Homemade Gyro Seasoning

Gyro seasoning is a Greek spice blend made with Mediterranean herbs – oregano and thyme, as well as delicious warming spices. A one jar solution for making authentic tasting chicken, lamb and beef gyros, and for flavouring vegetables.

Gyro Seasoning

Gyro seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices that make it easy to add an authentic Greek flavour to your dishes. It is ideal to add to meat, or to sprinkle onto vegetables before roasting them.

Gyro (pronounced Year-O) is a seasoned meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie then sliced and served in pittas or wraps – the Greek version of the Turkish donner kebab.

See also

• Make taco Tuesday a breeze with this easy one stop one jar homemade taco seasoning; cheaper and tastier than one from the store.

• Fry seasoning is the quickest and easiest way to elevate your chips or fries to the next level. A simply superb addition to simple oven chips!

• Having fajita seasoning to hand means sizzling fajitas are a simple weeknight staple.

• All my homemade seasoning blend recipes

If I use a seasoning blend often I far prefer to make my own. It is one stop one jar solution when you want to make dinner in a hurry.

I cook for two, so this batch of seasoning makes enough for 4-6 batches of tacos – which is perfect for a small household – but it is so easy to make a bigger batch if needed.

Why make Gyro Seasoning

• Homemade seasoning blends make cooking easy.  This is a one jar solution for flavouring your Greek gyros, saving time and effort (and putting all those jars back in the cupboard)

• Easy to customize to your taste, feel free to amp up the heat, make it super smokey, make it herby! The world is your oyster (or, indeed gyro)

• UPF free! If you read the label on a commercial blend you will never ever buy it again – there are so many ingredients that have no place in a seasoning mix!

• A mix means it is easy to add a small quantity of the more powerful ingredients without overwhelming the whole dish. You simply cannot measure less than 1/4 tsp accurately!

• Convenient and saves time – no more searching through the spice shelf every time you cook

Gyro seasoning ingredients

• Dried oregano – adds a warm and earthy flavours to this mix. Its robust, slightly bitter is primarily earthy, but with green flavours of hay and a hint of mint.

• Dried thyme – A staple of Mediterranean cooking, thyme is known for its delicate yet distinct flavour; earthy with an almost minty flavour. There are floral hints and it’s is a little bit sweet and a little bit peppery.

It is hard to find Greek oregano (which has a different flavour) outside of Greece; the mix of oregano and thyme is a good approximation.

• Smoked paprika – I love hot smoky flavours and a good smoked paprika forms the base for this seasoning. Some sweetness, a little heat and all that lovely smoky flavour.

• Ground cumin and coriander – these two spices add earthiness, and round the flavour.

• Cinnamon – adds another note of flavour in the background – you don’t know it is there, but it definitely adds something.

• Garlic and Onion – Essential for flavouring the meat

• Black Pepper – for some more heat and warmth – a course or home ground is better.

I don’t add salt to my seasoning blends – only to the dish as I put it together.

How to make gryo seasoning – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this gyro seasoning perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Put all the ingredients into a bowl and give them a good stir to thoroughly mix. I like to use a mini whisk to break up any clumps.

Step Two – Transfer to an airtight jar and seal. A jam funnel makes this easy and minimises any spills.

Variations

• Add some heat by adding some ground chilli.

How to use

You need 3-4 tsp of this seasoning blend for about 500g / 1lb of meat. But adjust according to taste.

Not all dried herbs and spices are the same. Different brands have vastly different shelf lives and potency.

Storage

Store the seasoning in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard, and it will last for a few months. Don’t try and store it for years, because the spices will lose their flavour. A jam jar is the perfect container, as the glass won’t get tainted by the spices.

The use by date is the shortest date of any of the ingredients.

Hints and tips

• Write the use by date on a label, and stick it to the jar.

• Before using the mixture, give the container a good shake to make sure everything is evenly distributed. A stir with a teaspoon can also do the same job.
  
• It’s better to mix the ingredients in a bowl and transfer them to a jar, as you can check that everything is evenly distributed.

Buying and Storing Spices

I am a frequent user of spices in my cooking, but even then I don’t use enough to use all of a large bag before the spices lose their flavour. I also find that small jars from the supermarket are poor value for money.

So, I buy medium sized packets from a local corner shop, or the “world foods” aisle of the supermarket. Large enough to be good value, but small enough not to have lost all the flavour by the time I get to the bottom of the packet.

I seal the bags with clips, and keep them in an airtight container, itself kept in a cool, dry and dark cupboard.

Ideally, I have separate boxes for savoury spices, dried herbs, and sweet spices.

More Greek style recipes

• Greek Seasoning – Greek sunshine in a jar!

• Greek Dressing – Infuse a salad with Greek sunshine

• Whipped Feta – A simple dish for a mezze spread