These Greek-inspired Vegan Gyros taste like the real deal! Made with easy homemade seitan gyros meat. Loaded with protein and make-ahead friendly. Serve with fluffy pita, creamy tzatziki, and crisp veggies. (Vegan).
Mix: To a food processor, add cannellini beans, tamari, 2 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil, nutritional yeast, and garlic. Pulse until smooth. Add vital wheat gluten, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, and pepper. Process until the mixture comes into a dough-like ball, about 1 minute.
Knead: Transfer dough to a clean surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, at least 2 minutes, to ensure sufficient gluten development. Shape dough into 1 rectangle: 7-inches long x 4-inches wide x ¾-inch thick (18 x 10 x 2 cm).
Bake: Wrap the dough with a piece of foil, so its covered on all sides. Bake for 1 hour, flipping the dough halfway through. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Slice and sear: Use a serrated knife to cut the block of gyros “meat” into thin strips (about ⅛-inch / 0.5 cm thick). Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet, over medium heat. Scatter sliced "meat" into pan and sauté until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
Assemble: Spoon tzatziki over warm pitas, then add "meat", and top with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.
Video
Notes
Smoked paprika: Use smoked sweet paprika, not smoked hot paprika (the latter is spicy). If the package doesn't explicitly say "hot" or "picante", it's probably sweet.
Vital wheat gluten (flour): Usually found in the baking aisle, often near the flour. We used Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten.
Pita bread: Gyros are typically served in pocketless pita bread. We haven't been able to find something similar at our grocery store, so we usually opt for fluffy naan bread (rather than the thin pitas with pockets). But use whatever you prefer! Or make your own.
Make-ahead / Storage tips: Slice and sear just the amount of "meat" you need for serving. The remaining block of "meat" can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. (Or alternatively, wrap in foil and freeze in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months). Before serving, slice and sear it in an oiled skillet or nonstick.