Recipe: Calamari Gyro
While people might debate the right way to pronounce "gyro" there is no debate that it's a delicious sandwich. A common street food that has enjoyed popularity all the way back to the 19th Century Ottoman Empire, gyros are usually made with spit-roasted pork, beef, or lamb.
For our gyro recipe, we use our calamari strips for the sandwich. Restaurants often serve calamari strips as an appetizer, like fries (hello, dipping sauce), but they are a perfect seafood for an alternative protein in wraps, sandwiches, and salads. They're easy to use, the right size, and don't come pre-breaded and fried like fish sticks, meaning they can be prepared various ways for a healthier meal.
If you don't have strips, it's easy to make this recipe with rings, tubes, or calamari steaks - just adjust your cooking times accordingly. Cutting back or eliminating carbs? Skip the pita and do a lettuce wrap, or add more vegetables to make it into a salad instead.
This recipe is super fast to prep and cook - ready in under 15 minutes! Make the greek yogurt taziki sauce ahead of time to shorten prep even more, and give the flavors time to really come together.
Calamari Gyro
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Ready in: 13 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- ● 1 medium English cucumber
- ● 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ● 2 tsp. chopped fresh dill
- ● 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- ● 1/4 tsp. red wine vinegar
- ● Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ● 2 tsp. canola oil
- ● 1 lb. The Town Dock Calamari Strips, thawed
- ● 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- ● 2 tsp. minced fresh oregano
- ● 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- ● 4 rounds pita
- ● 4 leaves iceberg lettuce
- ● 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ● 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Preparation:
1. Cut cucumber in half. Finely chop 1/2 cucumber and combine with yogurt, dill, 2 cloves garlic and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside. Slice remaining cucumber into thin rounds, and set aside for serving.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Calamari Strips, remaining garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fully cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir until combined.
3. Spread yogurt sauce over pita and top with lettuce, tomato, onion, sliced cucumber and cooked Calamari Strips. Repeat with remaining pita. Serve and enjoy.