[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":404},["ShallowReactive",2],{"recipe:souvlaki":3,"recipe:country:greece":184},{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"romanized":7,"pronunciation":8,"countrySlug":9,"emoji":10,"summary":11,"intro":12,"story":13,"whyThis":14,"tips":19,"substitutions":26,"variations":39,"serveWith":49,"storage":51,"faq":52,"equipment":68,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":75,"restMinutes":76,"difficulty":77,"course":78,"diet":81,"mainIngredients":83,"ingredients":89,"instructions":134,"nutrition":160,"images":166,"keywords":176,"publishedAt":182,"updatedAt":182,"authorSlug":183},"souvlaki","Souvlaki (Greek Grilled Pork Skewers)","Σουβλάκι","Souvlaki","soov-LAH-kee","greece","🍢","Cubes of pork steeped in lemon, oregano and olive oil, grilled hard until the edges char, then folded into warm pita with onion, tomato and cold tzatziki.","Souvlaki is grilled meat on a stick, and in Greece that plainness is the whole point. Cubes of pork shoulder sit in nothing more than lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, garlic and pepper, then go over fierce heat until the fat renders, the corners blacken and the inside stays juicy. Eaten off the skewer it tastes of smoke, citrus and hillside herbs; wrapped in a warm pita with raw onion, tomato and a thick smear of tzatziki, it becomes the most-ordered late-night food in the country. There is no sauce to reduce and no technique to master — only good meat, real oregano, and the discipline to get the grill properly hot before anything touches it.","Greeks have been threading meat onto sticks for a very long time. Excavations at Akrotiri on Santorini turned up sets of portable stone supports with notches cut along the top — trays clearly designed to rest skewers over coals — dating to the Bronze Age, and Homeric epics describe meat cut small, spitted and roasted at feasts. None of that makes today's souvlaki a direct descendant, but it does mean the format is native rather than borrowed: small pieces, live fire, salt and herbs.\n\nThe modern souvlaki shop is a twentieth-century city creature. As Athens and Thessaloniki filled with people looking for cheap, fast, hot food, the psistaria — the grill house — became a fixture on every second corner, and the vocabulary split along the way. In Athens, souvlaki usually means the whole wrapped package: pita, meat, onion, tomato, tzatziki, and, to the horror of some visitors, a few fries pushed inside. The bare skewer there is called kalamaki, \"little reed.\" In Thessaloniki and much of northern Greece, souvlaki means the skewer itself and the wrap is a souvlaki me pita. It is also not gyros: gyros is meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie and shaved off, souvlaki is cubes over horizontal coals, and Greeks do not confuse the two.\n\nPork dominates because it is cheap, well marbled and forgiving, though chicken has become nearly as common and lamb appears in villages and at Easter. What has not changed is the ritual around it: souvlaki is street food eaten standing, food carried home in greaseproof paper on a Friday night, and the thing families grill on a balcony when the weather turns. In summer, when the neighbourhood smells of charcoal and oregano at eight in the evening, that smell is almost always this.",[15,16,17,18],"The marinade is the authentic short one — lemon, oil, oregano, garlic — with no yogurt, mustard or soy muddying a dish that lives on clean flavour.","Salt goes on at the grill, not in the marinade, so the lemon seasons the meat without drawing out its juices overnight.","Built around pork shoulder rather than lean loin, which is why the cubes stay juicy over ferocious heat.","Includes the honest indoor method for cooks without charcoal, and says exactly what you lose and how to claw some of it back.",[20,21,22,23,24,25],"Use pork shoulder or neck with visible fat running through it. Loin is leaner, cheaper to trim and reliably dry by the time the outside colours.","Cut the cubes at 3 cm and pack them snugly on the skewer with a sliver of fat between some pieces — tight cubes stay moist, spaced cubes roast and shrink.","Salt just before grilling. Salt in the marinade pulls water out of the meat overnight and you end up steaming it on the grill.","The grill must be hot enough that the meat sizzles the instant it lands. Souvlaki cooked on a lazy fire greys instead of charring.","Warm the pita for 20 seconds a side directly over the heat and brush it with a little of the grill drippings — cold pita cracks and makes the wrap taste of flour.","Rest the skewers for three or four minutes before wrapping, or the first bite floods the paper with juice.",[27,31,35],{"original":28,"swap":29,"note":30},"Pork shoulder","Boneless chicken thighs, or lamb leg in the same cubes","Both are traditional. Chicken thigh needs the same timing; lamb wants slightly higher heat and a shorter turn on each face.",{"original":32,"swap":33,"note":34},"Greek pita for wrapping","Thick flatbread without a pocket, or plain rice and salad","Greek pita is soft, fluffy and pocketless — nothing like the dry pocket pita sold as \"pita bread\" in many supermarkets. If you can only get the pocket kind, split it, brush with oil and warm it in a dry pan.",{"original":36,"swap":37,"note":38},"Charcoal grill","Cast-iron grill pan or a very hot oven grill\u002Fbroiler","You lose the smoke, which is a real loss. Get the pan smoking before the meat lands and do not crowd it, and you still get the char that matters most.",[40,43,46],{"name":41,"description":42},"Kotosouvlaki","Chicken thigh cubes in the same marinade, often with a little more lemon. The most popular alternative to pork in Greek grill houses today.",{"name":44,"description":45},"Souvlaki merida","The plated version: skewers served on top of pita with fries, onion, tomato and tzatziki alongside instead of wrapped — what you order when you sit down.",{"name":47,"description":48},"Village lamb skewers","Cubed lamb shoulder with extra oregano and a squeeze of lemon at the table, grilled over vine cuttings where people have them.",[50],"Warm pita, tzatziki, a plate of fries with oregano, and a horiatiki salad on the side.","Grilled souvlaki keeps 2 days refrigerated. Reheat the cubes in a hot dry pan for a minute or two rather than in the microwave, which turns pork rubbery. Raw marinated meat can sit in the fridge up to 24 hours or be frozen in its marinade for 2 months — freezing actually helps the lemon and oregano work their way in, so thaw it overnight in the fridge and grill straight away. Cooked meat does not freeze well; the texture goes stringy.",[53,56,59,62,65],{"question":54,"answer":55},"What is the difference between souvlaki and gyros?","Souvlaki is cubes of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled over horizontal coals. Gyros is seasoned meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie and shaved into thin strips as the outside cooks. Both get wrapped in pita with the same garnishes, which is why they are confused abroad, but in Greece they are ordered as two different things.",{"question":57,"answer":58},"Why is my souvlaki dry?","Usually one of three reasons: lean meat such as pork loin or chicken breast instead of shoulder or thigh; salt added to the marinade hours ahead, which draws out moisture; or a grill that was not hot enough, so the meat slowly dried out instead of searing. Fatty cuts, late salting and fierce heat fix all three.",{"question":60,"answer":61},"How long should pork marinate for souvlaki?","Between 2 and 12 hours is ideal. Two hours is enough for the oregano and garlic to take hold, overnight gives a deeper flavour. Do not go past about 24 hours — the lemon juice starts breaking down the surface of the meat and the texture turns soft and slightly mealy once grilled.",{"question":63,"answer":64},"Do I need to soak wooden skewers?","Yes, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes so the exposed ends do not catch fire over direct heat. Metal skewers need no soaking and conduct heat into the centre of the meat, which speeds cooking slightly. Flat skewers of either material are better than round ones because the cubes cannot spin when you turn them.",{"question":66,"answer":67},"Can I make souvlaki without a grill?","Yes. A cast-iron grill pan heated until it smokes gives good char, and an oven grill or broiler set to maximum with the skewers about 10 cm from the element works too — turn them every 3 minutes. You will not get charcoal smoke, so lean harder on the lemon and fresh oregano at the end to keep the flavour vivid.",[69,70,71,72],"Charcoal grill, gas grill or cast-iron grill pan","Skewers (metal, or wooden soaked in water)","Mixing bowl","Tongs",4,20,12,120,"easy",[79,80],"street-food","main",[82],"nut-free",[84,85,86,87,88],"pork-shoulder","lemon","oregano","olive-oil","garlic",[90,95,98,102,106,110,113,117,120,123,126,130],{"ref":84,"qty":91,"unit":92,"name":93,"group":94},800,"g","pork shoulder or neck, in 3 cm cubes","For the skewers",{"ref":87,"qty":73,"unit":96,"name":97,"group":94},"tbsp","extra-virgin olive oil",{"ref":85,"qty":99,"unit":100,"name":101,"group":94},1,"piece","lemon, juiced, plus wedges to serve",{"ref":86,"qty":103,"unit":104,"name":105,"group":94},2,"tsp","dried Greek oregano (rigani)",{"ref":88,"qty":107,"unit":108,"name":109,"group":94},3,"clove","garlic, crushed flat",{"ref":111,"qty":99,"unit":104,"name":112,"group":94},"black-pepper","coarsely ground black pepper",{"qty":114,"unit":115,"name":116,"group":94},null,"to taste","coarse salt, added at the grill",{"qty":73,"unit":100,"name":118,"group":119},"Greek pita breads (soft and pocketless)","To wrap",{"ref":121,"qty":99,"unit":100,"name":122,"group":119},"onion","red onion, sliced paper-thin",{"ref":124,"qty":103,"unit":100,"name":125,"group":119},"tomato","firm ripe tomatoes, in thin rounds",{"ref":127,"qty":107,"unit":96,"name":128,"optional":129,"group":119},"parsley","flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped",true,{"qty":131,"unit":92,"name":132,"note":133,"group":119},250,"tzatziki","shop-bought works, but see the DishRoute tzatziki recipe",[135,140,144,149,153,157],{"title":136,"text":137,"timerSeconds":138,"tip":139},"Marinate the pork","Toss {qty:pork-shoulder} of pork cubes with the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, crushed garlic and black pepper until every piece is slicked and flecked green. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Do not add salt yet.",7200,"Rub the oregano between your palms as it goes in — the warmth releases the oils and the marinade smells hillside-sharp immediately.",{"title":141,"text":142,"tip":143},"Fire the grill and thread","Light the charcoal and wait until the coals are covered in pale grey ash with no flames, or heat a grill pan until it smokes. Thread the pork onto skewers, packing the cubes tight against each other so they touch, and season all over with coarse salt right before they go on.","A hand held 10 cm above the coals should only stay there 2–3 seconds. Any longer and the fire is too cool.",{"title":145,"text":146,"timerSeconds":147,"tip":148},"Grill hard, turn rarely","Lay the skewers over direct heat and leave them alone for about 3 minutes, until the underside has crusted and lifts off the bars cleanly. Turn and repeat on each face, roughly 10–12 minutes total, until the corners are blackened in places and the fat has stopped dripping fast.",720,"If flames leap up, move the skewers to the cooler side of the grill for a moment — flame chars soot onto the meat, coals char flavour into it.",{"title":150,"text":151,"timerSeconds":152},"Rest the meat, warm the pita","Pile the skewers onto a plate, squeeze over a little lemon and let them sit 3–4 minutes. Meanwhile slap the pitas straight onto the grill for about 20 seconds a side, until they puff slightly and take a few dark freckles but stay completely soft and foldable.",240,{"title":154,"text":155,"tip":156},"Build the wrap","Spread a thick stripe of tzatziki down the middle of each warm pita, add tomato rounds, a scatter of paper-thin onion and parsley, then slide the pork off the skewer straight on top. Fold one side over, roll tightly and wrap the bottom half in greaseproof paper so it holds together.","Slide the meat off by gripping the cubes with the pita itself and pulling the skewer out — no fork, no lost juices.",{"title":158,"text":159},"Serve immediately","Eat while the pita is still hot and the tzatziki is still cold — that contrast is the entire pleasure of a souvlaki. Put lemon wedges and extra oregano on the table for anyone who wants to sharpen theirs further.",{"calories":161,"protein":162,"carbs":163,"fat":164,"fiber":73,"sodium":165,"estimated":129},610,41,44,30,890,[167,170,172,174],{"src":168,"alt":169},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsouvlaki\u002Fhero.jpg","Charred pork souvlaki skewers beside a warm pita filled with tzatziki, tomato and sliced red onion",{"src":171,"alt":169},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsouvlaki\u002Fhero-16x9.jpg",{"src":173,"alt":169},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsouvlaki\u002Fhero-4x3.jpg",{"src":175,"alt":169},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fsouvlaki\u002Fhero-1x1.jpg",[4,177,178,179,180,181,86],"greek street food","pork skewers","kalamaki","grilled pork","pita wrap","2026-08-19","dishroute-kitchen",{"items":185,"total":401,"page":99,"limit":402,"hasMore":403},[186,215,240,263,286,310,336,357,364,384],{"slug":187,"title":188,"nativeName":189,"romanized":190,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":191,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":192,"restMinutes":193,"difficulty":77,"course":194,"diet":196,"mainIngredients":202,"images":204,"keywords":208,"publishedAt":182,"updatedAt":182,"authorSlug":183},"fasolada","Fasolada (Greek White Bean Soup)","Φασολάδα","Fasolada",6,90,480,[195,80],"soup",[197,198,199,200,82,201],"vegan","vegetarian","dairy-free","gluten-free","halal-friendly",[203,124,121,87],"carrot",[205],{"src":206,"alt":207},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ffasolada\u002Fhero.jpg","A deep bowl of Greek fasolada, creamy white beans with carrot coins in tomato broth under a slick of olive oil",[187,209,210,211,212,213,214],"greek bean soup","white beans","vegan greek","ladera","winter soup","olive oil",{"slug":216,"title":217,"nativeName":218,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":75,"prepMinutes":219,"cookMinutes":220,"restMinutes":152,"difficulty":221,"course":222,"diet":224,"mainIngredients":225,"images":230,"keywords":234,"publishedAt":182,"updatedAt":182,"authorSlug":183},"galaktoboureko","Galaktoboureko (Greek Semolina Custard Filo Pie)","Γαλακτομπούρεκο",35,55,"medium",[223],"dessert",[198],[226,227,228,229],"semolina","milk","eggs","phyllo-dough",[231],{"src":232,"alt":233},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fgalaktoboureko\u002Fhero.jpg","Squares of golden filo pie filled with pale semolina custard, syrup pooling around the crisp blistered top",[216,235,236,237,238,239],"greek dessert","semolina custard","filo pie","lemon syrup","milk pie",{"slug":241,"title":242,"nativeName":243,"romanized":244,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":191,"prepMinutes":245,"cookMinutes":246,"restMinutes":164,"difficulty":221,"course":247,"diet":248,"mainIngredients":249,"images":253,"keywords":257,"publishedAt":182,"updatedAt":182,"authorSlug":183},"gemista","Gemista (Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers)","Γεμιστά","Gemista",45,80,[80],[197,198,199,200,82,201],[124,250,251,252,87],"bell-pepper","rice","potato",[254],{"src":255,"alt":256},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fgemista\u002Fhero.jpg","A roasting tray of Greek gemista, stuffed tomatoes and peppers with blistered tops packed around potato wedges",[241,258,259,260,212,261,262],"stuffed tomatoes","stuffed peppers","greek vegan","rice filling","summer baking",{"slug":264,"title":265,"nativeName":266,"romanized":267,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":268,"prepMinutes":269,"cookMinutes":192,"restMinutes":245,"difficulty":221,"course":270,"diet":271,"mainIngredients":272,"images":275,"keywords":279,"publishedAt":285,"updatedAt":285,"authorSlug":183},"moussaka","Greek Moussaka (Eggplant and Béchamel Bake)","Μουσακάς","Mousakas",8,60,[80],[],[273,274,252,124],"eggplant","ground-beef",[276],{"src":277,"alt":278},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fmoussaka\u002Fhero.jpg","A square of Greek moussaka showing layers of eggplant, meat sauce and golden béchamel",[264,273,280,281,282,283,284],"béchamel","greek","casserole","baked","tselementes","2026-08-18",{"slug":287,"title":288,"nativeName":289,"romanized":290,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":291,"cookMinutes":292,"difficulty":77,"course":293,"diet":296,"mainIngredients":297,"images":300,"keywords":304,"publishedAt":285,"updatedAt":285,"authorSlug":183},"greek-salad","Horiatiki, the Real Greek Village Salad","Χωριάτικη σαλάτα","Horiatiki salata",15,0,[294,295],"side","appetizer",[198,200],[124,298,299,87],"cucumber","feta",[301],{"src":302,"alt":303},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fgreek-salad\u002Fhero.jpg","A horiatiki Greek village salad of tomato, cucumber, olives and onion topped with a whole slab of feta",[305,306,299,124,307,308,309],"greek salad","horiatiki","village salad","no lettuce","summer",{"slug":311,"title":312,"nativeName":313,"countrySlug":9,"region":314,"baseServings":268,"prepMinutes":219,"cookMinutes":315,"restMinutes":76,"difficulty":221,"course":316,"diet":319,"mainIngredients":320,"images":325,"keywords":329,"publishedAt":182,"updatedAt":182,"authorSlug":183},"koulouri-thessalonikis","Koulouri Thessalonikis (Sesame-Crusted Bread Ring)","Κουλούρι Θεσσαλονίκης","Thessaloniki, Macedonia",18,[317,318,79],"bread","breakfast",[197,199],[321,322,323,324],"flour","yeast","sesame-seeds","molasses",[326],{"src":327,"alt":328},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fkoulouri-thessalonikis\u002Fhero.jpg","Thin bronze bread rings completely covered in toasted sesame seeds, stacked on a street vendor tray",[330,331,332,333,334,335],"koulouri","thessaloniki","sesame bread ring","greek breakfast","petimezi","street food",{"slug":337,"title":338,"nativeName":339,"romanized":340,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":268,"prepMinutes":341,"cookMinutes":192,"restMinutes":164,"difficulty":221,"course":342,"diet":343,"mainIngredients":344,"images":347,"keywords":351,"publishedAt":182,"updatedAt":182,"authorSlug":183},"pastitsio","Pastitsio (Greek Baked Pasta with Béchamel)","Παστίτσιο","Pastitsio",40,[80],[82],[274,345,227,346,124],"pasta","kefalotyri",[348],{"src":349,"alt":350},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fpastitsio\u002Fhero.jpg","A square slice of pastitsio showing pasta tubes, spiced beef sauce and a thick golden bechamel top",[337,352,353,354,355,346,356],"greek baked pasta","bechamel","cinnamon beef","tray bake","sunday lunch",{"slug":4,"title":5,"nativeName":6,"romanized":7,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":73,"prepMinutes":74,"cookMinutes":75,"restMinutes":76,"difficulty":77,"course":358,"diet":359,"mainIngredients":360,"images":361,"keywords":363,"publishedAt":182,"updatedAt":182,"authorSlug":183},[79,80],[82],[84,85,86,87,88],[362],{"src":168,"alt":169},[4,177,178,179,180,181,86],{"slug":365,"title":366,"nativeName":367,"romanized":368,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":268,"prepMinutes":341,"cookMinutes":369,"restMinutes":74,"difficulty":221,"course":370,"diet":371,"mainIngredients":372,"images":375,"keywords":379,"publishedAt":182,"updatedAt":182,"authorSlug":183},"spanakopita","Spanakopita (Greek Spinach and Feta Filo Pie)","Σπανακόπιτα","Spanakopita",50,[80,295],[198,82],[373,299,87,228,374],"spinach","scallions",[376],{"src":377,"alt":378},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Fspanakopita\u002Fhero.jpg","A golden spanakopita cut into squares showing layers of crisp filo over green spinach and feta filling",[365,380,381,299,382,198,383],"spinach pie","filo","greek pie","dill",{"slug":132,"title":385,"nativeName":386,"romanized":387,"countrySlug":9,"baseServings":191,"prepMinutes":291,"cookMinutes":292,"restMinutes":269,"difficulty":77,"course":388,"diet":390,"mainIngredients":391,"images":393,"keywords":397,"publishedAt":285,"updatedAt":285,"authorSlug":183},"Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt, Cucumber and Garlic Dip)","Τζατζίκι","Tzatziki",[389,295],"sauce",[198,200],[392,298,88],"yogurt",[394],{"src":395,"alt":396},"\u002Fimages\u002Frecipes\u002Ftzatziki\u002Fhero.jpg","A bowl of thick white tzatziki dip topped with olive oil and dill, with pita bread alongside",[132,392,298,88,398,399,400],"dip","meze","greek sauce",10,24,false,1787360072922]