Big Fat Greek Tacos
Imagine tender meat topped with a zesty cucumber salsa and creamy tzatziki sauce and all of it wrapped in soft wrap bread. Amazing!
Big. Fat. Greek. Tacos.
Or in other words: balm to my food-loving soul.
Or to put it another way: You make me Big Fat Greek Tacos? I weep with joy.
The combination and layers of flavor in these bad boys are too much. Tender, succulent meat topped with a fresh, zesty cucumber salsa smothered in creamy, heavenly tzatziki sauce and all of it wrapped in soft wrap bread.
I need a minute to breathe. Or maybe I just need a Big Fat Greek Taco in my little grubby hand rightthisveryminute.
I know I claim to love every single recipe on this site but I’m not going to lie that I have my recipe pets. My favorites.
The ones I could eat every day for the rest of my life and never grow weary of and these Big Fat Greek Tacos (I can’t bring myself to just call them a Greek taco – super lame and boring) are so up there.
I beg and plead and implore you to give these a shot. I’ll send some tissues for when the weeping commences.
Just know, I’ll be putting my virtual arm around you in support. Lovers of Big Fat Greek Tacos must stand together.
Oh, and did I mention that although the recipe has several components, they can all be made ahead of time (we’re talking hours or days ahead of time) which makes the actual dinner hour a breeze.
Thanks to Sally for the tips on making everything in advance (she made these for a group of 20, so she’s basically a Big Fat Greek Taco expert; something I can only aspire to be someday).
What to Serve With This
- Fresh fruit, or this Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- Hummus with fresh vegetables
- Cottage Cheese
One Year Ago: Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins
Two Years Ago: Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Three Years Ago: Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
Big Fat Greek Tacos
Ingredients
Cucumber Tomato Salsa:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 firm large tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
- ½ cup diced red onion
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Feta Mint Tzatziki:
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Lamb or Turkey:
- 2 pounds ground lamb or turkey
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup minced red onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup broth, chicken, vegetable or beef
For the pitas:
- 6-8 non-pocket pita or soft wrap breads (see note)
Instructions
- At least one hour or as early as one day before you are serving, prepare the salsa and tzatziki. For the cucumber salsa, toss the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for one hour or up to 24 hours to marry the flavors.
- For the tzatziki, peel the cucumber and shred on the large holes of a box grater. Place the shredded cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the excess water until the cucumber is very dry. In a medium bowl, stir together the strained cucumber, yogurt, feta, garlic and mint. Again, season with salt and pepper to taste. The tzatziki can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. Give it a good stir before serving.
- For the meat, heat a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground lamb or turkey with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces and cooking until the meat is cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
- Drain any excess grease. Stir in the oregano and tomato paste and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the broth and let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Warm the pita breads in a cast iron skillet or in the microwave until soft and heated through. Serve the tacos by spooning meat into the center of a pita bread and topping with cucumber salsa and tzatziki.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from my friend Sally at Good Dinner Mom (increased amount of meat, simplified some of the steps)
Any substitution recommendations for thr red wine vinegar?
You could use another type of vinegar or lemon juice
Amazing!! This is one of the many recipes I have made from your awesome cookbook. My family loved it and said it was better than something we would get at our local Greek restaurant. I made your flatbread recipe to go with it and that is a must!
Yay, thank you, Renee!
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt made for some pretty salty meat even with low sodium broth so I might start small with the salt and increase. otherwise, great concept!
One of my absolute favorites!! I also usually make hummus!
Not sure why I’ve never made this before because it was absolutely delicious! Used the yogurt flatbread recipe and used already cooked turkey I had on hand- it was a hit with the whole family!
These are amazing! I haven’t made your soft wrap bread in forever, and now I’m questioning, why?! I forgot how soft and purely delicious it is. The taco filling is delicious, and the salsa adds good texture. I used the tzatziki sauce from your sheet pan chicken tzatziki wraps because it’s my fave. Great meal that got 2 thumbs up from the hubby as well!
This recipe is AMAZING! I have followed you for years Mel! I have been an avid baker and cook since I was a kid. I’m always able to turn here to find new, easy, fun recipes! You have never failed me!! I have tried these tacos with lamb originally, that’s how I found out I detest lamb!. Switched to ground beef, absolute perfection! The flat bread is a must try…it is delish!!! My kiddos also love these! Reminds us of a Greek restaurant we frequent..these are better though!!! Thank you for all of your hard work! You are an inspiration! Take care, Jessica from the Peach State!!
I have made these several times and they are absolutely swoon-worthy. To make things easy, I buy mini naan from Aldi–soft and delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is one of my favorites from MKC!! I love. I could eat them everyday and not grow tired of them.
Made these with the soft wrap bread linked in the recipe and they were really delicious!! A little more time consuming than a typical dinner w/ the homemade flatbread but totally worth the effort and it helped making some of the components as you mentioned earlier in the day. Such a great dinner and I can’t wait for leftovers tonight 🙂
I really love lamb and make Greek Tacos a lot. After reviewing your recipe, it is almost exactly the same recipe Jeff Mauro makes and found on the Food Network:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/greek-taco-recipe-1925319
If you follow sources, Mel adapted this from her friend Sally of gooddinnermom.com and Sally adapted it from the link you mention above. Nobody is trying to steal recipes. They both listed their inspiration.
Big Fat Greek Tacos ???
Only 2 words can describe how I feel about this whole concept……….Bozhe Moi !!!! –
Regards and Best Wishes (or Dishes),
Brandon, my Wife and Twins ;-))) NOM, NOM, NOM……….
Sheer Genius 🙂