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These roasted chickpea gyros are an easy protein-forward vegetarian dinner, perfect for feeding the whole family on busy weeknights. Originally created in 2015, this recipe has since been devoured by thousands of readers who love it. It’s a fan favorite!

Serve it with this Mediterranean quinoa kale salad or this tahini cucumber salad!

Two pita wraps filled with roasted chickpeas, fresh greens, tomato slices, red onion, and a creamy white sauce, served on parchment paper with extra chickpeas scattered around.
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Best Veggie Gyros…Ever

As a seasoned gyro enthusiast and fanatic of chickpea recipes, I’m here to tell you this roasted chickpea gyro recipe is the BEST!

You get all the deliciousness of classic gyros with a feel-good, plant-based twist—roasted chickpeas, fresh veggies, and creamy tzatziki, all wrapped in pillowy-soft pitas.

Reader rating

★★★★★

“I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was the absolute best. It is so incredibly simple and it tastes so good. This recipe will be a regular in my life from now on. I wish I had tried it sooner.” —Christina K

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A hand holds a chickpea gyros pita stuffed with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, spiced roasted chickpeas, and a creamy white sauce.
Serve them on a folded or stuffed pita flatbread (everyone at the table can assemble their own).
A glass container holds pita bread, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, roasted chickpeas, and a portion of creamy white dip—perfect for assembling fresh chickpea gyros.
Or meal prep it for a vegetarian lunch worth looking forward to! Makes 4 meal prep lunches.

Key Ingredients

These chickpea gyro wraps are made with easy-to-find, budget-friendly ingredients. Jump to the recipe card for all the measurements – this is just an overview.

  • Chickpeas: Chickpeas bring protein, fiber, and a satisfying texture to your gyros. You can use canned chickpeas for convenience or try cooking your own chickpeas from dry for the creamiest texture.
  • Spices: To create a classic gyro taste, we’ll use paprika for smokiness and color, black pepper and cayenne for a kick, and salt.
  • Pita Flatbreads: If you’re gluten-free, try using gluten-free wraps or lettuce leaves as an alternative.
  • Tzatziki: This creamy, tangy sauce is a must for traditional gyros! Find it pre-made near the hummus and dips section, or easily make your own tzatziki. If you’re dairy-free, try vegan yogurt for a dairy-free tzatziki.
Ingredients for a pita sandwich laid out on a green surface: pita bread, chickpeas, oil, sliced onion, seasonings, tomato slices, chopped lettuce, and tzatziki sauce.

Making vegetarian gyros is So Easy

Jump to the recipe for the full printable recipe – this is just an overview.

  1. Prep the oven and pat the chickpeas dry before tossing them with spices.
  2. Roast the chickpeas on a greased-rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Assemble the pitas with chickpeas, veggies, and sauce!
A flatbread with chickpeas, tomato slices, red onion, lettuce, and white sauce on parchment paper, surrounded by ingredients on a green surface.
We won’t roast the chickpeas for too long—just until they’re cooked but not hard. This will give them a hearty texture, replacing any desire you may have for putting meat into this vegetarian sandwich.

roast Or Air Fry

You can roast the chickpeas in the oven at 400°F (204°C) for 20 minutes. Or, if you have one, you can also roast chickpeas in the air fryer. (It’s much quicker!)

Two pita wraps filled with roasted chickpeas, fresh tomato slices, red onions, greens, and a creamy white sauce, served on a tray.
A pita wrap filled with lettuce, tomato, red onion, seasoned chickpeas, and a creamy spread—these delicious chickpea gyros are tied with twine and partially wrapped in paper for the perfect handheld meal.
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Roasted Chickpea Gyros

4.81 from 192 ratings
By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
These roasted chickpea gyros are an easy, family-friendly vegetarian dinner–perfect for busy weeknights. A fan-favorite recipe loved by thousands since 2015!

Ingredients 

  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, 425 g, 1 ½ cup soaked chickpeas if starting from dry, drained and rinsed
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
  • 1 Tbsp paprika*
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 4 pita flatbreads
  • 1 cup tzatziki (click for recipe), 250 g, use ⅓ recipe if you’re just making it for these gyros
  • ¼ red onion, cut into strips
  • 2 lettuce leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tomato, sliced
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Instructions 

  • Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Drain and pat dry 1 15-oz can chickpeas with paper towel, removing any skins that may come off.
    Cooked chickpeas spread out on a white paper towel for drying, placed on a light green surface.
  • Flavor: In a medium bowl, toss chickpeas with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp paprika*, 1 tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, and ¼ tsp salt.
    A glass bowl filled with chickpeas topped with various spices, including paprika and salt, on a light green textured surface.
  • Roast: Spread chickpeas on a greased rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes until lightly browned but not hard.
    Seasoned roasted chickpeas are spread evenly on a baking sheet, showing a golden-brown color and scattered spices.
  • Assemble: Spread some tzatziki onto one side of the pita, then sprinkle in chickpeas and add veggies. Fold in half and enjoy!
    Two flatbreads filled with roasted chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and creamy sauce, served on parchment paper with a spoonful of sauce and veggie slices nearby.

Notes

*If you don’t like spicy foods, halve the amount of paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Taste a chickpea before baking and adjust flavors as needed.
If your pita bread cracks when you fold it, cover the rest with a moist paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Assemble your sandwiches immediately after microwaving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gyro | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 11.5g | Fat: 12.6g | Sodium: 575mg | Fiber: 7.5g

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

Mediterranean PAIRINGS

P.S. For another vegetarian sandwich you’ll love, try my easy veggies wraps with hummus! Or make my infamous Marry Me Chickpeas recipe for another easy chickpea dinner.

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4.81 from 192 votes (91 ratings without comment)

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258 Comments

  1. Su says:

    Yum! Made this last night. I will make it again soon. It was very quick to make. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      You’re very welcome, Su! Happy you liked it 🙂

  2. Kyria says:

    5 stars
    Very delicious and my family Loved it!
    Definitely making this recipe again.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      So happy to hear, Kyria! 😀

  3. Chantel says:

    5 stars
    These are great! I will definitely make these again soon!! Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      You’re so welcome, Chantel! 🙂

  4. Liz says:

    5 stars
    O.M.G. I just made this, and I’m speechless. I didn’t know a meatless gyro could taste so good. And that sauce…if I could get all my vegetarian meals to taste like this, I’d go vegetarian TODAY. I used dried garbanzo beans that I soaked, boiled, then baked as per the recipe instructions. It took a little longer, but it was worth the effort. I used a white onion, as that was all i had on hand, and it was fine. Great recipe.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Hahah, thanks so much, Liz! After discovering the power of chickpeas I pretty much put them roasted on EVERYTHING. And tzatziki is an obvious kitchen staple that’s equally good on everything 😀

  5. sierra says:

    These are great!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Thanks, Sierra! Happy you liked them 😀

  6. Jasmine says:

    5 stars
    Hello would it be okay to pan fry the chickpeas instead of baking them?

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Jasmine! Absolutely 🙂 I’ve found they don’t get quite as crispy, but it’s a lot faster and the results are nearly the same 🙂

  7. Alex says:

    I made these last night for dinner. AMAZING! I am a weenie and thought they were super spicy so I might halve the cayenne next time but I will DEFINITELY be making these again!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      So happy to hear, Alex! Indeed, they can be a bit spicy (but I love that in combination with the cooling tzatziki) 😀

  8. John says:

    5 stars
    This recipe is a staple in our house. In fact, I’ve probably prepared it 25 times in the last year. It’s absolutely delicious, and it’s easy to tone down the spice.

    Because it’s easier to find (at WalMart), we use cucumber garlic ranch dip instead of the tzatziki.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Ah, so awesome to hear, John! 😀 The cucumber garlic ranch sounds great, I’ll have to try that out when I can get my hands on some!

  9. Peter Wood says:

    I had a similar issue as one reader above, where the chickpeas came out too dry and crusty. I prepared the chickpeas as described and cooked them as instructed at 400F for 20 minutes. I’ve also tried cooking them for half the time, and they still come out fairly dry. Anyone have suggestions as to what to try?

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Hi Peter, sorry to hear they didn’t come out how they were supposed to. Everyone’s oven is a bit different, perhaps yours runs a bit hotter? Try reducing the temperature a bit. Otherwise, you can also cook the chickpeas on the stove over medium heat 😀

  10. Peter Wood says:

    Thanks for the advice. For all I know, our oven’s thermostat may be wrong. 🙂 I’ll look at using a lower temperature, or perhaps quick frying in a pan. We had this again the other night, and this time I just heated up the chickpeas in the microwave after seasoning them. It resulted in a less dry texture, which was good, but I’d love to be able to make it with the intended roasted flavor.

    When you “pat dry” the chickpeas, before the oil and seasoning, does that mean they need to be completely dry? Or just make sure they’re not sopping wet?

    Also, one thing I wasn’t clear on with this instruction:

    “1 15 oz can chickpeas (425 g, 1 ½ cup soaked chickpeas if starting from dry, drained and rinsed)”

    Does the draining and rinsing only apply when starting with dried chickpeas, or is that for canned chickpeas as well?

    Just trying to think through all of the reasons they might have come out too dry…

    Fun tidbit: the first time through this recipe I misread the measurement for cayenne pepper as 1 Tablespoon (your instructions were perfectly clear, I was just an idiot). BOY were those some spicy chickpeas. Of course I didn’t realize I had the wrong measurement until the next time I made them. THEN I had a face-palm moment, and made profuse apologies to my family for the previous occasion…

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      The frying pan method is pretty foolproof and gives for both crispy yet not dry chickpeas 😀

      And all good questions! By “pat dry” I indeed just mean “not sopping wet”. I don’t want you to slave over drying each one, but roughly patting them dry helps them to crisp up when cooking. You should drain and rinse the chickpeas no matter how you prepare them (dry or canned). Hope these can help you out!

      Hahah and those must have been some fire-y chickpeas!!