Is Gyro Meat Gluten Free? Truth Revealed

The perfectly seasoned combo of beef and lamb gyro meat is love. This juicy, spicy meat will not only kill your hunger but also will satisfy your taste buds. But as a celiac, you may have to think twice before taking a bite of gyro meat. So what’s the gluten status of gyro meat? Is gyro meat gluten free? 

The traditional gyro meat recipe is gluten free. But many restaurants add cereal binders or breadcrumbs, adding gluten into the dish. 

But it does not mean you’re barred from having gyro meat forever. There are ways to find out if gyro meat contains gluten or not. Read this article to learn about gyro meat, its ingredients, and the proper gluten status. 

Is Gyro Meat Gluten Free? 

Gyro meat is a perfect blend of ground beef or lamb with a perfect seasoning of spices. That’s it. It’s what the traditional recipe of gyro meat is all about. There are no gluten ingredients in the recipe to make it unsafe for celiacs or gluten sensitive people. 

But do all makers follow the traditional recipe? Sadly no. Many manufacturers or even restaurants add cereal or breadcrumbs for the binding purpose, ultimately adding gluten to the dish. 

And not to forget about cross-contamination. If gyro meat is made in shared equipment that processes gluten, it again induces the risk of gluten allergy. So how do you find out whether the gyro meat you picked has breadcrumbs or other gluten agents? 

It’s pretty simple. Just go through the ingredient list and see if you find anything gluten related. Gluten grains are wheat, barley, rye, semolina, or in a nutshell, everything made out of wheat. 

If you suspect the presence of such an ingredient, gyro meat isn’t safe for you. Moreover, you should never forget to check the gluten free label if you are buying readymade gyro meat. 

If you have ordered it in a restaurant, make sure to ask the chef if they make gluten free gyro meat or not. Don’t forget to confirm about the utensils as well. 

How Is Gyro Meat Made? Is It Healthy? 

Gyro meat is a spicy meat dish made from beef, lamb, or a combination of both. Sometimes it’s made with chicken as well. The meat is cooked in a rotisserie and is served with pita bread. 

Gyro meat is not restricted to a particular geographical area. People love this dish globally, and it also has different names in different countries. For instance, people in Turkey call it kebab, while people in Greece call it gyros. 

The spices used in gyro meat are- garlic, oregano, cumin, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, black pepper, sea salt, and onion. All spices with the ground meat are combined to make the perfect gyro meat. 

Gyro meat has enough protein, has no sugar, and brings you the goodness of spices as well. You get approximately 26 grams of protein from 100grams of gyro meat which is great to meet your daily protein requirement. 

But gyro meat is heavy on calories too. A hundred grams of gyro meat has around 217 calories, so it won’t help you if you are on a calorie deficit. Additionally, packaged gyro meat has added preservatives, and it may be high in sodium, too, so you may want to watch out for the quantity. 

Here is how the nutritional facts of 100gms of beef gyro sandwich looks like (source) 

• Calories- 151 
• Total fat- 2.29g
• Trans fat- 0g 
• Saturated fat- 0.739g
• Polyunsaturated fat- 0.322g
• Monounsaturated fat- 0.825g 
• Cholesterol- 14mg
• Sodium- 281mg
• Total carbs- 19.77g
• Dietary fiber- 1.1g
• Sugars- 1.92g
• Protein- 11.88g 

Try This Traditional Gluten Free Gyro Meat Recipe 

I understand that having a gluten allergy can really get on your nerves. You are afraid to eat anything outside, which may stop you from tasting a lot of delicacies. 

But you can prepare gluten free gyro meat at home, and trust me; it tastes just the same as the authentic traditional recipe. So let’s not waste any more time and dive right into the recipe. 

Ingredients 

• 1 pound of ground beef 
• 1 pound ground lamb 
• Half onion (roughly chopped) 
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced) 
• 1 tsp cumin powder 
• 1 tsp dried rosemary (ground) 
• 1 tsp dried marjoram 
• 1 tsp ground black pepper powder 
• 1 tsp dried thyme (ground) 
• ¼ tsp sea salt 

Method 

Step one 

Finely paste the onions in a food processor. Take a cotton cloth, place the onions in the middle and squeeze out the water. 

Step two 

Now mix ground meat, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, cumin powder, garlic, black pepper powder, marjoram, and sea salt in a bowl. Mix with your hands so that everything is well combined. Cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator for one hour. 

Step three 

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Take out the meat mixture from the refrigerator and pulse in the food processor until you get a tacky consistency. Spread it in a loaf pan and ensure there are no air pockets. 

Step four 

Take a roasting pan, and line it with a damp towel. Now place the load pan in the middle of the roasting pan and pour boiling water in the roasting pan until it reaches halfway to the loaf pan. Put the dish inside the oven for about 45 minutes to one hour. 

The meat will be ready when it’s not pink on the inside and reaches the temperature of 165°F. Once done, allow the meat to cool for some time before cutting it into thin slices. 

Wrapping Up 

Hopefully, you got your answer to whether gyro meat is gluten free or not. To sum up, the traditional gyro meat recipe is gluten free without any allergy-inducing ingredients. But you may have to be extra careful for packaged, or restaurant served gyro meat. 

Don’t want to risk having packaged gyro meat? Try out the gluten free gyro meat recipe I shared. 

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