Pork Souvlaki — Greek Grilled Skewers
Greece's beloved street-corner skewer: cubes of pork marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano, threaded onto sticks and grilled hard until charred and juicy. Souvlaki is summer on a stick — eaten off the skewer with lemon, or wrapped in warm pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion and a few fries for the full 'souvlaki me pita'. Simple, smoky and endlessly satisfying.
Cut pork shoulder into even cubes and marinate in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper for at least 2 hours. Thread onto skewers (soak wooden ones first) and grill over high heat, turning, until charred at the edges and just cooked through, about 10–12 minutes. Rest a couple of minutes and serve with lemon, or wrap in warm pita with tzatziki, tomato and onion.
- Use a well-marbled cut like pork shoulder/neck so the cubes stay juicy over high heat.
- Marinate with olive oil, lemon, garlic and plenty of dried Greek oregano — at least 2 hours.
- Grill hot and don't overcook; rest briefly, then eat with lemon or wrapped in pita.
Equipment
- Skewers
- Grill, grill pan or BBQ
- Bowl
食材
Pork & marinade
- 800 g pork shoulder/neck, in 3 cm cubes
- 60 ml olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon; 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp dried Greek oregano; salt and pepper
To serve
- Warm pita breads
- Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill)
- Sliced tomato and red onion; lemon wedges
步驟
- 步驟01
Mix the pork cubes with the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and marinate in the fridge at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- 步驟02
Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes (or use metal). Thread the pork cubes on, not too tightly packed, so they char evenly.
- 步驟03
Heat the grill or pan until very hot. Grill the skewers, turning every couple of minutes, until charred at the edges and just cooked through, 10–12 minutes. Don't overcook or the pork dries out.
- 步驟04
Let the skewers rest a couple of minutes off the heat so the juices settle. Warm the pitas on the grill at the same time.
- 步驟05
Serve the skewers with lemon and tzatziki, or build a wrap: smear tzatziki on a warm pita, slide the pork off the skewer, add tomato, onion (and fries, Greek-style), and roll up.
Make ahead
Marinate the pork the night before (the flavour deepens) and make the tzatziki ahead. Then it's just a quick grill at mealtime. You can thread the skewers in advance and keep them in the fridge ready to cook.
Storage
Marinated raw pork keeps 2 days refrigerated (or freeze in the marinade). Grilled souvlaki is best fresh and hot but keeps 2 days; reheat briefly so it doesn't dry out. Tzatziki keeps 3 days. Warm the pitas fresh.
Variations
Chicken souvlaki
Use chicken thigh cubes with the same marinade for a popular alternative.
Souvlaki me pita (wrap)
Wrap in pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion and a few fries — the classic Greek takeaway.
Kalamaki
In Greece the plain meat skewer is often called kalamaki; souvlaki can refer to the whole wrap.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
常見問題
What cut of pork is best for souvlaki?
Pork shoulder or neck (collar) — well-marbled cuts that stay juicy and tender over high heat. Lean cuts like loin dry out quickly on the grill. Cut the meat into even cubes (about 3 cm) so they cook at the same rate and char nicely on the outside while staying moist inside.
How long should I marinate souvlaki?
At least 2 hours, and overnight is ideal. The olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano marinade flavours and tenderises the pork. Don't go wildly long with very acidic marinades on small cubes, but pork is forgiving — overnight gives the best flavour without harming the texture.
What's the difference between souvlaki and gyros?
Souvlaki is small cubes of marinated meat grilled on skewers. Gyros is meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie and shaved off in thin slices as it cooks. Both are often served in pita with tzatziki, tomato and onion, but the cooking method and texture are different — skewered chunks vs shaved rotisserie meat.
Can I make souvlaki without a barbecue?
Yes. A hot cast-iron grill pan or a heavy skillet works well, as does an oven grill/broiler. The aim is high heat for a good char in a short cooking time. Get the pan really hot, don't crowd the skewers, and turn them so all sides colour.
What goes in a souvlaki pita wrap?
Warm pita smeared with tzatziki, the grilled pork, sliced tomato and red onion, and — very traditionally in Greece — a few fries (chips) tucked inside, sometimes with a sprinkle of oregano or paprika. Roll it up tightly in paper. That's the classic 'souvlaki me pita' (or kalamaki) from a Greek souvlatzidiko.
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