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Once you try this grilled pork souvlaki with tzatziki recipe, it’ll be on repeat all summer long. The souvlaki skewers and easy tzatziki can be prepped a whole day in advance, making meal prep a breeze!
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Have you planned out your Father’s Day menu yet? If you’re anything like me, you probably haven’t. Maybe you’ve thought about it, but there hasn’t been any real planning involved. And so, are the days of my life.
Anyway, if you’re still in a bind, let me tell you, these grilled pork souvlaki skewers might just be your saving grace. We don’t eat a ton of pork at our house, but when we do, we want it to be flavourful, juicy and easy. I’m guessing you can see where I’m going with this? Enter this easy grilled pork souvlaki recipe!!
My Greek chicken kebabs seemed to be pretty popular with you all, so I thought I should follow that one up with another delicious Greek dish.
Greek food makes me think of Etienne and I’s first proper date. Funny thing is, it wasn’t proper at all. I was supposed to meet him at his house, so I arrived promptly at oh, say 7. No answer at the door. No answer on his phone. I waited for about 15 minutes, getting more and more ticked off as the minutes flew by.
As I drove home, he called. He had taken a nap and his alarm didn’t wake him. Could I come back?
Ok, ok. I came back. We hopped in his car and he took me to the restaurant he had made a reservation at….only…the place he had reserved was actually in Toronto (we’re in Calgary). The Calgary branch had no open space for us. Srsly!?
Eventually, we drove to a shady looking Greek place and ended up having the most amazing meal. Date disaster, avoided! Somewhat. I ended up marrying him so it couldn’t have been THAT bad right?!
The food at the Greek restaurant was phenomenal. I can’t remember what we had, but I know it was awesome. Maybe that’s even where my love affair for Greek food started!?
This grilled pork souvlaki starts with a super simple marinade, using the basics. Red wine vinegar, lemon, olive oil and a bit of herbs. You will want to marinate the pork at LEAST 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Pssst – this makes it REALLY easy to prep the night before!
What is grilled pork souvlaki made of?
Souvlaki is just the Greek version of a kebab; meat that has been marinated with oil and lemon. Pork is the traditional meat used for souvlaki in Greece, but lamb and chicken is fairly popular too.
What is the difference between souvlaki and kebabs?
To be honest, from what I can tell, there isn’t much of a difference. It seems that souvlaki is basically marinated chunks of meat on a skewer, while a kebab often contains vegetables along with the meat!
Take the marinated meat out of the fridge about an hour before grilling. Thread them onto skewers, being sure to soak your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes prior to threading.
The skewers take about 5 minutes per side on the grill, so they’re super fast! I like to use the top rack, since I find it cooks the meat nice and evenly with no scorched spots – you know your grill best, though! I love using our new ThermoWorks Thermapen to check the temperature. So many fun colours to choose from, too!
I serve the souvlaki with my homemade tzatziki using sour cream, the same recipe from my chicken skewers. You can even make the tzatziki the night before, for a REALLY easy dinner to throw together the night of!
Fresh pita is a MUST, too. If you want to try your hand at your own, I love this recipe from my pal Marissa at Pinch and Swirl.
The end result of this meal is a quick ‘n easy dinner that your family will love. Don’t forget the red wine!
PS – Happy Father’s Day weekend ❤
I’ve got more summer dish inspiration here, including:
And don’t forget dessert for Dad!
PrintGrilled Pork Souvlaki
- Total Time: 3 hours
Description
Easy, flavourful grilled pork souvlaki with an even easier tzatziki recipe! Prep the recipe the day before to make dinner the next day a breeze!Â
Ingredients
Pork and Marinade
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp oregano
- dash of salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin/shoulder, cut into 1” cubes
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber, grated*
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped finely (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh parsely, chopped finely (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- optional: pita, shredded lettuce, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large resealable bag or container and add the cubed pork. Toss to coat and place the pork in the fridge, at least 2 hours prior to grilling**.
- About 30 minutes to an hour before grilling, soak your wooden skewers (if using) in water. This recipe will require about 4 skewers.
- Prepare the tzatziki sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, dill, parsley and lemon juice. Taste, and add a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Grill the pork. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Remove the pork from the bag, and discard the remaining marinade. Thread the pieces of pork onto the skewers. Brush the grill lightly with oil (I use a soaked paper towel) then place the skewers on the grill***, cooking them for about 4-5 minutes on each side (turning once) until browned and cooked through, to 145 F. Remove the skewers to a plate.
- To serve, place a warmed pita on each plate, followed by 1-2 souvlaki skewers, and drizzle the tzatziki sauce all over. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice all over the dish for added taste!
Leftover souvlaki can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days, in an airtight container. The tzatziki sauce will last in the fridge for about 4-5 days.
Notes
*I use the large hole on my box grater to grate my cucumber. There is no need to de-seed your cucumber!
**You can marinate this meat for up to 24 hours! I would highly recommend at least 2 hours.
***As per my blog post above, I like to use the top rack of my BBQ for these skewers; but you know your grill best!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 15
We actually eat a lot of pork in our house. My husband doesn’t eat chicken, or most seafood, so when I cook for the two of us, it’s usually pork or beef. I’ll need to save this one to try this summer! Hope you have a great weekend Katherine. And P.S. that is a pretty cute story about your date night with Etienne!
Oh I remember you telling me that! I think he’d really like these, ten. I hope you give it a try this summer! Thanks Leanne, you too! Hah – he just about totally messed up 😉
Can’t go wrong with food on a stick, if you ask me! Love grilling anything and these sound super flavourful, Katherine! Definitely perfect for this weekend! While I do have our menu planned, I’ll definitely have to give these a go another weekend 🙂 Too good to miss! Hope you have a lovely weekend ahead. XOXO
I totally agree, Dawn! Everything tastes better on a stick it seems. I hope you get the chance to try them out some time! Have a wonderful weekend!! XO
Food on sticks is just more fun isn’t it? This looks fabulous, Katherine! And totally perfect for Father’s Day! Hope you have a great weekend, my dear!
I completely agree, Kelsie!! Everything is more fun on a stick!! I already know this is perfect for Father’s Day because Etienne loved them, haha! Have a great weekend too my friend XO
Souvlaki is one of my favorite meals – pork or chicken! SOOOO flavorful and delicious! I always load it with extra tzatziki sauce! Also – I love your first date story! Sooo cute and hilarious LOL! 🙂
YES I love souvlaki too, Haylie! It was one of the things I bought a ton of when I worked downtown. So flavourful!!! Hah thank you, he just about totally messed it all up 😉
Katherine, your timing is perfect! I bought a pork tenderloin to make this weekend, but didn’t have a solid plan. Now I do! This pork souvlaki looks spectacular!
Have a wonderful weekend, my friend!
Ooh I’m so happy to hear that!! I hope you love the recipe. You make mine and I’ll make yours – that carne asada you posted looks unreal!! Happy weekend to you!
Hi.. Katherine …this is perfect and sound soo delicious, souvlaki is one of my favorite meals, i can’t wait make it…thanks for sharing…keep shared your new amazing recipes…..!
Thank you Santosh! I appreciate that. I adore souvlaki too! Let me know what you think if you give it a try!!
I love how quickly these cook! Perfect for backyard barbecues! Plus anything on a skewer is just fun 🙂 I agree that fresh pita is a must!!
YES I love how quickly they cook too, Kelly. If you prep it the night before, it really makes dinner a breeze! Thanks friend!!
Looks so tasty! I’d love to swing by and partake! 😉 Pinned!
Ooh you know I’d love to have you join!!! 😉 Thank you Kim!!
I love the first date story! It’s a good thing the meal was mind blowing. LOL Souvlaki is one of my favorite things on the planet, so this is something that I could eat every single day!
Haha YES, if he had messed up the back-up dinner I don’t know where we’d be today 😉 Happy to hear it, Marcie! We love souvlaki too!!
Back when one daughter had quit being a vegetarian, when they came home they’d ask me to make something extremely similar for a meal. The marinade is just so simple, but does so much for the pork! Pretty photos!
The marinade is SO simple, but it really does make such a difference in the flavour. Thank you, Mimi!!