Meaty Vegan Seitan Gyros

Gyro is a traditional Greek sandwich made with pita bread stuffed with roasted meat (usually chicken, pork, or beef), fresh vegetables, and a generous serving of tzatziki sauce.

This vegan version of gyros is equally flavorful and satisfying! Seitan works as the perfect substitute for roasted meat, and we will be making our tofu-based tzatziki sauce. I also love serving this sandwich with salad, fries, or air fryer potato slices. 

💚Why you will love this recipe 

• Bursting with flavors, hearty and incredibly delicious 
• Wholesome and packed with protein 
• Highly customizable - feel free to stuff your vegan gyro with anything you like
• Great for meal prep - The seitan gyro meat stores well and is freezable! 

🤔What is vegan gyro made of 

Traditional gyros are not vegan; they are filled with roasted chicken, pork, or beef. Tzatziki sauce is also not vegan-friendly as it is a yogurt-based sauce. 

Instead of roasted meat, this recipe uses seitan gyro meat. Seitan works perfectly as a substitute for meat due to its meaty and juicy texture. 

As for the tzatziki, we will make it from scratch using silken tofu instead of yogurt. Silken tofu works amazingly well as a base for sauces, and I used it to make sour cream and vegan mayonnaise in the past! 

🧅What you will need 

For seitan

For tzatziki sauce

To serve 

• Pita bread or wraps
• Chopped or sliced veggies - lettuce, red onion, cucumber, tomatoes 
• Freshly chopped herbs (optional) - cilantro, parsley, green onion, dill 

📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 

• Vital wheat gluten - Also known as gluten flour, it is a wheat-derived flour composed mainly of gluten (the main protein in wheat). DO NOT attempt to substitute it with other kinds of flour; it simply will not work! 
• Tofu - Use extra-firm or firm tofu. You do not need to press it beforehand. 
• Silken tofu - This is to make tzatziki. You can substitute it with 1 cup of unsweetened and unflavored plant-based yogurt. 
• Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice works best, but feel free to use bottled ones. 

🔪How to make 

Making seitan gyro meat 

Saute the aromatics - Heat some oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high. Add onion, and saute until translucent. Add garlic next and fry for another minute. 

Preparing the seitan dough - Add all ingredients, except wheat gluten, to a food processor and blend until smooth. Next, add vital wheat gluten and pulse until a dough forms. 

Kneading and shaping - Transfer the dough to a smooth surface, and knead for 1-2 minutes. Shape it into a loaf, and wrap it with aluminum foil. You can now proceed with steaming the seitan or cooking it in an Instant Pot. 

Steaming - Bring 1-2 inches of water to a boil in a pot with a steamer basket fitted. Once the water starts to boil, place in seitan, and steam for an hour.

Instant pot - Place 1 cup of water into the inner pot, then fit in a suitable steamer basket. Cook seitan at high pressure for 40 minutes. Let the steam release naturally for 15 minutes before quickly releasing the remaining pressure.

Cooling down - Let the seitan cool down to room temperature before slicing. Optionally, you can pan-fry seitan strips before serving. 

For tzatziki sauce 

While seitan is cooking, proceed with making your vegan tzatziki. 

Prepping cucumber - Grate cucumber using a box grater. Mix ½ teaspoon of salt with cucumber in a bowl, and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the cucumber to release water. Then, place the cucumber in a towel/cheesecloth and gently squeeze to remove excess water. Set aside. 

Making the base - Place the rest of the ingredients (except cucumber) into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. 

Mixing everything - Transfer the tofu mixture to a bowl, and add grated cucumber. Mix until the cucumber is well incorporated. Chill it in the fridge until ready to use. 

Assembling the sandwich 

Warming the pita - Warm your pita in a skillet for 20-30 seconds on both sides. 

Making the sandwiches - On your pita, layer on vegetables and seitan gyro meat, then spoon on a generous amount of tzatziki. Your vegan gyros is ready to be served! 

✅Helpful tips 

• Be careful not to over-knead seitan - This will cause your seitan to be tough and rubbery. Kneading it for 1-2 minutes is sufficient. 
• Let seitan cool down before slicing - Ideally, the seitan should cool down to room temperature. Its texture improves after sitting and will turn much firmer and meatier. 
• Warm your pita bread - Especially if your pita is slightly stale. By warming them, the pita will turn softer and more delicious. It will also turn more malleable, hence, less likely to fall apart while wrapping.
• Serve seitan gyros immediately after assembling - Pita might turn soggy after some time as it absorbs liquid from the vegetables and sauce. 

🥗Other ways to serve seitan 

Here are some other ways to use seitan gyro meat (that are not sandwiches!): 

• As a topping for pizzas or avocado toasts 
• Chop it up and add them to salads like my romaine lettuce avocado salad and protein pasta salad 
• Chop and add it to casseroles - an easy way to bump up the protein content of your meal! 
• Make Greek-inspired salad bowls by serving them with rice, roasted or raw veggies, and tzatziki sauce. 

❄️Storing suggestions 

• Vegan gyro meat - Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months. I recommend slicing and portioning them using freezer bags before storing them so you will only take out what you need. 
• Tzatziki sauce - Store it in a sealed container or a glass jar. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. 
• Seitan gyros - I recommend storing individual components of this sandwich in separate containers and assembling them right before serving. You can chop your veggies beforehand, which will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.

🍽️More seitan recipes

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