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Easy Pork Skewers Recipe from Spain – [Pinchos Morunos]

If you were looking for a recipe that is easy to make, has a lot of flavors, and is also healthy, then you came to the right place.

In this article, we will show you everything you need to know about the pork skewers recipe.

This meat recipe from Southern Spain has it all, so keep reading to learn how to make it, plus some extra tips and some cool history facts about it.

closeup with Spanish pork skewers recipe on a white plate with sauce and rice. Easy Pork Skewers Recipe from Spain - [Pinchos Morunos]

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Background of the Dish

Spanish pork skewers on a black plate with red sauce next to them.

This pork skewers recipe is one of the oldest tapa recipes in Andalusia since there are already records of it from the 1600s.

The recipe became popular because it was cheap, easy to make, and easy to eat, and was commonly prepared at fairs in southern Spain.

It has a large number of seasonings due to the influence of African cuisine in this region, and we can ensure that each ingredient gives it a unique touch.

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closeup with pork skewers served with sauce. On top it's written Simple Spanish pork skewers.

Things You’ll Need for Pork Skewers Recipe

To make this pork skewers recipe you just need pork, a bunch of seasoning, and olive oil, and that’s pretty much it when it comes to the ingredients.

The iron skewers work better for this pincho recipe, but if you don’t have them then you can use the wooden ones.

fresh pork cheeks on a plate for the braised pork cheeks recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 kg boneless pork (cut into cubes)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons crushed cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 3 sprigs fresh coriander (chopped)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) virgin olive oil

How to Make Pork Skewers Recipe – Step by Step Guide

woman cutting the meat on a wooden board for the pork skewers recipe.
  1. The first step in this pork skewers recipe is to prepare the marinade. For that, you have to peel the garlic, remove the core and crush them in a mortar. Then do the same with the cumin.
  1. After that, crush the saffron into threads, although if you use powder saffron you can avoid this step.
  1. Then you have to cut the onion into small cubes and squeeze the lemon.
  1. Up next, mix the garlic, saffron, cumin, and onion with lemon juice, paprika, pepper, coriander, salt, and olive oil. Mix everything well.
  1. After that, remove the fat from the pork, the leaner the better (and remove the nerves if it has). Put the diced meat in a container or an airtight bag and add the marinade. Stir well so that all the meat is fully covered and leave it overnight in the fridge or for at least 4 hours.
  1. After it marinates for that time, poke the pieces of meat on metal skewers and turn on your barbecue or put a large iron saucepan on the stove over high heat.
  1. For cooking, the meat must be browned on the outside quickly and cooked just enough on the inside to make it juicy.
  1. Finally, cook the marinated pork skewers quickly, a couple of minutes on each side, they shouldn’t take more than 5 on each side. You can try cutting one, if it is undercooked, put it in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
  1. Serve the Pinchos morunos immediately while hot.

Substitution of Ingredients

pork skewers with other vegetables. on a wooden board

As soon as you make this Spanish pork recipe you will become a fan thanks to how easy it is, and the large number of changes that you can make.

For the pork loin marinade recipe, you can use other seasonings, or remove some if you don’t want it to be too spicy.

This recipe is for the classic Spanish marinade that has a large variety of seasonings, but you could use salt, pepper, and paprika.

You could even turn this into something more similar to an Asian recipe and use soy sauce, oyster sauce, and some sesame seed for the pork loin marinade.

Or you can simply add some bell peppers or zucchini to the pork skewers if you want to have some vegetables.

If you don’t love Spanish pork dishes, then you can make these skewers with chicken, beef, or even gambas (prawns).

Or go ahead and try the easy Spanish chicken skewers recipe that can be both cooked on the iron grill or on a wooden bbq.

Tips on Serving Pork Skewers Recipe

pork skewers on a serving plate next to a pint of beer.

The marinated pork skewers are served as a tapa in Andalusia, with a glass of wine or a pint of beer.

You can serve the pork skewers as tapas and drink them with anything you want.

It is usually served with pimientos de Padrón, or the Espetos de sardinas, other famous recipes of this region (made on the grill), so you can do that too.

Are you a fan of the best pork recipes from Spain? Feel free to try others such as the Spanish pork cheeks, the Spanish pulled pork recipe, or the Spanish rice and beans with pork.

How to Store Pork Skewers Recipe

How to Store Pork Skewers Recipe. Ingredients such as nuts, apple, salad in a fridge.

Once you finish making the pinchos recipe you can either eat them right away or store them for later.

The Pinchos can last up to 3 days in the fridge (if you store them for longer the meat will harden).

You can also freeze the Spanish pork dish for up to 15 days, just make sure to let it thaw overnight before eating them.

In both cases, let them come to room temperature before storing, and you can heat them in the oven on a dip tray with some water, this way they will get back the moisture and juiciness.

Recipe Card: Pork Skewers Recipe

Yield: 4

Spanish Pork Skewers Recipe

closeup with Spanish pork skewers recipe on a white plate with sauce and rice

If you were looking for a recipe that is easy to make, has a lot of flavors, and is also healthy, then you came to the right place.

The Spanish pork skewers are incredibly delicious and are full of Spanish flavors.

This recipe from Southern Spain has it all, so keep reading to learn how to make it, plus some extra tips and some cool history facts about it.

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 kg boneless pork (cut into cubes)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons crushed cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 3 sprigs fresh coriander (chopped)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. The first step in this pork skewers recipe is to prepare the marinade. For that, you have to peel the garlic, remove the core and crush them in a mortar. Do the same with the cumin.
  2. After that, crush the saffron into threads, although if you use powder saffron you can avoid this step.
  3. Cut the onion into small cubes and squeeze the lemon.
  4. Mix the garlic, saffron, cumin, and onion with lemon juice, paprika, pepper, coriander, salt, and olive oil. Mix everything well.
  5. Remove the fat from the pork, the leaner the better (and nerves if it has). Put the diced meat in a container or an airtight bag and add the marinade. Stir well so that all the meat is fully covered and leave it overnight in the fridge or for at least 4 hours.
  6. After it marinates for that time, poke the pieces of meat on metal skewers and turn on your barbecue or put a large iron saucepan in the stove over high heat.
  7. For cooking, the meat must be browned on the outside quickly and cooked just enough on the inside to make it juicy.
  8. Cook the skewers quickly, a couple of minutes on each side, they shouldn't take more than 5 on each side. You can try cutting one, if it is undercooked, put it in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
  9. Serve immediately.

Notes

*You should calculate at least 4 hours for marinating the Spanish pork.

It might seem like a lot of seasonings but trust us, this is the best pork marinade (and the classic southern version).

The oil is a key ingredient of this pork skewer marinade, but you could use sunflower or corn oil if you can't find olive oil.

This skewers recipe has a short time of cooking (the pork meat is supposed to end up juicy), but you can finish cooking them in the oven if you like it more cooked.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 605Total Fat 35gSaturated Fat 6.8gCholesterol 183mgSodium 296mgCarbohydrates 5.4gFiber 1.7gSugar 1.7gProtein 66.7g

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