Tofu Gyros
These Tofu Gyros are a great, cheap way to make the classic Greek sandwich! Pile on the Tzatziki and Fries for the win!
A few years ago, I made my Vegan Gyros recipe. It was actually two recipes, one for Impossible Meat and one for Tofu! So for those of you that are just wanting to find the Tofu version, I thought I’d split them into separate posts!
In any case, this Tofu Gyro recipe is just as good as any I’ve had, and since Tofu is cheap and accessible, it can be made by just about anybody (except folks with a soy allergy, my apologies!)
ingredients for Tofu gyros
I highly recommend Super Firm Tofu as it has very little water and doesn’t need pressing, boiling or freezing. It really has the best texture so I would advise against anything softer.
I can find it at most major grocery stores out here in Southern California. Kroger, Sprouts and Trader Joe’s all have their own store brand as well, and a 1 pound block is usually around $3-$5 (Trader Joe’s is the cheapest in my experience)
Whole Foods has some Pressed Extra Firm Tofu, which is the same as Super Firm.
marinade and seasonings
For the marinade and seasoning we are using mostly pantry staples, if you can find some Beefless Broth, Marmite and Gravy Master, then I highly suggest it.
Otherwise, just use whatever you have to make this marinade as meaty as possible! Soy sauce, Nutritional Yeast, Vegan Worcestershire, Steak Sauce will all work as substitutes.
Fresh Veggies
For the fresh veggies, I just went with some tomato and marinated onions. You can slice up some onions and use them as is, or you can take a few minutes to jazz them up with some lemon and herbs. It’s a good move and one I highly recommend!
Feel free to add whatever veggies you like. Cucumber or bell peppers would be great too!
tzatziki
I highly recommend making my Tzatziki RECIPE to go along with this! I have two versions of that too, so you have options. But I think next to the gyro meat, the tzatziki is my favorite part of a gyro!
Pita
Look, I’m lazy, so I just bought some Pita from the store. It’s decent and it’s probably what a lot of the places I used to frequent also use. Obviously if you have the time and inclination, making some fresh pita would be a good move, but don’t sweat it!
You can also use a sturdy flour tortilla in a pinch as well!
Fries
Frozen Crinkle Cut fries. Season them well. Don’t over complicate this one! Yes you can make fresh fries, but I will die on the hill that all the extra work, clean up, etc is not worth it. At least in my book!
How to Make Tofu Gyros
Thinly slice the tofu, don’t worry if they are perfectly the same size. You can also use a mandolin to slice them. Feel free to tear them in half for a rougher edge too.
To make the marinade, combine everything else in a large bowl. Add the tofu slices into the bowl and gently toss to coat them in the marinade. It’s okay if the pieces get broken up, in fact it’s a good thing!
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray. Spread the sauced tofu slices in an even layer, making sure they don’t overlap. Add them to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the tofu feels slightly dry and chewy.
Once tofu is dried out, add them to a skillet over medium heat, and add 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until most of the water has been reabsorbed / reduced.
Your Tofu Gyro is done! Enjoy in a pita with tomatoes, the marinated onions, some tzatziki and fries!
handy dandy video here!
storage
You can store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. It reheats well, in fact my wife would just microwave it for a minute or so and whip up a quick pita with the leftovers for lunch! She’s smart too!
Other Recipes You Will Dig!
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Tofu Gyros
Ingredients
Gyro Seasoning
- 1 tsp Fresh Chopped Rosemary (or 1/2 tsp Dried)
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 – 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Marjoram
- 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
- Salt & Pepper
Tofu Gyro
- 1 pound Super Firm Tofu
- Gyro Seasoning (all of it)
- 1 tsp Vegan Beef Bouillon (or Veggie Bouillon)
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Marmite (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
- 1 tsp Gravy Master (for color)
- 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp Water
Marinated Onions
- 1/2 Medium Red Onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Dill
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 – 2 tsp Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
For Serving
- Pita
- Vegan Tzatziki
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
Instructions
Gyro Seasoning
- To make the gyro seasoning, simply combine everything in a small bowl.
Marinated Onions
- Simply combine everything in a bowl and serve immediately! These will get pickled eventually and lose some of their crunch (after a few hours), but they are still good!
Tofu Gyro
- Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C.
- If using extra firm tofu, press for at least 30 minutes. If using super firm, just pat the block dry. Thinly slice it and set aside.
- To make the marinade, combine everything else in a large bowl. Add the tofu slices into the bowl and gently toss to coat them in the marinade. It's okay if the pieces get broken up, in fact it's a good thing!
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray. Spread the sauced tofu slices in an even layer, making sure they don't overlap. Add them to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the tofu feels slightly dry and chewy.
- Once tofu is dried out, add them to a skillet over medium heat, and add 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until most of the water has been reabsorbed / reduced.
- Your Tofu Gyro is done! Enjoy in a pita with tomatoes, the marinated onions, some tzatziki and fries!
I didn’t have the Marmite or Gravy Master but the tofu turned out FANTASTIC without them! The flavors of the tzatziki (which I used the recipe on this site), the marinated onions, and the meat combined for a next level experience!
I used extra firm tofu that I pressed and the texture still came out perfect.
Oh nice glad it worked out with the extra firm, this is one of my favorites too, thank you!
This was a hit! I was missing the smoke, and I think that would make it even better next time we try it, but still good without it!
Excellent, so glad it worked out! Thank you!
Man this is another hit. Really loving all of the recipes you’ve got here. Replaced a bit of the smoked paprika with some smoked ghost pepper powder to up the kick – so good!
Oh nice, ghost pepper sounds good! Glad you dig it!!
I loved this recipe. Soooo Tasty.
Yay, thank you! Glad you like it!