Vegan Cauliflower Gyros

Roasted cauliflower seasoned with Greek spices served with creamy dairy-free tzatziki, and fresh crisp veggies wrapped in warm flatbread – these vegan gyros are easy, healthy and delicious! While the cauliflower marinates, prep the tzatziki and chop the veggies, so all you have to do is pop the cauliflower in the oven before serving.

Thank you to Stahlbush Island Farms for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

This flavorful, healthy vegan cauliflower gyros recipe starts with a simple lemon herb marinade. Infusing the cauliflower with all those yummy Greek flavors which then get roasted is a fun and tasty twist on the classic gyro. This delicious meal is as great for weeknight meals as it is for gatherings. Everyone enjoys dressing their own gyros, just set everything out in bowls for guests to help themselves!

The literal meaning of the Greek word “gyro” (pronounced yee-roh) is “to turn”. Gyro is usually seasoned ground meat which is pressed like a massive meatloaf and cooked slowly as it turns on an upright rotisserie grill. Obviously this is not practical for home cooking nor is it vegan friendly. That doesn’t mean we have to miss out on gyro wraps, though! The gyro flavor is largely from the spices and garlic added to meat, so we just need to substitute the meat in this classic Greek sandwich. Enter: cauliflower.

How to Make Vegan Cauliflower Gyros Wraps:

These plant-based gyros are a breeze to make, with very little active time!

1. Marinate the cauliflower
2. Make the tzatziki and prep your veggie toppings
3. Roast the cauliflower – 450°F for 20 minutes, flipping once
4. Warm the flatbread, making it softer and easier to fold
5. Top warm flatbread with the roasted cauliflower, veggies, and a generous smattering of tzatziki sauce. Enjoy!

Why Frozen Cauliflower?

I chose frozen cauliflower for this recipe because once it’s defrosted, it loses some of its water content and becomes more porous. In other words, it absorbs way more flavor. And lots of flavor is exactly what we want for our veggie gyros! That said, if you have fresh cauliflower, it also works well in this vegan gyro recipe.

Roasting cauliflower also brings out some additional flavors – nuttiness and almost a buttery taste. The caramelized and charred bits are my favorite! Coupled with the Greek seasonings, it takes some self restrain not to eat it all off the pan before assembling the vegan cauliflower gyros sandwiches!

Tips for Perfectly Roasted Cauliflower:

We’re after crispy, almost charred bits on our cauliflower, no sogginess! Here’s how to get delicious results:

• completely defrost the cauliflower and drain it. This helps remove as much moisture as possible. We want the oil and heat to crisp the outsides, and for the marinade to really permeate and stick to the cauliflower. If it’s not properly thawed and drained, the water will continue to leach out during roasting, pushing the seasonings off and preventing caramelization. Pat dry on paper towel or a clean tea towel if necessary.
• cut up any florets that are much larger than the rest. For even roasting, the pieces need to be roughly the same size. Flat parts (where you’ve sliced a floret in half) will increase surface area, too which means more parts to caramelize
• don’t over crowd the pan. Use a nice big tray – it’s better to have a bit of empty space on the tray than to have the tray crowded which results in soggy cauliflower.
• preheat your oven before adding the cauliflower so it gets hit with that high heat right off the bat and can start roasting.
• flip half way during roasting. This encourages even baking and gets more parts of the cauliflower caramelizing.
• roast until the cauliflower is lightly browned. Especially for this recipe, I find over doing the roasting is a bit better than under-baking. We want all the flavor and texture!

Make Ahead and Storage Suggestions for Vegan Gyros

The cauliflower can marinate for up to 5 days before roasting – keep it sealed in the fridge. Leftovers (if there somehow manages to be any!) keep in the fridge for a few days. To reheat, I find it simplest to heat the roasted cauliflower in a bit of oil in a skillet on the stove-top. While reheating in the microwave is efficient, frying helps revive the roasted bits which the microwave softens. Roasting it a second time can dry it out.

Gyro sandwiches are best assembled just before eating. Store the components of the gyros wraps separately.

More Mediterranean-Inspired Vegan Recipes:

• Vegan Tzatziki
• One-Skillet Baked Greek Lemon Chickpeas and Rice
• Pesto Risotto, Roasted Tomatoes &; Chickpeas
• Herby Farro Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Hummus
• Unstuffed Pepper Skillet
• One-Skillet Greek Orzo & Chickpeas

If you make these Vegan Cauliflower Gyros please give them a rating in the recipe card and leave a comment below! Follow along on Instagram and can tag me in your creations using my recipes. I love seeing what you’re cooking! You can also follow me on Pinterest for vegan recipe inspiration and on Facebook. Thank you for joining me!

The Nutrition Information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the Nutrition Information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.

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