Pork Souvlaki (Greek Lemon-Oregano Pork Skewers with Tzatziki)
Cubes of pork loin marinated in olive oil, red onion, garlic, lemon, red wine vinegar and Greek oregano, grilled hot on skewers and served on grilled pita with a thick, garlicky cucumber tzatziki.
Souvlaki is Greece's skewer, and it is much older than the döner. Wikipedia says the word is a diminutive of soúvla, "skewer," from Latin subula; stone cooking supports at Akrotiri on Santorini, from before the eruption of Thera in the 17th century BC, have paired notches that likely held skewers, and portable "souvlaki trays" have been found at Mycenaean sites. In 1850 the French writer Gustave Flaubert saw Greeks grilling meat on bamboo sticks in Boeotia. Souvlaki was not widely available until after World War II, and in the 1960s vendors from Boeotia made it a fast food. Pork is the usual meat in Greece and Cyprus.
The name starts arguments. In Athens and the south, the skewer is often called kalamaki ("little reed"), and "souvlaki" means any pita wrap; in Thessaloniki, "souvlaki" is the skewer itself. This recipe is from Serious Eats' Joshua Bousel, written when he was about to move away from his favorite souvlaki and gyro shop in Astoria, Queens, and cross-tested by Serious Eats in 2023.
Why it works the kitchen science
Acid, but not for long
Lemon and vinegar season the pork, and pulling it after 2 hours keeps the acid from turning the outside mushy.
Cubes the same size
1-inch cubes cook through at the same time over a hot, even fire, so the outside chars just as the center reaches 145°F.
Step by step
- Step 1
Make the tzatziki first: grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater, press it in a fine strainer to squeeze out the liquid, then stir it into the yogurt with the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Step 2
Whisk together the olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Put the pork in a zipper-lock bag, pour in the marinade, press out the air and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, no longer. Soak the skewers in cold water at least 30 minutes.
- Step 3
Light a chimney of charcoal; when the coals are covered in gray ash, spread them in an even layer (or heat all the burners of a gas grill on high). Set the grate on, cover and preheat 5 minutes, then clean and oil the grate. Meanwhile, thread the pork onto the skewers, discarding the marinade.
- Step 4
Grill the skewers, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until charred on all sides and 145°F in the center of the thickest cube, 8 to 12 minutes. Rest 5 minutes.
- Step 5
While the pork rests, grill the pitas about 1 minute per side, until lightly browned, then cut them into quarters.
- Step 6
Lay the pita on plates, set the skewers on top and add a big spoonful of tzatziki.
Pork Souvlaki (Greek Lemon-Oregano Pork Skewers with Tzatziki)
Serves 4 · about 8 skewers · 2 hr 50 min total
Marinade and pork
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp dried Greek oregano
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 lb boneless pork loin or tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin and excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
Tzatziki
- 1 English cucumber, peeled
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
To serve
- 4 pocketless pitas
- Bamboo skewers, soaked
Method
- Make the tzatziki first: grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater, press it in a fine strainer to squeeze out the liquid, then stir it into the yogurt with the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Whisk together the olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Put the pork in a zipper-lock bag, pour in the marinade, press out the air and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, no longer. Soak the skewers in cold water at least 30 minutes.
- Light a chimney of charcoal; when the coals are covered in gray ash, spread them in an even layer (or heat all the burners of a gas grill on high). Set the grate on, cover and preheat 5 minutes, then clean and oil the grate. Meanwhile, thread the pork onto the skewers, discarding the marinade.
- Grill the skewers, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until charred on all sides and 145°F in the center of the thickest cube, 8 to 12 minutes. Rest 5 minutes.
- While the pork rests, grill the pitas about 1 minute per side, until lightly browned, then cut them into quarters.
- Lay the pita on plates, set the skewers on top and add a big spoonful of tzatziki.
Adapted from Joshua Bousel, "Pork Souvlaki With Pita and Tzatziki", Serious Eats (published March 20, 2009; cross-tested 2023; updated January 9, 2026), serves 4. We follow it as written: 1 1/2 lb pork loin or tenderloin in 1-inch cubes marinated 1 to 2 hours (no longer) in olive oil, red onion, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Greek oregano, kosher salt and pepper; tzatziki of grated, drained English cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon, olive oil and salt, chilled at least 2 hours; bamboo skewers soaked 30 minutes; a hot fire, turning every 2 to 3 minutes for 8 to 12 minutes to 145°F; a 5-minute rest; and pita grilled about 1 minute per side. Serious Eats' own 5-minute rest already covers the 3-minute rule. Serious Eats. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- Use the tenderloin for the most tender bites, or loin for more pork flavor; trim the silver skin either way.
- Draining the cucumber is what keeps tzatziki thick enough to scoop.
- Make a gyros-shop wrap: slide the pork off the skewer onto a pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion and fries (see Greek Pork Gyros Pita).
- Chicken thighs work the same way; cook them to 165°F.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Souvlaki is the skewer; kalamaki is something else. Disputed by city: Wikipedia says in Athens kalamaki is the skewer and "souvlaki" means any pita wrap, while in Thessaloniki "souvlaki" is the skewer and kalamaki is not connected to it.
- The Greeks were grilling souvlaki in 2000 BC. Disputed wording: Wikipedia repeats a claim that souvlaki was popular on Santorini "back in 2000 BC," but the evidence it gives is skewer-holding cooking stones from the 17th century BC; say "ancient Greeks grilled meat on skewers."
- Pork is the real souvlaki meat. Documented as the usual meat in Greece and Cyprus (Wikipedia); chicken and lamb are common too.
- Marinate overnight for more flavor. Folklore for this recipe: Bousel's first version marinated overnight, but the tested recipe says 1 to 2 hours and no longer.
- Souvlaki is fast food from Boeotia. Documented in part: Wikipedia says vendors from Boeotia sold skewers widely as fast food in the 1960s.
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