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Cypriot · Mediterranean

Souvla

Non-vegetarian

Σούβλα · soúvla

Big chunks of pork shoulder marinated in lemon, onion and oregano, threaded on long skewers and slowly spit-roasted over charcoal. The centrepiece of a Cypriot Sunday or Easter barbecue.

Souvla is a Cypriot grilled dish from Cyprus, ready in about 5 hours 40 minutes and made with pork shoulder and dried oregano. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Large chunks of meat roasting on souvla skewers over charcoal
Photo: George Groutas from Idalion, Cyprus / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-2.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 15 min
Rest
10 min
Total
5 h 40 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
543

Includes at least 4 hours marinating; overnight is common.

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the pork with the onion (opens in a new tab), lemon juice (opens in a new tab), oil, oregano (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab) (not the salt yet). Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

    • 10 min

    Food safety: Keep raw pork chilled while marinating.

  2. Step 2

    Season with the salt and thread the meat onto long, sturdy skewers (opens in a new tab), keeping pieces snug.

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

  3. Step 3

    Cook well above medium coals (not over the hottest part), turning often — or on a rotisserie — until crusted outside and tender within.

    Food safety: Pork must reach at least 63 °C, rested; souvla is traditionally cooked well beyond that until tender.

  4. Step 4

    Rest for 10 minutes, then slide off the skewers (opens in a new tab) and serve with lemon (opens in a new tab) and pita.

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

About this dish

Origin
Cyprus · Commonly attributedLarge-cut souvla is a Cypriot barbecue tradition; spit-roasting is common across Greece too.More food from Cyprus
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Grills & kebabs · Main courses
Cooking method
Barbecued, Grilled, Marinated / cured
Taste
smoky, herby, savoury, citrusy
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 ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Pork-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Pork shoulder · Dried oregano · Onion · Lemon juice
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

543 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 236 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 26%
  • Carbohydrate 2%
  • Fat 72%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy543 kcal230 kcal
Protein34.7 g14.7 g
Carbohydrate2.8 g1.2 g
Net carbohydrate2.2 g0.9 g
Sugars1 g0.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0.6 g0.3 g
Fat42.8 g18.2 g
Saturated fat13.4 g5.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol142 mg60 mg
Sodium908 mg385 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
650 mg
Calcium
45 mg
Iron
2.4 mg
Magnesium
40 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
5 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
3.4 µg
Vitamin B12
1.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
16 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: lemon, pita bread.
  • “—” 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

  • Patience is key — souvla cooks slowly at a distance from the coals so the fat renders without burning.

Common mistakes

  • Salting the meat in the marinade overnight draws out moisture; salt just before threading.

Serve with

  • Serve with pita, tzatziki-style yogurt, tomato and cucumber salad.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Warm in a hot oven or on the grill.

Variations

  • Souvlakia: Smaller cubes on short skewers, cooked quickly over hot coals.

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

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, 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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