Best Pork Souvlaki Recipe

4.70 from 13 votes

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This Pork Souvlaki Recipe (Σουβλάκι χοιρινό) will transport you straight back to your favourite Greek Taverna! Serve with tzatziki sauce and homemade pita bread and prepare to be hooked!

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Pork souvlaki meat served with tzatziki, onions and tomatoes on pita bread on a green plate

Whenever I think of Greece, I picture intense heat, blazing blue skies, Frappé coffee, giant sweet watermelons, ice-cold beer and night skies littered with thousands of stars. And Greek souvlaki with tzatziki and pita bread of course!!

WHAT IS ‘SOUVLAKI’

Souvlaki comes from the word ‘souvla‘ meaning skewer, literally the rod on which meat is skewered. I sometimes see food bloggers using ‘souvlaki’ as a catch-all term for Greek meat dishes – if it’s not skewered, it’s not souvlaki, by definition!

Souvlaki is the perfect street food – meat grilled on a skewer and served on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, onions and, sometimes, fries. Made well and served fresh, it is absolutely delicious – just the thing to eat after swimming all day.

Turns out it is also easy to make at home – the ideal food to share with friends. Copy the souvlaki stand method of having all the fillings and sauces prepared and laid out and everyone can fill their own pitas as soon as the skewers are off the grill.

pork souvlaki skewers on a green plate

How To Make The Best Pork Souvlaki

Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!

PREPARE THE MARINADE

Use my easy Greek marinade to infuse the meat with true Mediterranean flavour. Simply combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dried Greek oregano and a pinch of spices then add the pork, or your choice of meat.

Cover and let the meat to soak up all these wonderful flavours for 30 minutes or ideally an hour. You can also use this marinade for lamb chops, chicken breasts and so on!

greek meat Marinade

COOK THE PORK SKEWERS

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes so that they don’t burn. Thread the meat on the skewers.

Heat a large frying or griddle pan and wipe with olive oil. Grill the skewers over high heat, turning frequently, for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Taste and season with additional salt (if needed) and pepper.

Pork skewers on a grill

SERVING YOUR SOUVLAKI

Mix the sliced onion with the chopped parsley and have all your souvlaki fillings ready.

Briefly pan fry the pitas to warm them up (or brush with a little olive oil and briefly grill on the barbecue) then add a little onion, tzatziki and sliced tomatoes. 

Add the meat (off the skewers) and season with a little smoked paprika. Wrap the pitta around the fillings, using a little greaseproof paper to hold everything together if you like. Eat immediately!

Greek pork souvlaki with tzatziki and homemade pitta bread – one of life's great pleasures and so easy to make!

WHAT MEAT TO USE FOR SOUVLAKI

You can use chicken, pork, or lamb to make souvlaki skewers. Pork shoulder steaks are great cooked in this way.

If you are using chicken, opt for skinless chicken thighs as breast is a little too lean and will be quite dry if cooked in this way. Lamb is a really good choice as the meat is very succulent cooked on skewers.

WHAT PITA BREAD TO USE

Greek pita bread is soft and fluffy and sturdy enough to hold the souvlaki and all the fillings. It resembles naan bread – not the thin pita bread with pockets.

My Greek pita bread recipe is the perfect wrap for your Greek souvlaki.If you are in a hurry you can make my super easy two ingredient flatbreads which don’t use yeast and therefore no rising time.

souvlaki pita - pork, tzatziki sauce, onions, tomatoes on a Greek pita bread

IS SOUVLAKI HEALTHY?

Good news! Souvlaki is actually pretty healthy as well as super tasty, unlike Greek Gyros which is usually made with really fatty meat. Try my Chicken Gyro recipe for a healthier version of gyro!

Cooking Greek pork souvlaki (skewers) on a griddle pan

SERVE PORK SOUVLAKI THE GREEK WAY!

SOUVLAKI PITA Spread a generous amount of tzatziki on a warm flatbread. Add the meat (off the skewer) and top with the tomato and sliced onion. Sprinkle with a little paprika and wrap tightly, using greaseproof paper to hold everything together. Eat immediately!

Greek souvlaki pita with tzatzik saucei, onions and tomatoes

DITCH THE CARBS – KETO SOUVLAKI

Remove the meat from the skewers and serve with the onions, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce over a crisp lettuce leaf salad. Add some chopped avocados (not very traditional but super yummy) and dig in!

Love Greek Food? Try these recipes!

HAVE YOU MADE MY PORK SOUVLAKI RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!

4.70 from 13 votes

Pork Souvlaki Recipe

Traditional Greek souvlaki recipe served with tzatziki sauce – delicious, healthy and truly addictive!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 skewers
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Ingredients

For the souvlaki & marinade

  • 900 g (2 pounds) pork shoulder steaks
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp garlic granules
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cumin

To serve

  • pita bread
  • large vine tomatoes sliced thinly
  • red onion sliced very thinly
  • flat leaf parsley finely chopped
  • smoked sweet paprika to dust

Instructions 

Marinate the meat

  • Slice the pork into chunky even pieces, removing any large pieces of fat.
  • Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Add the diced meat, mix to combine, cover and leave to marinate for 30-60 minutes in the fridge.

Grill the skewers

  • If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes so that they don't burn. Thread the meat on the skewers.
  • Heat a large frying or griddle pan and wipe with olive oil. Grill the skewers over high heat, turning frequently, for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Taste and season with additional salt (if needed) and pepper.

Serve the souvlaki

  • Mix the sliced onion with the chopped parsley and have all your souvlaki fillings ready.
  • Briefly pan fry the pitas to warm them up (or brush with a little olive oil and briefly grill on the barbecue) then add a little onion, tzatziki and sliced tomatoes. 
  • Add the meat (off the skewers) and season with a little smoked paprika. Wrap the pitta around the fillings, using a little greaseproof paper to hold everything together if you like. Eat immediately!

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1872mg | Potassium: 363mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.

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4.70 from 13 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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20 Comments

  1. Danielle says:

    5 stars
    I made this tonight using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I’m a vegetarian so I didn’t try them, but I followed the recipe as written and my family loved it. I served it with your Greek Potato Salad and a tomato and herb salad. It was a very yummy dinner!

    1. Lucy Parissi says:

      Hi Danielle – perfect combo for a Greek feast! Thanks so much for commenting, I really appreciate it 🙂

  2. Bianca says:

    5 stars
    Delicious!! Made it last night for dinner and it was amazing! Also made your Greek pita bread to go with it and everyone enjoyed it, thank you!

  3. Tezi says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Best ever!!!

  4. Des says:

    What happened to the pita bread part of recipe?
    It was very good and now it is gone – why?