Greek recipe

Pork Souvlaki

Name: Pork Souvlaki
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Greek cuisine
Ingredients: 800 g boneless pork neck or tenderloin; 70 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 35 ml fresh lemon juice; 15 ml red-wine vinegar; 5 g dried Greek oregano; 10 g fine salt; 3 g black pepper; 1 large red onion, sliced for serving; 1 large tomato, sliced for serving; 4 pita breads

Juicy pork cubes are briefly marinated with olive oil, lemon, vinegar and oregano, threaded loosely and grilled over high heat for browned edges without drying the centre.

Greek taverna and street-food tradition

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4

Charred Greek pork souvlaki skewers with pita, onion and tomato — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Andrew DavidoffSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

800 g
boneless pork neck or tenderloin
70 ml
extra-virgin olive oil
35 ml
fresh lemon juice
15 ml
red-wine vinegar
5 g
dried Greek oregano
10 g
fine salt
3 g
black pepper
1
large red onion, sliced for serving
1
large tomato, sliced for serving
4
pita breads

Method

01
Cut the pork evenly
Trim only hard exterior fat, then cut the pork into 25 mm cubes so the pieces finish at the same time.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Marinate briefly
Mix 50 ml olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Coat the pork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Thread the skewers loosely
Thread the pork onto 8 skewers, leaving a small gap between pieces. Let the skewers stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while the grill heats.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Sear the first faces
Heat a grill or ridged pan until very hot. Cook the skewers for 3 minutes without moving them, until the first faces release easily and show dark grill marks.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Turn and finish the pork
Turn the skewers and grill for another 6–8 minutes, rotating as needed, until browned on all sides and the thickest pieces reach 63°C.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Rest over sliced onion
Lay the hot skewers over the sliced onion and rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining 20 ml olive oil so the meat juices season the onion.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Serve with warm pita
Warm the pita until flexible, then serve 2 skewers per person with tomato, onion and lemon. Pull the pork from the skewers only at the table.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Cut meat into even pieces and leave small gaps on skewers so every face can brown instead of steaming.
Rest grilled meat briefly before serving so its juices redistribute while the surface stays hot and aromatic.

Common mistakes

Crowding a pan or grill drops the surface temperature and gives pale meat with little char.
Over-marinating small pieces in strong acid can make their outer texture soft and mealy.

Substitutions

Boneless pork shoulder or neck can replace tenderloin when a juicier, richer skewer is preferred.
A ridged cast-iron pan can reproduce much of the browning when an outdoor grill is unavailable.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Souvlaki refers to small pieces cooked on a skewer and is distinct from vertically roasted gyros, even though both are commonly served with pita and similar garnishes.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Souvlaki and potato fries — Photograph by Andrew Davidoff; CC BY-SA 2.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Greek recipes

Pork Souvlaki

Ingredients

Method

Cut the pork evenly

Marinate briefly

Thread the skewers loosely

Sear the first faces

Turn and finish the pork

Rest over sliced onion

Serve with warm pita

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

More Greek recipes

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Pastitsio

Spanakopita