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Greek

Pork souvlaki

Non-vegetarian

Σουβλάκι · Souvláki

Cubes of pork marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and oregano, threaded on skewers and grilled until charred at the edges — Greek street food at its simplest.

Pork souvlaki is a Greek grilled dish from Greece, ready in about 2 hours 32 minutes and made with pork shoulder, lemon juice and dried oregano. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
12 min
Rest
2 h
Total
2 h 32 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
600

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the oil, lemon juice (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), oregano (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab). Toss the pork in it, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (up to overnight).

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Marinate raw meat in the fridge, never at room temperature, and don't reuse the marinade unless boiled.

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

  2. Step 2

    If using wooden skewers (opens in a new tab), soak them in water for 30 minutes. Thread the pork onto skewers and season with the salt.

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

  3. Step 3

    Grill over high heat, turning every couple of minutes, until browned and cooked through.

    Food safety: Cook pork to at least 63 °C in the centre, then rest for 3 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Serve with warm pitta (opens in a new tab), tomato (opens in a new tab), onion and lemon (opens in a new tab) wedges.

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

    About this dish

    Origin
    Greece · Well documentedMore food from Greece
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Grills & kebabs · Main courses · Street food
    Cooking method
    Grilled, Marinated / cured
    Taste
    savoury, citrusy, herby, smoky
    Diet
    Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
    Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Street food · Child-friendly · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Pork shoulder · Lemon juice · Dried oregano · Garlic
    Techniques
    Grilling · Charcoal grilling · Marinating · Curing

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom pita bread
    • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom pita bread
    • May contain: Sesamefrom pita bread

    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

    600 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 231 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 23%
    • Carbohydrate 2%
    • Fat 75%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy600 kcal260 kcal
    Protein34.7 g15 g
    Carbohydrate2.3 g1 g
    Net carbohydrate1.9 g0.8 g
    Sugars0.3 g0.1 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0.4 g0.2 g
    Fat49.5 g21.4 g
    Saturated fat14.4 g6.2 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol142 mg61 mg
    Sodium1005 mg435 mg
    Salt equivalent2.5 g1.1 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    638 mg
    Calcium
    46 mg
    Iron
    2.5 mg
    Magnesium
    39 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    5 µg
    Vitamin C
    7 mg
    Vitamin D
    3.4 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1.5 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    14 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: pita bread, tomato, red onion, lemon.
    • “—” 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

    • Salt the meat just before grilling rather than in the marinade to keep it juicy.

    Common mistakes

    • Using lean loin, which dries out quickly on the grill.

    Serve with

    • With tzatziki, Greek village salad and chips (Greek-style fries).

    Storage

    • Cooked skewers keep 3 days in the fridge.

    Reheating

    • Reheat in a hot pan or oven until piping hot.

    Variations

    • Chicken souvlaki (Greece): Use chicken thigh cubes with the same marinade.

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

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. 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, 4

    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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