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Armenian

Khorovats

Non-vegetarian

Խորոված · Khorovats

Thick chunks of pork marinated in onion, pepper and a little herb, grilled over vine-wood charcoal, then served on lavash with grilled vegetables and raw onion. The centrepiece of any Armenian gathering.

Khorovats is an Armenian grilled dish, ready in about 6 hours 55 minutes and made with pork shoulder and onion. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Juicy seasoned pork ribs grilling over an open flame on skewers outdoors, capturing the essence of a summer barbecue.
Photo: Lena Netkach / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
6 h
Total
6 h 55 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
570

Best marinated overnight.

Ingredients

6 servings

Vegetables

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the pork with the onion (opens in a new tab) rings, pepper (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab) and thyme (opens in a new tab), squeezing the onion to release its juice. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. Add the salt 1 hour before grilling.

    • 15 min

    Food safety: Marinate raw meat in the fridge and keep it separate from the vegetables.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Prepare a charcoal grill and let the coals burn down to glowing embers. Thread the pork onto long skewers (opens in a new tab).

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Grill the whole eggplants (opens in a new tab), tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and peppers (opens in a new tab) until blackened and soft, then peel and chop them roughly with the garlic (opens in a new tab), cilantro (opens in a new tab) and a pinch of salt.

  4. Step 4

    Grill the pork, turning every couple of minutes, until browned and cooked through, 15–20 minutes. Sprinkle with a little water if the fat flares.

    • 20 min
    • high heat

    Food safety: Pork should reach 63 °C in the centre and rest 3 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Slide the meat onto lavash, top with raw onion (opens in a new tab) and serve with the grilled vegetable salad.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Armenia · Well documentedMore food from Armenia
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Grills & kebabs · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Grilled, Barbecued, Marinated / cured
    Taste
    smoky, savoury, peppery
    Diet
    Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Carb-conscious
    Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No gluten ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Pork-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Festive & celebration · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Pork shoulder · Onion · Paprika · Dried thyme · Eggplant · Tomato
    Techniques
    Grilling · Charcoal grilling · Marinating · Curing

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom flour tortilla
    • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom flour tortilla

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    570 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 572 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 27%
    • Carbohydrate 16%
    • Fat 58%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy570 kcal100 kcal
    Protein38.1 g6.7 g
    Carbohydrate22.5 g3.9 g
    Net carbohydrate14.4 g2.5 g
    Sugars12.2 g2.1 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre8 g1.4 g
    Fat36.7 g6.4 g
    Saturated fat12.6 g2.2 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol142 mg25 mg
    Sodium1116 mg195 mg
    Salt equivalent2.8 g0.5 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    1385 mg
    Calcium
    86 mg
    Iron
    3.4 mg
    Magnesium
    82 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    71 µg
    Vitamin C
    70 mg
    Vitamin D
    3.4 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1.5 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    74 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: flour tortilla.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • The lavash under the skewers soaks up the juices and is a treat in itself.

    Common mistakes

    • Grilling over flames rather than embers burns the outside before the inside cooks.

    Serve with

    • Serve with herbs, cheese, lavash and pickles.

    Storage

    • Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge.

    Reheating

    • Warm in a covered pan with a splash of water.

    Variations

    • Lamb khorovats: Lamb shoulder or chops marinated in onion and spices.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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