As a kid, I remember going to a local restaurant called King Gyros. They had burgers, hot dogs, fries, and typical American fare, but, as the name indicates, they were known for their gyros, and those are what we always ordered. Gyros remain a real treat for me: thick pita bread stuffed with seasoned meat shaved off of a spit, drizzled with a flavorful white sauce, and with lots of sliced onions and tomatoes tucked in.
Sometimes I see gyros kits for sale at traditional grocery stores, but I’m usually disappointed. They almost never taste like what I get at restaurants. I’ve also tried making them at home in my slow cooker using a recipe that called for beef, and while it was a good meal, they weren’t authentic gyros.
Then Aldi introduced the Bremer Gyros Complete Sandwich Kit.
These taste like restaurant gyros. Really.
Aldi has been selling this gyros kit for several years. It’s a semi-annual ALDI Find (Special Buy), which means it shows up several times a year. In our experience, it seems to find its way into the ALDI Finds freezer every few months or so, so if you miss it, you won’t have to wait as long for it to come back as some ALDI Finds. That doesn’t stop me from stocking up when they show up, though.
Aldi’s gyros kit contains enough to make five sandwiches. This includes 16 oz. of precooked gyros meat slices, 5 Greek pitas, and 8 oz. of Tzatziki sauce. The sandwiches are large, and the kit contains a generous amount of meat and sauce. I usually put a little more than the recommended serving size of meat (six slices) on my sandwiches because there is plenty to go around.
Everything that comes in the gyros kit box: pita bread, meat slices, and a plastic container filled with Tzatziki sauce. (Click to enlarge.)
The kit is sold frozen, so you’ll need to thaw it overnight in your refrigerator before eating. Sometimes I have a little trouble separating the meat slices to remove them from the packaging, especially if I’ve cut thawing time a little short. The meat breaks apart and crumbles when I try to separate it if it isn’t fully thawed. If the meat is still semi frozen when you go to prepare your gyros, defrost the meat slices in the microwave for a minute or two. Once they’re somewhat warmer, they’ll separate more easily.
The gyros meat before the individual slices have been separated. (Click to enlarge.)
You have two methods for preparing your gyros: skillet or microwave. I’ve used both methods and they work equally well with fairly identical results. The last time I made these gyros, I used the microwave because it was a bit more convenient.
To prepare using the skillet method, heat the pita bread on medium heat until it’s warm and soft, for about 30 to 45 seconds per side. You can lightly brush both sides of the bread with vegetable oil or cooking spray before heating if you want it golden brown (I never do this). Then heat the meat slices on medium heat for 15 to 20 seconds per side. Because the meat is precooked, avoid overheating and drying it out. Because the slices take such a short amount of time to heat, you have to keep an eye on them and be quick. It’s easy to get distracted and lose track of how long the meat has been in the skillet, and I’ve overheated it before, and it gets hard and chewy. Not what you want.
To prepare the gyros using the microwave method, heat the bread for 15 seconds or until it’s warm and soft. Then microwave six slices of meat (a single serving) on a microwave-safe dish covered with a paper towel for about 30 to 45 seconds or until warm. For more than six slices of meat, add 15 seconds to cooking time per additional serving. The benefit to the microwave method is that you’re less likely to overheat the meat.
To serve, place one pita bread flat on a plate and add six slices of warmed meat. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons (I add more!) of Tzatziki sauce on top of the meat. Garnish with thin tomato wedges and sliced onion. Tomatoes and onions are essential components to gyros, but they aren’t included in the kit, so don’t forget to buy them when you buy the kit.
Ready to eat gyros. (Click to enlarge.)
The Verdict:
Aldi’s ALDI Find (Special Buy) Bremer Gyros Complete Sandwich Kit is the real deal. These gyros taste like what you’d get at a restaurant, and you get a box of five gyros for the price you’d pay for a single one at a restaurant. Highly recommended.
I’ve tried this,too and your review is spot on! The only thing is sometimes I want the “Gyros platter” so I get some Greek olives and feta cheese to make it special…and maybe some of those RIchway french fries my favorite local restaurant serves with their Gyros special. Yum!
Great idea!
Awww now i’m nervous just bought for me and my kids
I just bought it a couple of weeks ago at Aldi and ate a gyro throughout the week. Not bad at all, I cooked it on my stove stop with some onions.
My family loved these so much that we went back for more 2 days later and were told they would only stock these on a specialty item basis. Have to keep going back ! Whaaaaa. I want to buy these at least weekly. They are great. Please stock weekly please!
we try these gyros and want them every week also fantastic food item 👍🏻
One of the best frozen foods I’ve ever tasted. Pita large and soft, meat generous and spot on flavorwise. I added my fresh yogart, cucs and dill to tazeki sauce. Wonderful, just afraid it will be there, then gone like many finds at Aldi.
I loved these gyros. I’m going back for more in a few days.
Wow. The batch I got must have been the cooler at the store for a year then. As a senior this was one of the worst products I have ever bought. I love Aldi’s products. This was the most tasteless waste of money EVER. Meat was bland as cardboard, the pita was sad at best and the sauce was a runny mess.
I have bought other brands at other stores that were wonderful. This was a hot mess.
We loved these too! Could literally eat them every week 😊
Just hope we can find them again 👍
We did them on the stovetop to get those nice crispy edges on the meat. The Tzatziki sauce was a little runny but the flavor was good!
They are great to me.
I was shocked at the quality. A lot of fat and no flavor. I even added Greek seasoning and salt and pepper. I love Aldi’s and pretty much everything they carry. THESE were the exception. I so agree…..Never again.
I grew up in Detroit (Greek Town, Hamtramck) and have eaten Greek foods all my life. On top of that I lived some 5 years in lower Manhattan, NYC. This is not a good product, particularly the “sauce”. It’s certainly NOT Tzatziki which I have made numerous times. A look at the ingredients is like studying a chemistry experiment.
I don’t know why some people on here are giving the gyro kit negative reviews. I think they are just as good as a restaurant quality and you can’t beat the price. I agree there are a lot of added preservatives that probably could have been left but what doesn’t nowadays, but I don’t eat them often as they are more of a treat than a regular meal.
Yes I loved it as well but I want to know do they still sell it, I live in Savannah ga?
They show up a few times a year at Aldi. https://www.aldireviewer.com/when-will-this-aldi-find-be-back-in-stock/
These are so good! I can’t wait for more and now can’t find them!
We LOVED them!! I used my cast iron flat griddle to warm pitas and meat. Sauce was good as any restaurant.
How do you prepare just one portion? If you have to defrost the meat package (since it’s difficult to separate the slices) can the rest be of the meat be refrozen? I would then separate it into portions to defrost as needed. Usually I wouldn’t refreeze defrosted meat, but nobody hear has mentioned how to use this product as individual portions.
I think you could do that. If you try it, let us know how it goes.
I was hoping someone had tried it already. I don’t want to buy this and have to eat it all within a week since I’m the only person in my family eating meat. Some foods, while frozen aren’t rock-hard. How hard is it to cut the meat when it’s frozen? I’m thinking maybe if I cut the meat into portions and then wrap each separately and defrost individually. It wouldn’t matter to me if it’s cut crosswise to make smaller slices, I can deal with that.
You can probably partially thaw the meat and cut or separate it to refreeze. I’m not sure you could easily cut it while completely frozen. You also would need to thaw the sauce, portion it out, and refreeze it.
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I wish one could buy fresh carmelized thick gyro slices off a spit.It microwaves well and beats the thin gyro looaf slices described here.
OMG, This is Great. I love this meal on my way to get another to store in my freezer.