Lamb Souvlaki
Souvlaki is essentially Greek fast food but to think of these being compared to McDonald’s is somewhat laughable because hello! Succulent pieces of tender lamb infused with bright lemon flavours, a stack of garlic, and earthy oregano, that smells so outrageously good as they cook you can’t help but grab one straight off the grill and eat it hot, straight off the stick….. Nope. That is not the reaction anybody has at Maccers! So, make this for your next gathering or marinade it today to serve for dinner tomorrow. Let’s bring a little bit of Greece to your table!
Ingredients in Lamb Souvlaki
Souvlaki is all about the marinade which tenderises the lamb and infuses it with gorgeous bold, lemony, intensely garlicky flavours.
Best lamb for lamb souvlaki
I think most people associate lamb leg with roasting, but it’s sensational for quick cooking like steak when it’s butterflied or cut into cubes like we do with souvlaki. Beautifully tender and juicy, especially after marinating, with great lamb flavour. Boneless lamb leg – For ease of cutting, I use boneless lamb leg which is literally just your favourite roast leg of lamb with the bone cut out. It’s readily available at grocery stores and butchers here in Australia. Other cuts that can be used:
Lamb backstrap doesn’t have as good a lamb flavour and is a little too lean for a good souvlaki, in my opinion. Better to cook it whole and slice (like in this recipe) but it can be used, if you want. Lamb chops – Thick cut juicy chops, like chump chops and forequarter chops, will work (see this recipe for what they look like) but there’s quite a lot of bone and fat that needs trimming. Lamb cutlets – I personally wouldn’t use pricey lamb cutlets – too expensive! Also, they are too thin (unless you cut the meat off a lamb rack but I don’t know anyone who’s got the budget to use a premium roast like that for something like souvlaki!). Chicken – See here for the Chicken Souvlaki recipe.
Not suitable – Slow cooking cuts like lamb shoulder and shanks aren’t suitable because they will be tough when cooked in this manner.
LAMB SOUVLAKI Marinade
Next, here’s what you need for the marinade. Lemon juice and vinegar helps tenderise meat but the key is to use the right amount of each plus enough olive oil else the acid can “cook” the lamb (makes it turn white like ceviche) or make the meat turn leathery instead of tender.
Lemon – We use both the zest and juice. The zest adds great lemon flavour whereas the juice adds tang and plays a part in tenderising the meat. White wine vinegar – Gives the meat tenderising another helping hand. It’s less harsh than lemon juice. Another excellent meat marinade tenderiser. White wine vinegar is best here because it’s more mild than other clear vinegars and is made from wine so the flavour is on-point for souvlaki. But you can substitute with similar vinegars like apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar. Extra virgin olive oil – This is to reduce the tanginess from the lemon and vinegar as preventing the meat from “cooking” due to the acid in these ingredients. Garlic and dried oregano – Two Greek favourites! We use a good, bold amount of both. Bay leaves – For even more flavour. I like using fresh because you can crush them in your hand to release flavour. Dried bay leaves can be used too but don’t crush them because they’ll disintegrate. Salt – To season the meat inside.
How to make Lamb Souvlaki
Minimum marinating time of 12 hours is essential to ensure the marinade works its magic to tenderise and infuse flavour! 24 hours is ideal. 🙂
How to serve Lamb Souvlaki
Watch how to make it
More lamb recipes
And for Greek food lovers!
Gosh, even I’m surprised how many Greek recipes I’ve done over the years!! TIPS: To marinate for longer, add 2 extra tablespoons of olive oil to dilute the acid so the lamb doesn’t get “cooked”. The marinated meat can also be frozen and cooked at a later date – directions in the recipe card. TIPS: If intending to cook on the BBQ using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning and cook on the flat iron side of your BBQ. If using the grill line side, it’s best to use metal skewers as wooden skewers can catch on fire easily. The lamb pieces should have a great sear on them, and be blushing pink inside for medium rare. To be exact, use a meat thermometer and aim for an internal temperature of 60°C/140°F for medium rare (blushing pink, optimum juiciness). Either way, a big smear of tzatziki is essential – though I’m partial to hummus too and if both those options are just too hard, I’ll resort to a quick lemon-yogurt-olive oil sauce that takes 30 seconds flat to make. (Of course I’ll pop it in the recipe for you!)
Life of Dozer
A familiar sight when you walk into the kitchen: Then on the other side of the island, this is what you see: Hard to resist!
