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Air-Fryer Marinated Pork Gyros

By Sam Block

Published on April 20, 2022

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Air-Fryer Marinated Pork Gyros

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon table salt, divided½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided8 ounces boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed2 Persian cucumber, divided6 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon lemon juice, divided, plus lemon wedges for serving1 teaspoon minced fresh dill 2 (8-inch) Pitas 1 cup baby kale or spinach1 shallot, halved and sliced thin

Before You Begin

Use half an English cucumber if you can't find Persian ones. This recipe can be easily doubled.

Instructions

  1.  Microwave oil, two-thirds garlic, oregano, coriander, paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2.  Rub ribs with half of oil mixture, then arrange in air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart. Place basket into air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until ribs are lightly browned and register 150 degrees, 6 to 10 minutes, flipping ribs halfway through cooking. Transfer ribs to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
  3.  Shred 1 cucumber to yield ¼ cup; slice remaining cucumber thin. Combine shredded cucumber, yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, dill, remaining garlic, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in separate bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4.  Stack pitas and wrap tightly with foil. Place pita packet in now-empty basket. Return basket to air fryer and cook until pitas are heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice into remaining oil mixture. Slice pork thin and toss with lemon-oil mixture. Divide pork evenly among pitas and top with tzatziki, sliced cucumber, kale, and shallot. Serve with lemon wedges.
Air-Fryer Marinated Pork Gyros
Photography by Nina Gallant. Styling by Chantal Lambeth.

Air-Fryer Marinated Pork Gyros

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Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
8 ounces boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed
2 Persian cucumber, divided
6 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice, divided, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
2 (8-inch) Pitas
1 cup baby kale or spinach
1 shallot, halved and sliced thin

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
8 ounces boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed
2 Persian cucumber, divided
6 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice, divided, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
2 (8-inch) Pitas
1 cup baby kale or spinach
1 shallot, halved and sliced thin

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
8 ounces boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed
2 Persian cucumber, divided
6 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice, divided, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
2 (8-inch) Pitas
1 cup baby kale or spinach
1 shallot, halved and sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

Though the pork for these wraps is not made on the traditional spit used for gyros, the air fryer's high heat on the exterior of the meat helps it cook in a similar fashion to its inspiration. We opted to use country-style pork ribs, which are meatier than pork chops. They take a bit longer to cook than pork chops, allowing more time to develop color and crispy, tasty char. Before cooking, we coated the ribs in a flavorful marinade of garlic, oregano, coriander, and paprika, reserving half of it to use once the pork was cooked. While the pork roasted, we assembled a quick tzatziki (a Greek yogurt, cucumber, and garlic sauce). Persian, aka “mini,” cucumbers were perfectly suited here. Rather than peel and seed half an English cucumber, all we had to do was shred one Persian cucumber, seeds and all, and slice a second one thin as a topping. Other toppings included a shallot and baby kale. Any baby green you have on hand would work fine, too. Remember the remaining marinade? We turned it into a dressing by whisking in some lemon juice. After slicing the pork thin, we tossed the meat with the dressing before assembling the gyros, making sure that every inch of the meat was coated in spiced, garlicky goodness.

Before You Begin

Use half an English cucumber if you can't find Persian ones. This recipe can be easily doubled.

Instructions

  1.  Microwave oil, two-thirds garlic, oregano, coriander, paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2.  Rub ribs with half of oil mixture, then arrange in air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart. Place basket into air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until ribs are lightly browned and register 150 degrees, 6 to 10 minutes, flipping ribs halfway through cooking. Transfer ribs to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
  3.  Shred 1 cucumber to yield ¼ cup; slice remaining cucumber thin. Combine shredded cucumber, yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, dill, remaining garlic, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in separate bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4.  Stack pitas and wrap tightly with foil. Place pita packet in now-empty basket. Return basket to air fryer and cook until pitas are heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice into remaining oil mixture. Slice pork thin and toss with lemon-oil mixture. Divide pork evenly among pitas and top with tzatziki, sliced cucumber, kale, and shallot. Serve with lemon wedges.

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