Steak Kabobs

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Juicy Flavorful Marinated Steak Kabobs

Fire up the grill!

These easy marinated Steak Kabobs are great cooked over charcoal or on a gas grill and only take minutes to cook. With everything prepped ahead these delicious and flavorful kabobs can be on the table in about 15 minutes!

If you’re a fan of our popular steak marinade, you’ll like this similar recipe too! It’s so simple and easy and made with pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand.

The marinade takes only 5 minutes to make. Add the steak cubes and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 4 hours before grilling. So simple, so easy and sooooo delicious!

Ingredients overview

For the marinade:

• soy sauce
• canola oil
• Worcestershire sauce
• brown sugar – we use dark if we have it on hand
• garlic
• ground black pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• red pepper flakes (optional)

For the kabobs:

• thick cut steaks like sirloin, ribeye or New York strip
• red, green or yellow bell pepper cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• red onion
• mushrooms
• small tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes
• lime wedges for serving (optional)
• chopped parsley leaves for garnish

How to make steak kabobs

1. Make the Steak Kabob Marinade

First combine all the marinade ingredients in a large zipper bag. Remove 2 tablespoons to a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon additional oil. This will be used on the vegetables; set aside.

2. Prep the steak

Trim the thick cut steaks of visible fat and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Add to the zipper bag with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

3. Assemble and grill the steak kabobs

Clean and cut the vegetables into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Toss the vegetables with the reserved marinade. You don’t need to marinate the vegetables. That little bit of oil helps develop a nice char and flavor.

Drain the beef and discard the marinade. Thread skewers with a mushroom, a cube of beef, a stack of onion, another beef cube, red pepper, beef and then a tomato.

Repeat with remaining skewers alternating beef and vegetables. Brush or drizzle any remaining vegetable marinade over the skewers. Set aside while prepping the grill.

For a charcoal grill prep in a stack and light. Allow the charcoal to heat until coated in a thin layer of gray ash. Spread the charcoal and grill over the hot coals.

Preheat a gas grill on high. Brush the grates to clean then coat with vegetable oil soaked paper towels. Repeat until grates are well oiled.

Grill the kabobs directly on the hot grate. Turn and cook until grill marked and medium-rare, about 2-3 minutes per side for a total of about 9 to 10 minutes.

4. Serve

Transfer the kabobs to a large platter. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and garnish with fresh chopped parsley leaves if desired.

Steak Kabobs are great for entertaining

These steak kabobs have been a family favorite for more than a decade. They’re really simple to make, quick cooking and easily adapted to your favorite vegetables making them great for company or a weeknight dinner.

Have a few extra skewers and vegetables on hand in case you end up with extra steak cubes. Depending on how large you cut the cubes, you may have a few or enough to make 10 skewers.

How to serve Steak Kabobs

You can serve Steak Kabobs with just about anything that goes well with grilled meats. We love a fresh green salad with a nice tangy vinaigrette dressing.

A simple baked potato will make your meat and potato folks very happy too. Our Creamy Potato Salad is another favorite that can be made up to a day in advance.

Steamed or boiled corn on the cob is always a great choice with steak, or a nice Mexican Street Corn Salad.

Don’t forget to squeeze some fresh lime juice over the kabobs just before serving. That little touch of acidity really ads a nice zing!

Options and variations

This recipe is easily adapted to your favorite vegetables. Not a mushroom lover? No worries. Just skip the mushrooms and add thick slices of a small zucchini instead.

Red bell pepper is my personal favorite, but if you have green or yellow on hand those will work well too.

Some like it sweet

For a sweeter version add fresh grated ginger and a few tablespoons of pineapple juice to the marinade. Replace the mushrooms with pineapple chunks and cook as directed.

Grilled pineapple is terrific in both sweet and savory recipes and adds a nice tropical vibe to this beef kabob recipe.

The best cuts of beef for steak kabobs

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to steaks and kabobs. I usually look for a small thick cut sirloin roast that can be easily cubed.

You can ask your butcher what he recommends but anything at least 1 1/2-inches thick works well. If they don’t have any thick cut steaks in the case, be sure to ask. I’m sure they’d be happy to help.

Besides top sirloin steaks, New York strip, blade steak and ribeyes are also good. However, blade steak or flat iron steak may not be as thick cut as sirloin.

You can fold three-inch long chunks of thinner blade steak in half before threading tightly on the skewer. This helps ensure it won’t over cook.

If you already have steaks on hand, I’m sure they will work fine.

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Tasty and delicious Marinated Steak Kabobs

Don’t let grilling season pass you by without trying these easy and flavorful beef kabobs. These are also easily adapted to your favorite veggies and steak.

Prep everything ahead then all you have to do is grill. These cook in under 15 minutes so you don’t have to spend too much time standing at the grill.

Perfect for entertaining, easy to make and even leftovers are delicious.

More recipes to love

For chicken lovers try our Chipotle Honey Grilled Chicken Skewers and our Grilled Chicken Skewers with a Sweet Sriracha Glaze.

For the vegetarian in your family serve a pile of our favorite Chopped Grilled Vegetables. It’s another terrific option that will make the whole family happy!

Originally published July 2013, updated August 2022