Grilled Greek Sausage (Loukaniko sta Karvouna)
Coarse, hand-cut pork sausage perfumed with orange zest, cracked fennel seed and sweet leeks, grilled slowly over charcoal until the casing crackles. A classic taverna side, best eaten hot off the grill with lemon and bread.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Salt the leeks
Toss the chopped leeks with a pinch of the salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze them hard in a clean kitchen towel to force out the liquid — this stops the sausage from turning watery and mutes the raw bite of the leek.
- 2 medium leeks
- pinch salt
✅ Done when: the leeks look limp and release visible liquid when squeezed
Mix the filling
In a large bowl, combine the pork, back fat, squeezed leeks, orange zest, fennel seeds, oregano, garlic, remaining salt, pepper and orange juice. Mix firmly by hand for 2–3 minutes, not just stirring but kneading the fat into the meat, until the mixture turns sticky and binds together. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- 800 g pork shoulder
- 200 g pork back fat
- zest of 2 oranges
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 cloves garlic
- remaining salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 100 ml orange juice
✅ Done when: the mixture feels sticky and holds together when pressed into a ball
Stuff and chill
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Light the charcoal
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Grill over charcoal
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Rest and serve
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Salt the leeks
Toss the chopped leeks with a pinch of the salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze them hard in a clean kitchen towel to force out the liquid — this stops the sausage from turning watery and mutes the raw bite of the leek.
- 2 medium leeks
- pinch salt
✅ Done when: the leeks look limp and release visible liquid when squeezed
Mix the filling
In a large bowl, combine the pork, back fat, squeezed leeks, orange zest, fennel seeds, oregano, garlic, remaining salt, pepper and orange juice. Mix firmly by hand for 2–3 minutes, not just stirring but kneading the fat into the meat, until the mixture turns sticky and binds together. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- 800 g pork shoulder
- 200 g pork back fat
- zest of 2 oranges
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 cloves garlic
- remaining salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 100 ml orange juice
✅ Done when: the mixture feels sticky and holds together when pressed into a ball
Stuff and chill
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Light the charcoal
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Grill over charcoal
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Rest and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Sausage-making in Greece goes back to antiquity, but the loukaniko eaten today took shape over centuries of village butchery, when every part of the pig was used and preserved after the winter slaughter. Orange zest, fennel seed and leek became the signature of the mainland and island versions, giving the sausage a brightness that sets it apart from its Italian or Spanish cousins, which usually lean on paprika or wine instead.
It is traditionally made coarse, with visibly chunky fat rather than a smooth emulsion, and grilled whole over charcoal at tavernas and family gatherings, served as a meze or side alongside grilled meats, bread and ouzo.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Its citrus-and-fennel perfume is instantly recognisable and loved across Greece, making it one of the country's most distinctive charcuterie exports.
💡 Fun Fact
Nearly every region of Greece has its own loukaniko: some favour leeks and orange, others lean on wine, cumin or wild herbs, so the sausage changes character as you travel the country.
Greece, countrywide with regional variations
39.07°N, 21.82°E
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