Souvlaki - Traditional Greek Pork Skewers

Published: June 3rd, 2023 - Last updated: September 21st, 2026

Author: Piotr Półtorak

Traditional Greek Souvlaki

Souvlaki is one of the simplest and most familiar forms of grilled meat in Greek cooking. Small pieces of meat are threaded onto a skewer and cooked quickly over charcoal or another strong heat source until browned on the outside and tender inside.

Pork is one of the most characteristic choices for souvlaki in Greece. Chicken is also widespread today, while other meats can be found depending on the region and establishment. The basic pork skewer does not require a complicated mixture of vegetables or a heavy marinade. Meat, olive oil, lemon, oregano, salt and pepper are enough to produce the familiar Greek flavour.

What does Souvlaki mean?

The Greek word souvlaki (σουβλάκι) refers to a small skewer and, by extension, to food cooked on one. The word is related to souvla (σούβλα), meaning a spit or skewer, with the diminutive form referring to the smaller skewer used for individual portions.

The plural is souvlakia (σουβλάκια). In everyday Greek food culture, however, terminology can vary by place. What is ordered as souvlaki in one part of Greece may be described differently elsewhere, particularly when distinguishing meat on a skewer from meat wrapped in pita.

Souvlaki and the Greek tradition of cooking meat over fire

Cooking meat over an open fire has a very long history in Greece and throughout the Mediterranean. Ancient Greek sources and archaeological evidence show that roasting meat on spits was already known in antiquity. This provides historical context for Greek spit-roasting traditions, but it does not mean that the modern street food called souvlaki has remained unchanged since ancient times.

Modern souvlaki belongs to a continuing Greek tradition of cooking meat directly over fire. Similar techniques remain important in Greek regional cooking, from small skewers grilled quickly over charcoal to much larger cuts of meat roasted on a souvla.

Pork Souvlaki

Pork is particularly well suited to souvlaki because it cooks quickly while retaining enough fat to remain juicy over high heat. Pork shoulder or neck works especially well. Very lean cuts can dry before enough colour develops on the surface.

The meat should be cut into fairly even pieces, roughly 2 to 3 cm across. Uniform pieces cook at approximately the same rate and make it easier to brown the outside without leaving the centre undercooked.

Seasoning the meat

Souvlaki does not need a complicated marinade. Olive oil, lemon, dried oregano, salt and black pepper provide a simple combination closely associated with Greek grilled meat.

The meat can be seasoned shortly before cooking or left in the refrigerator for several hours. Long marination is not necessary. If a large quantity of lemon juice is used, there is little benefit in leaving the pork in it overnight.

Grilling Souvlaki

Charcoal grilling gives souvlaki its most characteristic flavour, but a gas grill, grill pan or very hot cast-iron pan can also be used. The important point is to cook the small pieces quickly over strong heat rather than slowly stewing them.

The pieces should sit close together on the skewer but should not be compressed into a solid block. Turn the skewers several times while grilling so that the meat browns on different sides.

Pork souvlaki is ready when the pieces are browned outside and completely cooked through while remaining juicy. Serve it immediately rather than leaving the cooked skewers on the grill, where the small pieces can dry quickly.

Souvlaki on a skewer and Souvlaki in pita

Souvlaki can be served directly on the skewer as a portion of grilled meat. Lemon, bread or pita and simple accompaniments can be served alongside.

Another familiar form is meat served with or inside pita. Depending on the shop and region, pita may be combined with tomato, onion, tzatziki or another sauce and sometimes fried potatoes. These accompaniments belong to the assembled pita meal rather than to the definition of the grilled skewer itself.

Souvlaki and Gyros are not the same

Souvlaki and gyros are often confused outside Greece, particularly because both can be served in pita with similar accompaniments. The cooking methods are different.

Souvlaki consists of separate pieces of meat threaded onto small skewers and grilled. Gyros is made from meat stacked on a large vertical rotating spit, with cooked pieces sliced from the outside as the spit turns.

Regional terminology

Greek terminology for grilled meat is not completely uniform. In Athens and parts of southern Greece, the word kalamaki, literally referring to the small stick or skewer, is commonly used for meat on a skewer. Elsewhere, souvlaki itself is commonly used for the skewer.

This regional difference explains why descriptions of souvlaki sometimes appear contradictory. The food itself remains straightforward: small pieces of meat cooked quickly on a skewer and served hot.