Perfectly moist and crispy succulent Greek lamb souvlaki skewers (Lamb kebab)! Get the fire started.. It’s barbecue time this weekend with this amazing Greek lamb souvlaki recipe!
Souvlaki is one of the most popular street foods in Greece and for good reason! Juicy and well seasoned meat garnished with cooling tzatziki sauce, served or wrapped in a delicious crispy and fluffy pita! Well, one couldn’t ask for more!
Although I just love the classic Greek chicken and pork souvlaki skewers, I think you will agree that there is nothing better than the smell and deliciousness of a charcoal barbecued lamb souvlaki! Except for a traditional Moussaka! It’s a shame that nowadays lamb souvlaki is commonly substituted with pork skewers, as a much cheaper alternative.
But if you like me, just love lamb, here is a very easy to follow Greek lamb souvlaki recipe with fluffy pita bread and creamy tzatziki sauce to make your own homemade juicy lamb souvlaki skewers from scratch!
Greek lamb souvlaki recipe – Preparing the marinade
The most important step in making the perfect, traditional Greek lamb souvlaki (Greek lamb kebabs) is nothing else but the marinade!
For this traditional lamb souvlaki recipe, the meat is first marinated to soak up all the wonderful Mediterranean flavours and then grilled, to get all crunchy, nicely coloured and juicy.
Select some good quality lamb leg or shoulder and season with a selection of Greek herbs like oregano and fresh thyme, coat with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and flavour with garlic and chopped onions.
Tip: Marinading your lamb souvlaki in the fridge for at least 4 hours will allow the aromas to infuse the meat and give it the desired flavours.
Of course the best option is to grill the lamb souvlaki (skewers) on a char-coal barbecue, to get them all crispy and smokey. However they also work great on a grill pan or in the oven, if you don’t have the time or space for a proper barbecue.
Cooking time varies greatly, mostly depending on how well done you like your meat. Most Greeks are not big fans of medium-rare, hence most tavernas offer the lamb kebab well done.
Lamb Souvlaki recipe – Serve your lamb Kebabs (skewers) the traditional Greek way
The best way to serve your traditional Greek lamb souvlaki is nothing other than with some delicious traditional Greek pita. Finding the original Greek pita can be quite challenging as most supermarkets stock only the arabian style ones but you can most likely find them at your local Greek deli or amazon (here and here).
However as we all know, nothing compares to home-made, so you can also make your own homemade pita bread with this super easy recipe.
Of course tzatziki is the preferred sauce to garnish your Greek lamb kebabs and we have included one below. Don’t forget to season with some salt and paprika, sweet or spicy if you like an extra kick.
Another delicious alternative of this lamb souvlaki recipe is to serve the lamb kebabs with roast peppers and tomatoes and a full spoon of yogurt seasoned with a pinch of cumin, salt, pepper and lemon zest.
Grill the peppers and tomatoes on a gridle pan over high heat to get them all nicely coloured and finish in the oven along with the lamb kebabs for extra flavour.
So go ahead, prepare his traditional lamb souvlaki recipe for your friends and family and enjoy over a glass of cold beer and with a refreshing Greek feta salad, or a Greek Orzo Salad (Orzo feta salad)!
Looking for some more inspiration?
Why don’t you also take a look at my favourite lamb recipes, which I’m sure you’ll love as well!
A delicious, super easy Greek lamb souvlaki recipe (lamb souvlaki skewers) with pita bread and tzatziki sauce to make your own juicy lamb kebab from scratch.
Ingredients
Scale
1kg lamb leg or shoulder, cut into chunks (35 oz.)
To prepare this Greek lamb souvlaki recipe, cut the meat into equal sized (3 cm) chunks and set aside.
Prepare the marinade for the lamb kebab. In a large bowl add the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, the herbs and spices and season with freshly ground pepper – don’t add salt yet. Whisk all the ingredients to combine. Add the meat and the chopped onions and blend to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, chill and let marinade for at least 4 hours. It’s best to leave the meat for the lamb souvlaki marinade overnight, to soak up all the wonderful flavours. (If you are at home blend the marinade once in a while).
In the meantime prepare the tzatziki sauce. Pour in a blender the olive oil and grated garlic and blend until combined. Remove the skin and the seeds of the cucumber and grate it into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and leave aside for 10 minutes. Wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and squeeze, in order to get rid of the excess water. In a bowl, add the cucumber, the blended garlic and oil, the yogurt, 1-2 tbsps of red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and blend, until the ingredients are combined. Store the tzatziki sauce in the fridge and always serve cold.
To assemble the lamb kebab you can either use wooden or metal skewers. For this lamb souvlaki recipe, you will need about 10 skewers, depending on the size of each souvlaki. If using wooden skewers, cut them to fit your griddle pan and soak them in water. (This will prevent them from burning.) Lift the chunks of lamb out of the marinade and thread the pieces, comfortably, on the skewers. At this point don’t forget to season your lamb souvlaki with salt.
Heat a grill, barbecue or griddle pan and cook the lamb kebab for about 10-15 minutes, until cooked to your liking.
In the meantime prepare the pita breads. Preheat the oven to 250C. Use a cooking brush to lightly oil the pita breads on both sides and season with salt and oregano. Place a large oven tray at the bottom of the oven and place the pita breads on top of the tray. Bake for 2-3 minutes. (Alternatively barbecue the pita breads, until nicely coloured on both sides).
Enjoy this delicious Greek lamb souvlaki recipe with pita bread and tzatziki sauce with a nice refreshing Greek feta salad.
This is the best! I used for a butterflied lamb leg, used all the spices they recommend and cooked Medium Rare with 10 min rest. It topped anything I’ve had at a restaurant!
I made this for dinner last night along with the Greek salad and roasted vegetables. It was the best ever and far nicer than our usual Sat night takeaway. Even the kids loved it. Can’t wait to make it again.
I usually use this recipe to make beef frajolaki for my son however I decided to make this recipe as intended with lamb regardless of what my son might wish. He went on and on at how good the beef was and after awhile I said so you like it huh. Well then I guess you like lamb then as well. He was glad I hadn’t told him first. The lamb was so juicy and tender and the flavours; thank goodness I have left overs and he isn’t here. I guess it will be lamb frajolaki from now on.
This is awesome in a plain tortilla wrap, too! I cooked some red onion & capsicum (bell pepper, to you norther-hemispheres), added the already bought marinaded lamb, & added some wine/s/p. Made a bit of garlic aoli with plain mayo/garlic, and a spread of avo– delish! Just goes to show how a great base can be utilized outside of it’s origins?
“2 red onions, roughly chopped” absolutely has to be a typo. I used half of 1 red onion, roughly 1 cup chopped, and that was almost too much. I can’t imagine four times that much.
This is a fabulous dish. We prepared it in summer for the barbeque and will be having it oven cooked over the Christmas period to bring a taste of Greece to a cold, dark England. Wonderful!
I Love this dish and the sauce that’s included.
I’ve been using it for 5 or 6 years now and had to update my new recipe app and came back here to make sure I still had it right and thought I should at least share my opinion.
The flavors work well w&w/o the optionals. The Tzatziki is easy and flavorful. The longer I marinate it, the better the flavors develop. Works for oven, gas grill and charcoal grill. I prefer it on charcoal, but in a pinch it works well in the oven also.
I’ve been in Greece and have had Lamb souvlaki there, and this brings me back every time I make It.
Thanks for sharing!
Sandhya Singh, who considers women’s development as the cornerstone of the country, is a social worker, who is always ready for the development of people, region and nation.
Sandhya Singh, who considers women’s development as the cornerstone of the country, is a social worker, who is always ready for the development of people, region and nation.
Your needs come first! Purplewaveindia has no agendas, and no loyalties to anyone other than you, our client. Purplewaveindia was established in 2018. And in a short span of 4-years, Purplewaveindia has become one of the prominent players in the Indian Audio Video Manufacturing and Integration Industry.
I have grown some pepperoncini peppers that I’d like to pickle Greek style. Having trouble finding a recipe. I like Greek pepperoncini because they are more salty and not as vinegary as Italian ones.
Over the past 8 years you have made My Greek Dish the number one destination for anyone searching for authentic Greek recipes! For that I cannot thank you enough!
It all started with an idea… To collate and publish all those recipes that I loved when I was young, the ones I made with so much love for my children and grand children!
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(1,347 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
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This is the best! I used for a butterflied lamb leg, used all the spices they recommend and cooked Medium Rare with 10 min rest. It topped anything I’ve had at a restaurant!
I made this for dinner last night along with the Greek salad and roasted vegetables. It was the best ever and far nicer than our usual Sat night takeaway. Even the kids loved it. Can’t wait to make it again.
I’ve made these twice now. I skewer some veggies to grill along side and my husband and I LOVE it!
Ah awesome! So glad you liked them!!
Love
Eli
we had this for dinner the other night. superb. really reccomend. Thanks for sharing. Simon
I usually use this recipe to make beef frajolaki for my son however I decided to make this recipe as intended with lamb regardless of what my son might wish. He went on and on at how good the beef was and after awhile I said so you like it huh. Well then I guess you like lamb then as well. He was glad I hadn’t told him first. The lamb was so juicy and tender and the flavours; thank goodness I have left overs and he isn’t here. I guess it will be lamb frajolaki from now on.
This is awesome in a plain tortilla wrap, too! I cooked some red onion & capsicum (bell pepper, to you norther-hemispheres), added the already bought marinaded lamb, & added some wine/s/p. Made a bit of garlic aoli with plain mayo/garlic, and a spread of avo– delish! Just goes to show how a great base can be utilized outside of it’s origins?
Absulely fabulous! My husband said he could eat it all by himself!!! Thank you so much for a great meal!!!
Is it really two whole red onions in the marinade or is that misprint ?
“2 red onions, roughly chopped” absolutely has to be a typo. I used half of 1 red onion, roughly 1 cup chopped, and that was almost too much. I can’t imagine four times that much.
Hi,
I’ve only got a slow cooker cut of lamb. Will I be able to slow cook this with the same seasoning? If so, about how long should I slow cook it for?
Thanks in advance!
This is a fabulous dish. We prepared it in summer for the barbeque and will be having it oven cooked over the Christmas period to bring a taste of Greece to a cold, dark England. Wonderful!
Hi Jacqui, if you’re a fan of lamb, also give this one a try! Its more suited to being prepared in the oven and its fall of the bone consistency is simply amazing! https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/lamb-kleftiko-recipe-greek-lamb-cooked-in-parchment-paper/
I Love this dish and the sauce that’s included.
I’ve been using it for 5 or 6 years now and had to update my new recipe app and came back here to make sure I still had it right and thought I should at least share my opinion.
The flavors work well w&w/o the optionals. The Tzatziki is easy and flavorful. The longer I marinate it, the better the flavors develop. Works for oven, gas grill and charcoal grill. I prefer it on charcoal, but in a pinch it works well in the oven also.
I’ve been in Greece and have had Lamb souvlaki there, and this brings me back every time I make It.
Thanks for sharing!
your welcome Michael! So glad you like it!
Can This be used for chicken as well? I’m going to try this on beef.
Yeap, but you can also try this one with chicken: chicken souvlaki
What type of pepper?
Sandhya Singh, who considers women’s development as the cornerstone of the country, is a social worker, who is always ready for the development of people, region and nation.
https://www.sandhyasingh.org.in/
Sandhya Singh, who considers women’s development as the cornerstone of the country, is a social worker, who is always ready for the development of people, region and nation.
https://www.sandhyasingh.org.in/
Your needs come first! Purplewaveindia has no agendas, and no loyalties to anyone other than you, our client. Purplewaveindia was established in 2018. And in a short span of 4-years, Purplewaveindia has become one of the prominent players in the Indian Audio Video Manufacturing and Integration Industry.
https://www.purplewaveindia.com/
I have grown some pepperoncini peppers that I’d like to pickle Greek style. Having trouble finding a recipe. I like Greek pepperoncini because they are more salty and not as vinegary as Italian ones.