This post contains affiliate links.

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.
save this recipe!
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

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

Add your review

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.
rate pin print remove ads

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
Save this recipe!
Enter your email & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

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.

Eat vegetarian cookbook.

Let's eat more plants!

Packed with over 100 reader-favorite vegetarian recipes, my cookbook is your go-to guide for easy, healthy meals that make plant-based eating a breeze.

grab a copy

You May Also Like

4.81 from 192 votes (91 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Question? Ask your question here! Sarah personally answers comments every weekday.

Rate this Recipe:




258 Comments

  1. Tiffany says:

    5 stars
    This is my new favorite recipe! I loved everything! A+

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      So happy to hear, Tiffany!! 😀

  2. Jessica says:

    5 stars
    Delicious!! I can’t get enough of these and had to make a double batch last time because I was craving them for both lunch and dinner for a couple days! Before this recipe, I had never ate tzatziki so I followed your recipe and now I’m addicted, yuuuum. I like to add feta and pepperoncini to my gyros as well.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      So smart! Planned leftovers for lunch are the BEST! 😀 So happy you liked it, Jessica!

  3. Kathy says:

    3 stars
    Very good but chickpeas to crunchy.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Just cook them for less time next go around, your oven might run a little hot or your chickpeas might have been a little smaller! 😀

  4. Gontse says:

    5 stars
    Awesome

    Reply
  5. Caroline says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe, I however marinated my chickpeas instead of roasting. I meal prep and the chickpeas don’t stay crisp when put back in the fridge, I also slightly undercook my chickpeas so they have more crunch to them.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      You might try storing them with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture and keep them a bit crispier!

  6. Pamela Haynes says:

    A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Our family of 8 (including 4 high school boys) devoured these! I made a quadruple recipe … and used both smoked and plain paprika. Thank you Sarah!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      So awesome to hear – that is a LOT of mouths to feed! 😅 Thanks for letting us know how it went!

  7. Kristine says:

    5 stars
    I loved how this turned out for me. I made few adjustments with the ingredients and It turned out amazingly delicious. I’ve been eating the same old boring chickpea and just tossing it in salads. So glad to have found this recipe!

    For the spices, I opted out cayenne and added turmeric instead. I didn’t want spicy chickpea so I followed your instruction to halve other spices. And for the sauce, I used labneh instead of greek yogurt coz it’s much cheaper here lol and I think it’s thicker???

    Thanks again for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Yummm labneh would be great! So happy to hear you liked these, it’s always one of our favorites! 😀

  8. Antoine says:

    Thanks for the idea ! I didn’t have the ingredients to make Tzatziki so I went for a Moroccan twist.
    I used a Moroccan spice blend with the roasted chickpeas and also made to sauces for the gyro.
    Mayo – Moroccan blend with a tad of honey, spread in the pita
    Mayo and Sriracha for a spicy kick, tiny drizzle on top of the toppings.

    Removing the skins on the chickpeas definitely did it for the crispiness. I’ve tried other recipes before and didn’t turn out half as good as yours. Wow !

    I’ll be back with the proper ingredients and make yours in the near future, but glad I tried something different. This is definitely a keeper !

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Yumm that sauce sounds AMAZING! I’ll have to try something like that. Enjoy for next time as well! 😀

  9. Yana says:

    These Vegans are a tough crowd, do t know how you cope with the condescending “not vegan” comments! Beats me that they can’t figure out that there are tons of vegan yogurt, cheese ………options. Get over yourselves. The recipes are great. Reading these comments makes me realise that once youre vegan chances are unfortunately good you’ll become a real self centered grump 😉 Never see these types of comments on any other recipe sites.

    Reply
  10. Molly says:

    5 stars
    I made this one time for lunch, prepared chickpeas as directed. Fiancé tried a chickpea out of the pan and that was my downfall. Now I make chickpeas based on this recipe all the time but basically none make it to a gyro! The whole family loves them!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Aw, so happy to hear it, Molly! Enjoy! 😀