Greek Smoky Pork Souvlaki Plate

About This Recipe

Souvlaki is Greece's iconic grilled meat skewer, typically pork or chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and oregano before being threaded onto skewers and grilled over high heat until charred at the edges. This version adds smoked paprika to the marinade, a modern addition not traditional to classic souvlaki but one that adds a deeper, smokier dimension that works well alongside the char from the grill. The technique that matters most is cutting the pork into evenly sized cubes so they cook at the same rate, and marinating for at least a few hours so the acidic lemon juice tenderizes the meat while the garlic and herbs penetrate. Grilling over high, direct heat and turning frequently gives the signature charred edges without drying out the interior -- souvlaki should have real color, not just grill marks. Served as a full plate with warm pita, tzatziki, a simple Greek salad, and a scattering of red onion, this is the definitive Greek taverna meal -- built on the country's foundational technique of marinating and grilling meat over live fire.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gpork shoulder(cut into 2.5cm cubes)
• 0.33 cupolive oil
• 3 tbsplemon juice
• 5 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tbspdried oregano
• 1.5 tspsmoked paprika
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 8pita breads
• 1 cuptzatziki(for serving)
• 2tomatoes(sliced, for serving)
• 1red onion(thinly sliced, for serving)
• 0.5 cupcrumbled feta(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the marinade

   Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper together.

2. 2

   Marinate the pork

   Toss pork cubes in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.

3. 3

   Skewer the meat

   Thread marinated pork cubes onto skewers, packing them fairly close together for even cooking.

4. 4

   Grill

   Grill over high, direct heat, turning every 2-3 minutes, for 10-12 minutes total until charred at the edges and cooked through (internal temp 63C/145F, then rest).

5. 5

   Warm the pita

   Warm pita breads briefly on the grill or in a dry skillet just before serving.

6. 6

   Assemble and serve

   Serve the skewers with warm pita, tzatziki, sliced tomato, red onion, and crumbled feta, either plated or wrapped.

Variations

• •

  Use chicken thighs instead of pork for classic chicken souvlaki, reducing marinating time slightly since chicken is more delicate.

• •

  Serve as a wrap instead of a plate, rolling the meat, tzatziki, and vegetables inside the warm pita.

• •

  Add bell pepper and onion chunks to the skewers alongside the pork for more traditional kebab-style variety.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked skewers up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or low oven to avoid drying out the meat further; tzatziki keeps separately up to 4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions