This Greek souvlaki pork tenderloin is easy, delicious and quick and cak be cooked in the oven or on the BBQ. Serve with the included tzatziki and marinated cherry tomato salad, for a complete meal.
Looking for an easy Greek pork souvlaki that’s tender and flavorful? This Greek pork souvlaki tenderloin is marinated in classic souvlaki spices, then cooks in just 20 minutes in the oven or on the BBQ.
The pork souvlaki marinade infuses the pork with Mediterranean flavour for a juicy, restaurant-quality main course in about an hour (including 30 minutes marinating).
Serve with creamy homemade tzatziki and a marinated tomato feta salad for a complete Greek-style meal.
Tip! The souvlaki pork tenderloin marinade works equally well for cubed pork skewers or a souvlaki pita wrap.
- Ready in about 1 hour, including marinating.
- Can be cooked in the oven or on the BBQ.
- Uses simple pantry ingredients and pork tenderloin.
- Includes tzatziki and tomato salad for a full Greek-style meal.
| Method | Temp/time | Texture result | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oven (butterflied) | 375F, about 20 minutes | Evenly cooked, easy weeknights | All-year cooking |
| Grill (whole or skewers) | Medium-high, turn often | Charred edges, smoky flavour | Summer BBQ and entertaining |
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Pork Tenderloin – This is the long, skinny cut of pork. I love it as it’s always tender! Look for one about 1 1/2 lbs., though it really doesn’t matter much what the exact size you start with.
Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for this dish if you have lemons on hand. Otherwise, bottled is fine.
Garlic – I love fresh garlic. For this dish, all you need to do is peel and smash them with the side of a knife to open up the flavour. If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use 1 1/2 tsp of powdered garlic instead.
Dried Oregano Leaves – Oregano is what gives souvlaki its distinctive flavour, so it’s tough to recommend a substitute here. You can use fresh oregano (use about 3 times more) or dried oregano powder (use about half).
For the tzatziki sauce:
Cucumber – The seedless English cucumber is best for grating, but a regular field cucumber with the seeds removed will work as well.
Yogurt – Any thicker plain yogurt, such as Greek or Balkan, will be fine. Use any fat level you like.
Expert tips for perfect pork souvlaki tenderloin
- While I’ve detailed the oven method here, you can certainly take these same pork souvlaki marinade and cook the pork on the BBQ instead. Either do it butterflied, as I have done here, or you can cube the pork tenderloin and thread onto skewers for the grill, if you prefer.
- A grill pan is also an option, though the pork when butterflied is quite large, so unless you have a large grill pan, it may not fit to lay flat. Personally, I find the grill pan more work than it’s worth just to get a few grill lines, as cleaning them afterwards is a bear!
Top tip!
Pork should be cooked to 145F internal temperature. At that temperature, the pork will be juicy and have a little pink in the centre. If you prefer no pink, cook closer to 150F internal temperature. And when it comes to internal temperature, why guess? An instant-read thermometer is one of the best additions you can make to your kitchen!
What to serve with Greek souvlaki pork
I’ve provided a tzatziki and an easy marinated cherry tomato and feta salad I love, which is how I often serve this dish.
Other serving options:
- Warmed pita bread triangles, drizzled in a bit of garlic butter
- Grilled pita bread
- Lemon rice
- lemon-roasted potatoes
- Greek salad
Some warmed pita bread triangles drizzled with a bit of garlic butter or grilled pita bread would be a nice addition to the platter. Lemon rice or would also be great carb additions. And of course, you can never go wrong with !
Variations: skewers, BBQ, souvlaki pitas
- Pork souvlaki skewers: Instead of butterflying the pork, you can cut it into cubes and thread them onto wooden skewers instead. Simply lay the skewers onto a foil-lined baking sheet and cook until the pork is cooked through or cook on the BBQ.
- Pork souvlaki pitas: Using either of the methods, rather than plating, you can put the pork, tomato salad and tzatziki into a warmed pita, for a souvlaki pita.
Making ahead and storage
The pork tenderloin can marinate for up to 8 hours, so it’s perfect for preparing in the morning to enjoy for dinner.
The tzatziki and the marinated cherry tomato salad can also be made several hours ahead.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Get the Recipe: Greek Souvlaki Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, fat and silver skin removed
Pork Souvlaki Marinade:
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or vegetable/canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, less if powdered oregano, more if fresh
- 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1/2 cup English cucumber, grated and squeezed to remove moisture
- 1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Marinated Cherry Tomatoes (Optional):
- 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled or diced
- Pinch dried oregano
- Pinch dried basil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare the pork tenderloin by removing the silverskin and any visible fat. Butterfly the tenderloin, but cutting it in half lengthwise, cutting almost, but not quite all the way through. Spread it open and flatten slightly. Season with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Prepare the Souvlaki marinade by stirring together all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Rub on the prepared pork tenderloin, then place in a plastic storage bag or wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate to marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (the longer the better).
- * Both the Tzatziki and Marinated Cherry Tomatoes can also be made ahead and refrigerated, if you prefer. (see below for instructions).
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375F (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- Remove the marinated pork tenderloin and place it on a baking sheet (you can line it with foil, if you like). *I like to tuck the smashed garlic cloves underneath the pork, so they don't burn on the top and introduce a bitter flavour. You can also just remove and discard, if you like. Place in preheated oven and allow to cook until it reaches 145F internal temperature, about 20 minutes. Brown the top of the pork by popping it under the broiler for a few minutes.
- While pork is cooking, prepare the marinated cherry tomatoes by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl and tossing well to combine. Set aside at room temperature to marinate until needed. Prepare the tzatziki by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and stirring well to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature until needed.
- When pork is done, allow it to rest a few minutes, then remove it to a cutting board and cut into slices. Serve with the marinated tomatoes and some tzatziki. Some warmed pita bread triangles drizzled with a bit of garlic butter would also be a nice addition to the platter, if you like.
Notes
More pork tenderloin recipes
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
We love Greece and it’s food and this recipe gives us a taste of just that! I cut my pork into medallions and fry them and add Greek roast potatoes, delicious, thank you 😋
So glad you enjoyed it, Lisa. Thanks so much!
Made this the other night and it was delicious! Â Marinated meat for about 8 hours. So flavourful, entire family loved it! Â Will definitely make again!
Glad you all enjoyed it, Mazy! Thanks so much :)
Here in Florida grilling is most of year. I am wondering if anyone has grilled this and if they found the skewered chunks or flat grilled works best. Any input is welcome.
Hi Den, when our BBQ isn’t hibernating, we do this one on the grill. I enjoy both, but I do find the larger piece of meat to be nicest, as it doesn’t dry out as much as the chunks and is less likely to be over-cooked.
Oh this looks so easy to make and I love that I can do it on the oven than the grill
.
I do have a question, after I take the pork tenderloin out of the marinade bag, and put on a baking sheet do I spread it open or closed as a whole?
Hi Melodie, you’ll grill it open (butterflied and pressed flat). It will cook much more quickly and evenly that way. After, I like to slice it into pieces, as shown in the photos. Enjoy!
This was fantastic! Followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. I served it with some lemon roasted potatoes and the pita wedges as suggested. Lovely Friday family dinner.
So glad to hear, Shannon :) Thanks so much!
Yes, it’s still warm enough here in Manitoba, Canada !! And we’re firing up the barbeque to cook this and this is Dec 20th 2020 !!!
Maybe we’ll try a turkey on the 25th !!!!! Happy Holidays everyone !!!
Glad to hear, Michael! I think “warm enough” is a relative term to us Canadians ;) We’re a hearty lot! Happy bbq-ing and happy holidays to you, as well.
We are at home in Florida and avoiding the grocery store. I have lots of chicken tenders in the freezer but no pork. Would it work with chicken? All best and stay safe, Donna
It should work just fine with chicken, Donna! Enjoy :)
Delicious, Jennifer. A keeper. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it, Donna! Thanks :)
Today was finally warm enough to bbq and this was the inaugural dish of the season! What an excellent start it was. The sauce and salad are really nice additions to the dish – makes it restaurant caliber. Thank you for another awesome recipe.
It was beautiful here as well, Carolyn, but not quite enough to melt the BBQ. So glad you got to have one though and happy you enjoyed this one :) Thanks!
Hi Jennifer. This recipe looks so good ! I just wondered if it could be made in the instant pot.
Hi Helen, I don’t think it’s really suited for an instant pot. First, when you butterfly the pork tenderloin, it is quite large. Secondly, after marinating, it really takes just a short time (20 minutes) in the oven to cook, as it is so thin. Finally, I think pork tenderloin is best when it is dry roasted, as opposed to the pressure/steaming process of the instant pot. It would create a totally different texture (and not in a great way, in my opinion).
We enjoy pork at least once a week at our house Jennifer! This looks delicious. I’ll definitely be adding to our menu soon!
Thanks Mary Ann! We are regular pork eaters here, as well :)
Oh gosh – yesssss!!! I am definitely craving summer flavors and this pork would totally hit the spot!! I love that Souvlaki marinade!! And the tomato salad pairing sounds just superb! I could eat a big ‘ole plate of this right about now! Drooling!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne :)
My family really enjoyed this . Thanks for a great, easy recipe .
So glad you all enjoyed it, Paula! Thanks so much :)
YES! This is what I’ve been craving and I didn’t even know it – :) I cannot wait to give this a try. The perfect meal with amazing flavors. Thanks Jennifer!
Thanks Tricia and yes, I do miss those grilled meals, too :)
We normally BBQ year round, but this year, we’ve just had too much snow. The BBQ is now trapped in our garage until spring. Thank goodness for recipes like this. We love pork, and this would give us the same great flavour as grilling!
You have had too much snow! We always get a lot (not your quantity all at once, just a continuous flow), so shovelling a path to and keeping the BBQ cleaned off is just too much trouble for us. This does the trick for me :) Thanks!
This sounds fabulous! I’m with you, really missing all things grilled right now and this looks like a wonderful way to make up for it!
Thanks Chris and yes, the flavours just remind me of Summer, as it’s one of our favourite grill dinners :)
This looks delicious, Jennifer! Flavour packed with every component. Ain’t no way I’m skipping those marinated tomatoes, either! YUM!
Thanks Dawn and yes, I love tomatoes and feta anytime :)