Souvlaki Pita

About This Recipe

Souvlaki pita is the quintessential Greek street food — tender, herb-marinated pork cubes grilled on wooden skewers until charred and juicy, then bundled into soft, warmed pita bread with creamy tzatziki, ripe tomato, onion, and a scattering of dried oregano. It is fast, festive, and entirely irresistible.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gpork shoulder or tenderloin, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 2 tbsplemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1.5 tspdried oregano
• 0.5 tspsweet paprika
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 4 largepita breads
• 200 gtzatziki (see tzatziki-bowl recipe)
• 2 mediumripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 0.5 mediumred onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tspdried oregano, to garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the pork

   Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add pork cubes and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge.

2. 2

   Thread and grill

   Thread pork cubes onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers. Grill over medium-high heat (barbecue or griddle pan) for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until nicely charred on the outside and cooked through. Rest 3 minutes.

3. 3

   Warm the pita

   Warm pita breads directly over a gas flame or in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side until pliable and charred in small spots.

4. 4

   Assemble and serve

   Spread a generous spoonful of tzatziki over each pita. Slide the pork off the skewers onto the pita. Add tomato slices and red onion. Sprinkle with extra oregano. Fold and eat immediately.

Watch: Souvlaki Pita

Variations

• •

  Use chicken thigh instead of pork for an equally popular version.

• •

  Add sliced fried potato strips inside the pita for an Athenian street-food finish.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Marinated raw pork keeps refrigerated up to 2 days. Cooked skewers keep up to 3 days; reheat in a hot pan.

Frequently Asked Questions