My Big Fat Greek Tacos (2024)

Big Fat Greek Tacos will please every appetite, ground meat seasoned perfectly and served with tomato and cucumber relish with mint tzatziki.

This is one big fat Greek taco for sure! A gyro and taco all in one. And delicious, hearty and satisfying all in one too!

Customize your own condimentsif you like,but the Mint Tzatziki and Tomato-Cucumber Relish are essential to the Grecian vibe in this sure-to-be-a-regular on your go-to menu.

The relish and tzatziki can be made ahead, in fact I think it’s necessary for the flavors to marry before serving. So, make both condimentsat least an hour ahead of time or even the night before.

A few variations to try: Serve with hummus instead of the tzatziki for a dairy-free option if that matters to you. Or include the hummus and the tzatziki because both are fabulous! The recipe calls for (and pictured) Greek no-pocket pita bread, but you could use pocket bread which would be especially easy at a party, or serve salad-style with no bread at all! For extra veggies per serving; as the meat is finishing, seed and chop an additional tomato,add tothe meat mixtureand cook just until the tomato breaks down.

These Greek tacos will be perfect at a buffet-style party. The entire meal can be made ahead. Justreheat the meat (this could be done in the crockpot so it stays warm during multiple trips to the buffet line), griddle the pitas quick and set it all out for your guests to pile everything together. As written, the recipe servesfour and we were able to make the tacos into extragenerous portions with lunch leftovers. Cook’s update: I just made these for a very large crowd and here is a tip to follow for the best flavor. Have the meat ready at least 4 hours before the party. Place in a crockpot on low for 4 hours and the juices/flavors will just increase until when it’s time to serve. I made both condiments the morning of the party also for optimum flavor.

The recipe can be made with ground beef (our favorite), lamb or turkey.

And, as if the tacos aren’t delicious enough, look what you can do with leftovers. Ahealthier alternative tocorned-beef hash.

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5 from 6 votes

These Greek Tacos will be the hit of any party buffet or family weeknight dinner. Make the relish and tzatziki the night before if you like for even more low effort prep time. The flavor is over-the-top and sure to be requested again and again. If making for a party or large group, after the meat mixture is finished, heat on low in a crock pot for 4 hours to increase the flavors and seasonings.

Ingredients

For the Cucumber Tomato Relish:

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 firm tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
½ red onion, diced
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Feta Mint Tzatziki:

1 English cucumber
Salt
1 cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
½ cup crumbled feta cheese, plus extra ½ cup or so for serving
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons minced fresh mint

For the Lamb or Turkey Filling:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ pounds ground lamb, beef or turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ red onion, minced
2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
4 Tablespoons dry red wine or cooking wine or red wine vinegar

For the pitas:

4-6 Greek pitas

Instructions

At least one hour or as early as one day before you prepare the meat, prepare the relish and tzatziki:

Prepare the Cucumber Tomato Relish:

Toss 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 Tablespoon vinegar, 2 diced tomatoes, 1 diced cucumbers and ½ onion in a bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and let sit at least 1 hour to marry the flavors.

Make the Tzatziki:

Seed and then finely dice 1 cucumber and place in a fine-meshed strainer or cheese cloth fitted over a bowl. Salt the cucumber and let sit 10 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess moisture. Add the strained cucumber into a bowl with 1 cup yogurt, ½ cup feta, 1 minced garlic and 2 Tablespoons mint. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
The day of the tacos, start about 20 minutes before ready to serve:

Make the Meat:

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 ½ pounds ground meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the meat gets nice and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat and reserve. Lower the heat to medium and sauté ½ minced red onion in the lamb juices until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons oregano and 4 minced garlics and cook until fragrant. Season. Add 2 Tablespoons tomato paste and cook until it caramelizes. Deglaze 4 Tablespoons red wine and scrape any bits up that have adhered to the pan. Add the meat back in, stir and keep warm.

Toast the Pitas:

In a cast iron or other heavy skillet, drizzle a small amount of olive oil and heat to medium high.
Place pita in pan and heat each side for just about 20 seconds.
Serve buffet style with extra feta, if desired.

Notes

This is not necessary for yummy impressive flavor, BUT if you happen to have a little Za'atar seasoning, add 1-2 teaspoons to the oregano when cooking the meat mixture. It will add just that much more out-of-this-world Greek gyro flavor. I have made it without and had huge success.

Nutrition Facts

My Big Fat Greek Tacos

Amount Per Serving

Calories 454Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 95mg32%

Sodium 266mg12%

Potassium 657mg19%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 665IU13%

Vitamin C 12.2mg15%

Calcium 161mg16%

Iron 2.8mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe adapted from Food Network.

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