Pork souvlaki (Σουβλάκι χοιρινό)

The best recipe for tender and flavourful pork souvlaki. Made with pork tenderloin that is marinated with spices and herbs and then grilled to perfection. To serve, pour on the classic Greek ladolemono, a lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano sauce.

As a Greek, I have always known that great Greek food sometimes comes on a stick. Whether it is chicken souvlaki or these delicious pork souvlaki served with some tzatziki and pita bread, you know that you are in for a treat, and a great meal. Skewered meats are a staple in Greek cooking, and have been for a long time!

Students of Greek literary classics and philosophy may remember that Homer, Aristotle and Aristophanes all refer to feasts of skewered meat in various texts and documents. Fascinating! Or, true scholars of ancient Greek things may read this and laugh, in which case it probably isn’t true, and Wikipedia lied to me.  You really can’t believe everything you read on the internet!

Regardless of whether or not the characters in the Iliad fortified their bellies with souvlakia before battling in the Trojan war, this Greek staple is definitely worth fighting for.  But, there actually is no struggle here; these pork souvlakia are incredibly easy and simple to prepare, and will likely satisfy every mouth you are feeding.  The only fight may be deciding who gets the last one.

Why this recipe works

I love making pork souvlaki when I am serving a crowd because a little goes a long way! Pork tenderloin is not a very expensive cut of meat and because it is cubed into 1 inch pieces, you don’t need too much to prepare each stick.

I marinate the meat for a very long time – at least 12 hours. Don’t skip this step; it is part of the reason that the meat is so tender and delicious.

This is a super simple recipe which only needs a few ingredients. I love it when I can make a delicious meal without having to search for obscure ingredients I will only use once.

Key ingredients

Here is everything that you need to make the most amazing pork souvlaki. As you will see, I keep things simple, and I use ingredients that you can easily find.

Pork tenderloin I always use pork tenderloin when I make this recipe. Although some people like to use fattier parts of the pork, saying that it is more flavourful, trust me that this is not necessary. The way that I marinade the pork makes it so tender and soft that even a lean cut of meat like pork tenderloin works beautifully.

Oregano I use dry Greek oregano in almost every recipe, including this one. It is so fragrant, and adds so much depth of flavour to both the meat marinade, and the ladolemono (olive oil and lemon sauce).

Steak spice I learned from my parents to use Montreal steak spice in my pork soulvakia. This may seem odd, but think about it! Montreal steak spice is a combination of several spices, so it is an easy way to impart maximum flavour.

Salt and pepper These basic seasonings are vital to bringing out all the flavours.

Vegetable oil Part of what makes these pork souvlakia so tender is the fact that they sit in a vegetable oil based marinade for several hours. I like using vegetable oil because the flavour is mild.

For the olive oil and lemon sauce

Olive oil Only the best for the ladolemono! I use quality Greek olive oil to make the sauce that I pour over the cooked souvlakia.

Lemon I always use freshly squeezed lemon juice; nothing beats the flavour and even the best bottled lemon juice does not compare to freshly squeezed.

Oregano More oregano! Greek dry oregano takes the ladolemono to another level of greatness!

How to make it

It is so easy to make homemade pork souvlaki! Once you learn how to make them at home, you will be hosting Greek nights often for your friends and family!

Step 1
Prepare your tenderloins by removing as much of the silvery skin as you can from the pork. Next cut it into 1 inch cubes, trying to keep them all about the same size.

Step 2
In a large bowl, combine the vegetable oil and salt, oregano, Montreal steak spice and pepper.  Mix well.  Add the pork cubes and mix well by hand so that all pieces get coated by the marinade.  Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or overnight.

Step 3
When you are ready to skewer the pork (after it has marinated as indicated above), allow the pork to drain in a colander for 30 minutes.  While the pork is draining, soak your wooden skewers in a bowl of cold water.

Step 4
After draining, begin skewering your pork.  The number of pork pieces you will add to each skewer will depend upon the length of the skewer, but a good rule of thumb is to ensure that you leave about 1 – 1 1/2 empty inches on either end.

Step 5
Grill your pork souvlaki, on either a charcoal or gas bbq, on medium heat, until cooked through, turning often. The pork is ready when it has only a hint of pink on the inside.

Step 6 – Make the ladolemono
While the souvlakia are cooking, prepare your ladolemono (olive oil and lemon sauce) by mixing together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice and oregano.  Set aside.

Step 7
Once cooked (check the internal temperature – it should be 145°F (62.8 °C) ), place your souvlaki on a serving platter and pour the ladolemono over them.

Helpful hints

Plan ahead

Making these pork souvlakia is easy, but it’s not something you can whip together with no planning.  For best results, the meat must marinate for at least 12 hours, or overnight, so plan ahead.

Cube your own meat

My parents taught me to cube my own meat, and you should too!  It is easy, and much more economical than buying packages of pork which are already cut up.  Their meat cubes are typically cut into 1 inch pieces, but the size itself matters less than ensuring that the cubes are of equal size.

Allow the marinated meat to drain

Prior to passing your marinated pork cubes on the skewer, you will allow them to drain in a colander, as described in the recipe.  This is a good time to soak your wooden souvlaki skewers.  Soaking the skewers will help prevent them from charring as the souvlakia cook.

Drain your pork into a large bowl if you are planning to roast potatoes.  You can use this drained liquid in your roasting pan with the potatoes for added flavour.

Soak your wooden skewers

Don’t skip this step! I like to soak my skewers for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes I set a can on top of them to make sure they are submerged in water and not floating to the top. If you don’t soak your skewers they can end up catching fire or burning during the cooking process.

How to cook your souvlakia

Our parents grill their souvlakia, either on a gas barbeque, or a charcoal grill.  The cooking times vary slightly, depending upon the level of heat emanating from your grill. Therefore, the best way to ensure that your souvlakia are cooked, is to check them.  The pork should have only a hint of pink inside when you cut a piece open. The internal temperature throughout should be 145°F (62.8 °C).

Recipe substitutions

One of the marinade ingredients is Montreal steak spice.  You may be able to find this where you live, even if it’s not in Montreal.  Otherwise, you can substitute your favourite brand of steak spice, and when you come visit my beautiful city, you can pick some up.

How to serve

You can serve your souvlaki on the stick, along with side accompaniments; in some parts of Greece this would be called kalamaki.  Alternatively,  you can prepare souvlaki pitas, by removing the skewer and wrapping your meat with a pita bread.  You can add lettuce, fresh onions, tomatoes and of course, tzatziki.  If you are feeling especially fancy, you can even add a couple of french fries to your pita.  Like, inside your pita…not on the same plate as your pita.  Inside!  It’s delicious!

This recipe makes lots of souvlakia…maybe more than you need.  That’s okay, because they freeze really well.  If your pork was never previously frozen, you can skewer your meat and freeze the raw souvlakia for another day.  If you are using meat which was previously frozen, then freeze your fully cooked souvlakia.  When you are ready to eat them, defrost in the refrigerator and warm up in the oven until heated through.  Super easy way to get supper on the table during a busy evening.

Related recipes

If you love the idea of pork souvlaki, then I think you will also enjoy these recipes – more great things to grill.

Lamb burgers with feta These succulent burgers are made with ground lamb, seasonings and are filled with feta. So incredible.

Chicken souvlaki More deliciousness on a stick! This recipe for chicken souvlaki is full of flavour and so tender.

Grilled lamb chops Learn how to make the best lamb chops and impress your family and friends. Honestly, these are so good!

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How to serve

Pork souvlaki is so amazing when served with some pita bread and homemade tzatziki (Τζατζίκι). I like to place the souvlaki on the pita, remove the stick and then layer it with the tzatziki, sliced tomatoes, red onion, some lettuce and occasionally even a few homemade French fries. Then I roll it up and have a souvlaki pita.

You can also serve the souvlaki still on the stick with a few great sides like Greek pasta salad and Greek lemon rice. A complete meal that is so good!

Storing and reheating

You can keep cooked souvlaki in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days. Reheat them either in the microwave for a minute or so. Alternatively you can place them on a baking dish, pour some fresh ladolemono over them, cover with foil and heat in an oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes.

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Thanks for sharing!