Spring is in full force, and before long, we’ll be getting our gardens ready for the fruits and vegetables we hope to grow over the summer and turn into salads and other fresh dishes.

As April brings sunshine and warm, balmy nights that call out for cooking out, don’t limit yourself to burgers or chicken. Step it up a notch at the grill with the Greek dish souvlaki.

One of the Mediterranean country’s most popular street foods, souvlaki is chunks of tender, seasoned meat that are threaded onto skewers and then charred on the grill until crisp and fragrant. This recipe uses top sirloin, a relatively inexpensive and tender cut that lends itself to marinades and stays together when it’s cut into cubes for grilling.

Here, the steak takes a long dip in a garlicky mix of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The meat then goes into a warm pita, where it’s topped with a creamy tzatziki sauce, grilled peppers and a fresh vegetable salsa for a hand-held lunch or dinner.

If you’re not a beef eater, you can easily substitute chicken or pork for the steak, or simply add more substantial vegetables.

Grilled Beef Souvlaki

PG tested

For tzatziki sauce

2 cups plain Greek yogurt

½ seedless cucumber, diced

1 small clove garlic, diced

Olive oil

Fresh dill, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For beef marinade

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

½ tablespoon dried oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tablespoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

For meat and vegetables

2 pounds top sirloin steak

10 mini red, orange and yellow bell peppers

1 large Vidalia onion

½ cup Italian dressing

For toppings

1 cucumber, diced

1 large tomato, diced

½ red onion, diced

½ tablespoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon pepper

8 pitas

Crumbled feta, optional

Make tzatziki sauce: Place yogurt, cucumber and garlic in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add a glug or two of olive oil, and fold in as much chopped dill as you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make marinade: Combine all of the ingredients in a large resealable bag.

Trim excess fat off steak and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place cubes in bag with marinade, seal bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight.

Trim and cube bell peppers and onion. Place vegetables in a large resealable bag with Italian dressing. Seal, toss to coat and place bag in refrigerator.

When ready to cook, prepare grill for high, direct heat.

While grill is heating up, prepare toppings: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, except pita, and let them sit until ready to serve.

Drain marinated vegetables and discard marinade. Using a perforated grill pan, grill over the flames, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes, or until vegetables soften and begin to change color. Transfer to foil pan, cover and let rest.

Drain marinated beef and discard marinade. Thread beef onto metal or wooden skewers — which must be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

Grill kebabs for 8-10 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is, and how done you would like your meat, turning occasionally. Slide meat off skewers into a pan or bowl, cover and set aside.

Grill pita wraps until just starting to crisp, about 1 minute.

Serve meat, veggies, tzatziki sauce and toppings family -tyle, allowing everyone to make their own pitas. Here’s how: Spread a small amount of tzatziki on pita, then add cubes of meat, grilled veggies and fresh toppings. If you like, add crumbled feta.

Serves 4.

— adapted from “Operation BBQ: 200+ Smokin’ Recipes from Competition Grand Champions” by Stan Hays with Tim O’Keefe

©2026 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.