When it comes to perfect summer recipes, homemade kabobs on the grill should be high on the list! Colorful, flavorful, and easy to eat, these tasty skewers can be customized to everyone’s liking. Want to know how to make kabobs? Here are a few tips and tricks to preparing and grilling the best beef or chicken kabobs this season.
Select Good Cuts of Meat
Various cuts of Sirloin are great for kabobs. Relatively tender, Sirloin is lean and fits into a balanced diet, plus, it’s budget friendly. This is also an excellent option for those that prefer their meat more well done. Buy large sirloin steaks and have the butcher cut your selection into 1-inch cubes for your kabobs. (If you are willing to spend a little more on quality, you could opt for a filet mignon or Porterhouse option— and if it looks good at the butcher counter, try a rib-eye!) Choosing chicken instead? You can’t go wrong with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless thighs.
Sweet and Savory Marinades
If you’d like to impart a distinctive flavor, pour a marinade on your meat prior to grilling. The longer you leave it in the marinade, the stronger the flavors will become as they will soak into the chicken and veggies more. If possible, up to 8 hours of marinating is suggested for optimal soak time. For a chicken marinade, use ingredients like thyme, sage, red pepper flakes, ground pepper, soy sauce olive oil, honey, and minced garlic whisked together.
Did you know you can even add a few plashes of beer? Beer has enzymes that will help break down the chicken and make it extra tender. It also adds an additional layer of rich flavor to the meat!
Assembling the Skewer
First off, be sure to soak your wood skewers in cold water for at least 20 minutes to keep them from burning. (Wooden skewers tend to burn, catch on fire, and then easily break when trying to eat from them: soaking the skewers helps alleviate those issues.) Or you can use stainless steel skewers and avoid the water soak.
Second, yes, your meat and veggies can co-exist on the same skewer. It looks beautiful put together, alternating textures, colors, and shapes. Keep beef chunks, and similar-density vegetables and fruits cut into approximate 3/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch pieces for even cooking. For example, beef, onions, squash, or pineapple chunks would be paired well on the same skewer, as they can all handle the same heat and cooking time.
Grilling Secrets
If you have many ingredients that largely differ in size or produce that is extremely delicate (like tomatoes), these should be skewered separately and removed from the heat earlier. Hearty ingredients like raw potatoes or chunks of corn-on-the-cob can be partially cooked prior to grilling and placed on their own individual skewers or grilled separately.
Grill kabobs over direct heat of approximately 400°F. Kabobs with 3/4-inch cubes require approximately 8 to 10 minutes of total time on the grill, flipping halfway through. Bigger chunks will take a few more minutes. If you notice that some skewers are cooking faster than others, move them toward a cooler zone or to indirect heat.
Wrap it Up
Now that you know how to make kabobs, give some of our favorite recipes a spin next time you plan a gathering with friends and family. We got you covered with Tropical Kabobs, Fishermen Kabobs, Steak Skewers and Asian Pork. Also perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal on the grill!
Tropical Kabobs
2 Diestel Turkey Tenderloins
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
15 cherry tomatoes
15 pineapple pieces, cut into cubes
6 9-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water
For the marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Cut the turkey tenderloins into 1-inch cubes.
Combine soy sauce, pineapple juice, coconut oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, dry mustard, salt and pepper to make the marinade. Marinate the turkey tenders for 30–45 minutes.
Cut the bell pepper, onion and pineapple into 1-inch cubes. the turkey, vegetable, pineapple and tomatoes on skewers.
Grill the kabobs on medium high heat for 5–7 minutes per side.
Steak Skewers with Scallion Dipping Sauce
Meat and marinade:
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup fish sauce (such as nuoc nam or nam pla)
2 tablespoons palm sugar or (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 garlic cloves
4 red or green Thai chiles, stemmed
2 lemongrass stalks, bottom third only, tough outer layers removed
1 1 1/2″ piece ginger, peeled
2 pounds tri-tip, top sirloin cap steak, or rib eye, fat cap left on
Scallion dipping sauce:
15 scallions, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup fish sauce (such as nuoc nam or nam pla)
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons chinkiang (black) vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Basting sauce:
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nuoc nam or nam pla)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
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Special Equipment: Eight 8″ metal or bamboo skewers (soak bamboo skewers for 1 hour before using)
Ingredient Note: Chinkiang vinegar, also called black vinegar, an aged vinegar made from glutinous rice and malt, is available at Asian markets.
For meat and marinade: Purée all ingredients except steak in a blender or a food processor until smooth. Trim strip of fat (sometimes called a fat cap) from meat. Cut fat into 1/4″-1/2″ cubes; cut meat into approximately 1″ cubes. Place fat and meat in a large bowl. Add marinade and toss to coat, cover and chill overnight.
Remove fat and meat from marinade, brushing off excess. Thread onto skewers, alternating meat with fat, so that pieces are touching but not pressed tightly together (which would slow down cooking). Leave at least 1″ of space at the ends of skewers for easy turning. Discard marinade; save excess fat for basting liquid.
For scallion dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl just before you begin grilling; stir occasionally.
For basting sauce: Mince any reserved leftover fat. Transfer to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until fat is heated through, about 3 minutes (fat will not melt completely). Add all ingredients and cook until just heated through; keep warm.
Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Grill skewers, brushing with basting sauce and turning every 2 minutes, for 10 minutes. Stop basting and cook, turning every 2 minutes, until browned around edges and cooked through, about 6 minutes more. Serve with scallion dipping sauce on the side.
Fishermen Kabobs (Spiedini Alla Marinara)
1 1/4 pounds skinless swordfish, cut into 1-inch cubes
24 grape tomatoes
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red chile flakes, to taste
Heat grill to high. Thread fish onto 4 skewers, alternating with tomatoes.
Place basil, oil and garlic in a blender, and purée until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red chile flakes. Reserve half the oil mixture in a separate container.
Brush kabobs with half of basil oil. Grill until fish is opaque, 6-10 minutes, turning occasionally.
With a clean brush, coat cooked kabobs with reserved basil oil. Serve immediately.
Asian Pork and Pineapple Kabobs
1 pound boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup teriyaki marinade, divided
2 cups pineapple chunks, about 1-inch
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup Thai peanut sauce
Place pork in self-sealing plastic bag and add ½ cup teriyaki marinade. Seal bag and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.
Prepare medium-hot fi re in charcoal or preheat gas grill to medium high.
Remove pork from marinade. Thread pork, pineapple, red peppers and green onions onto skewers. Grill kabobs directly over fi re, turning to brown evenly, for about 10 to 12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F, brushing kabob with reserved marinade. Let rest 3 minutes before serving.
Serve kabobs with peanut sauce on a bed of steamed rice, if desired.