Traditional Greek Kebabs
Souvlaki Recipe - Meat and Vegetable Kebabs with a Tzatziki Dip
Tasty lamb kebabs with onions, tomatoes and peppers. Easy to prepare in advance with beef, pork or chicken, for a taste of Greece try them with a Greek Yoghurt dip
These authentic Greek Kebabs use the traditional lemon, thyme and oregano found frequently in dishes from Greece. Originally these tasty kebabs would have been made with lamb, but they are equally as good made with chicken, pork or beef.
Keep some of the marinade back before adding the meat and brush it over the cooked kebabs for an extra moist touch.
Souvlaki Recipe - Greek Meat and Vegetable Kebabs
Ingredients – makes 6 – 8 kebabs
Marinade
- 1kg cubed meat lamb, beef, chicken or pork
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 lemons - about 4 tablespoons juice
- ¼ cup wine ( red is best, but white is o.k)
- 2 tsps dried oregano
- 1 tsps dried thyme
- 3 -4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- Salt and pepper
Vegetables for the kebabs
- Onions – cut into quarters
- Peppers – chopped into chunks
- Cherry tomatoes – used whole
Method
- Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and wine together then add the herbs crushed garlic and chopped onion and put the mixture into a deep dish. Putting some marinade aside to coat the cooked kebabs if desired. Add the meat cubes to the marinade and mix together well, ensuring the meat is well and evenly covered.
- The meat needs marinating for at least two hours, but it is best if left overnight
- Either metal or wooden skewers can be used, but the wooden ones need soaking for at least half an hour before they are used. This prevents them from burning.
- Remove the meat from the marinade, the remaining marinade may be kept for basting during cooking but it must then be thrown away.
- Make up the kebabs with an alternate piece of meat and vegetable. Making them all up the same makes them look more attractive on the serving dish.
- The kebabs may be baked in the oven, grilled or the best of all barbecued.
- Cook thoroughly and evenly turning them over regularly throughout the cooking time.
- Brush with the reserved marinade that hasn't been in contact with the raw meat.
Serving Suggestions
Halve the wooden skewers, they look nicer smaller and it makes them go further!
Serve the kebabs on a long fish platter with parsley and for an extra special occasion make a Greek dip like Tzattzikito accompany them.
Tzatziki Dip Recipe
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ English cucumber, chopped into small pieces
- 4 garlic cloves - crushed
- Salt and pepper
Combine all the ingredients together and mix them well then cover and rest for at least an hour.
An incredibly simple and quick to make dip and, like the kebabs this can be made the day before – which makes it far more delicious!
For another kebab recipe see Traditional Spicy Spanish Kebabs or the Greek Chicken Casserole.
