harvest Groceries page and asks me to subscribe. I’m subscribed already which is how I got the recipe. I’m not sure if this is supposed to happen but wanted to let you know. While I’m here, Thanks for all the recipes!
Hi Kellie,
Thank you so much for sharing this feedback with us! We are working to get this corrected. Have the best day! xT