Pork souvlaki has always been one of my favourite dishes. My family is Greek and I grew up spending my summers on the island of Kefalonia, where we’d eat souvlakia pretty much every week. While in North America we may order pizza on a Friday night, in Greece it’s souvlakia.
Pork is the most traditional type of souvlakia, though you can also find chicken. I opt for pork tenderloin because it results in more juicy and flavourful souvlaki. With just five ingredients, this recipe is a total no-brainer and a definite crowd-pleaser.
The secret to making souvlakia that tastes like the kind you’ll eat in Greece? You need to give it time to marinate. I’ll typically marinate overnight, but in a pinch, at least an hour will make a huge difference. Typically souvlaki is grilled, but I make my version in the oven because it’s much easier for busy weeknights, and it still packs a ton of flavour.
Yield: 8 small skewers
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Ontario pork tenderloin, silver-skin removed and cut into 1” cubes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice + lemon wedges for serving
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
Cooking Instructions:
- In a large bowl, whisk olive oil with lemon juice, oregano and salt. Remove the silver skin from the pork tenderloin and cut into small pieces.
- Add pork tenderloin pieces, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least one hour.
- Thread pork onto small skewers, usually about 4-5 pieces per skewer. Place on a greased baking sheet.
- Broil for 3-5 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning. Turn heat down to 425F and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until pork reaches an internal temperature of 155F.
- Serve with extra lemon wedges.