Vegetarian Gyros

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You won’t miss the meat in these Vegetarian Gyros--they're loaded with robustly-seasoned and perfectly roasted chickpeas, a medley of veggies, and our favorite Tzatziki sauce. This easy, weeknight meal can be ready in about 30 minutes or less if you’ve got an air fryer! (Air Fryer and Oven Instructions included.)

Course Dinner, lunch, Vegetarian

Cuisine Greek, Healthy, Vegetarian

Keyword vegetarian gyros

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings gyros

Calories 701kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $6.73

Ingredients

Chickpeas

1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons EACH: paprika, dried oregano
1 teaspoon EACH: dried basil, garlic powder
Fine sea salt & cracked pepper
2 pita breads
Optional: prepared hummus
For serving: green leaf lettuce, halved or thinly sliced cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced Persian/English cucumber, feta cheese, fresh lemon wedges

Sauce

1/4 cup grated English/Persian cucumber
1/4 cup plain whole Greek yogurt (we love Greek Gods)
2 and 1/4 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 and 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice + 1/4 teaspoon zest

US - Metric

Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C). Drain and rinse chickpeas and then dry in a salad spinner or with paper towels (wet chickpeas won't roast as nicely). Generously grease a sheet pan with cooking spray.
CHICKPEAS: Add chickpeas to the prepared pan. Drizzle on oil, seasonings, salt, and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). With your hands, toss everything until well coated; spread the chickpeas out in an even layer (not overlapping) on the tray. Roast for 18-22 minutes, tossing or shaking the tray at the halfway mark. (We like them best at 20 minutes). Roast until they're crisp, but not hard. Remove and set aside. (See Note 1 for Air Frying Directions)
TZATZIKI: Meanwhile, grate cucumber with the large holes of a cheese grater. Line a small bowl with a few paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel) and place the grated cucumber on top. Squeeze out as much extra moisture as you can from the cucumber to keep the sauce from being watery. Once it's drained, add to a medium-sized bowl with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/8 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper). Cover the bowl and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
CHAR THE PITA BREAD: Spray both sides of the pita bread with olive oil cooking spray and "grill" the bread on the stovetop over an open flame (on medium heat) until slightly charred, about 10-15 seconds per side (flip with tongs). Once charred, immediately fold in half and cover with a clean towel until ready to serve. Alternatively, warm (covered with a damp paper towel) in the microwave.
ASSEMBLY: Spread hummus or tzatziki sauce on one side of the warmed pita bread. Add half of the chickpeas (press into sauce to help them stay better) and then add desired toppings such as thinly sliced red onions, thinly sliced cucumbers, diced cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese. Drizzle tzatziki sauce generously over everything. If desired, squeeze fresh lemon on top. Fold up and enjoy immediately!

Notes

Note 1: To make the chickpeas in the air fryer: Heat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Toss chickpeas, olive oil, and seasonings in a bowl until well coated. Put the chickpeas in the air fryer basket and cook for 11-14 minutes (we like them best at 12 minutes) or until crisp, but not hard. Shake the air basket at the halfway point to ensure even frying.

Nutrition information includes pita and tzatziki sauce, but not hummus.

Nutrition