Steak Kabobs

5 (1)

When the summertime hits there is no better feeling than firing up the outdoor grill and cooking some yummy food. There’s plenty of delicious ingredients and meals that benefit from being cooked on the open flame, however few are as popular or as tasty as Steak Kabobs! Skewers of thick cut marinated meat wedges between your favorite fruit and / or vegetables that are flame grilled to charred perfection. Yes, the classic Steak Kabobs are the epitome of summertime cooking, and we’re totally here for it!

What is the best cut of Beef to use when making Steak Kabobs?

This shouldn’t be as difficult a question as you think it is. The reason for that is Steak Kabobs is an extremely versatile recipe to make, so you don’t need to be too fussy about the cut of steak. Sure, there are certain cuts that lend themselves better to cooking on the open flame, but in reality, you just can’t go wrong with any cut of steak

The only requirement that you need to ensure is that you’re using good quality Steak. Sometimes it’s hard to determine what steak is ‘good quality’ or not. Our recommendation is that over time you’ll get to know your local butchers in the area and work out which provides the best quality. We’d also recommend avoiding any cuts of meat that have too much silver skin on them. You don’t want to be spending hours preparing the steak before they go onto the grill

In terms of cuts, we used some good quality Sirloin Steak for the photos in this recipe. The benefit of Sirloin is it’s relatively lean, and you can cut it into large chunks. Cutting the steak into large chunks about 1 inch thick is important, as you want the Steak to cook through at the same time as the vegetables. Cutting the steak too thin, or using typically thinner cuts of steak (eg: Skirt) will make it difficult to get your veggies and steak cooked at the same time

So, our recommendation for what steak to use for Steak Kabobs is to use a cut that is thick enough to cut into 1-inch cubes. For that reason, Sirloin, NY Strip, or Tenderloin are our recommendations

Marinating is important, but especially so when making Steak Kabobs

Almost every time you cook with Beef it will benefit from a marinade. This is especially so when it comes to Steak Kabobs. You want to infuse as much flavor as possible into to the Beef, to get the most out of this dish. Good news is we’ve got an amazing marinade that’s easy to make, and packs so much flavor into the Beef

The combination of ingredients for our marinade are Olive Oil, Soy Sauce, Cumin Powder, Smoked Paprika, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Honey, and Salt. It’s a classic combination of ingredients that work so well as a steak marinade. You get a little bit of every flavor profile; Spicy, Acidic, Fat, and Sweet, that all work in balance with each other

To prepare the marinade, simply combine the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to combine. We like using a chopstick to mix everything together as the stickiness of the Honey will find its way to get stuck to a spoon or a fork. Then, simply pour the marinade into a Ziploc bag along with the cubes of Steak and allow to marinade

For the best result, we recommend leaving the marinade overnight. This will result in a more concentrated flavor in the Steak. It also helps to tenderize the Steak, so this will be a huge benefit if you’re using Sirloin which can be a little tougher than some of the other cuts. A minimum of 2 hours is required if you’re preparing it on the same day as you plan to cook the Kabobs

Other than Steak, what else should I include on my Kabob skewers?

We love how ‘unfussy’ Steak Kabobs are. The type of meat you use isn’t super important, nor is the ingredients that you add to the skewers alongside it. There are a few classic ingredients however which pair very well on the skewers

The traditional additions to a Steak Kabob are chunks of Bell Pepper and Onions. We’ve included both the Red and Green Bell Peppers (yes, they do have slightly different flavors!) and Red Onion. These ingredients all char very well and will cook at approximately the same time as the streak

If you over / undercook the veggies a little bit they’ll still turn out great. So, the priority should be the steak. Make sure your steak is cooked to the right temperature before taking it off the grill to rest. The veggies will be great either way

We recommend aiming to cut the veggies into similar sizes as the Steak. This is important because you want there to be a consistent thickness to your Kabobs so that everything touches the grill and gets those wonderful char marks. This will also help for a more even cook. So, try to cut the veggies into similar sized cubes

One addition to the Steak Kabobs that we highly recommend is Pineapple!

Perhaps not as controversial as pineapple on Pizza (which we are also big advocates of!) is including Pineapple on the Steak Kabobs. The sweetness the Pineapple brings to the Steak Kabobs is immense and tastes amazing. You can either use fresh pineapple or simply buy the canned stuff. Just cut the pineapple up into large enough chunks so it’ll easily stay on the skewer

To prepare the Kabobs, simply thread the ingredients onto large skewers. We like to alternative between Steak and veggies. Start with Steak, then add a Bell Pepper and Onion. Add another piece of Steak, then alternative another Bell Pepper and Pineapple. Repeat until the skewer is full. Allow at least 1 inch of space at the end of the skewer so the ingredients will stay on there as they’re grilling and being turned

Soak your skewers in Water before placing them on the Grill

This is a key step to ensuring your skewers won’t burn as they’re cooking. If you are using wooden skewers then give them a quick rinse under cold water. This will prevent them from burning when placed onto a hot grill

We recommend using wooden skewers over the metal kind, mainly because you should be able to (carefully) rotate them with your hands on the grill. The metal skewers get ridiculously hot and that can become a little dangerous. So, if you can, go with the wooden skewers for a safer cook

Steak Kabobs Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Beef (Sirloin, NY Strip, or Tenderloin)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Red Onion
• ½ Pineapple
  
  

For the Steak Marinade

• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp. Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. Honey
• 2 tsp. Salt
  
  

Equipment needed: 6 – 8 long wooden skewers

Instructions

1. Trim the Steak of any excess fat and then cut into evenly sized cubes about 1-inch in thickness. Place pieces of Steak in a large Ziploc bag
2. Add all the marinade ingredients into a small bowl and mix well to combine then pour into the bag containing the Steak. Seal and then massage the marinade into the Steak. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight before cooking
3. When you are ready to cook, remove the Steak from the refrigerator and leave for 30 minutes to bring it up to room temperature
4. Prepare your Vegetables by cutting them up into evenly sized pieces similar to the size of the pieces of Steak
5. Add a piece of Steak onto a skewer and thread it down to the bottom. Then, add a piece of Bell Pepper and Onion. Add another piece of Steak, then add the other colored Bell Pepper and Pineapple. Repeat until the skewer is full, with about 1 inch of space left at the top
6. Once your skewers are prepared, heat a large outdoor grill or large frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, place the Skewers onto the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Turn, and cook for a further 4 minutes until the internal temperature of the Steak is 120F
7. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving
   
   

Recipe Notes

• To avoid burning, soak the skewers in water before use
• You can cook this dish indoors using a large frying pan, griddle, or cast-iron pan
  
  

Simple, beautiful, and delicious. Yep, these Steak Kabobs will be a sure-fire hit at your next BBQ so why not fire up the grill and give them a go!

Here are some other delicious meals you can prepare on the grill that we highly recommend trying:

• Peruvian Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce
• Authentic Juicy Lucy Burgers
• Spicy Chicken Tacos
• Beef Skewers with Peanut Sauce
  
  

Happy Cooking!