Grilled Steak Kabobs

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Grilled steak kabobs are a delicious way to add lots of fresh veggies to a steak dinner this summer. Combine juicy beef with tender vegetables for an easy all in one dinner. Includes the best marinade for steak kabobs!

top view of steak kabobs on a cutting board

Grilled steak kabobs have cubes of tender, juicy marinaded steak combined with lots of fresh veggies. This dinner is simple to make and is a quick and easy dinner on the grill – perfect for summer!

I make kabobs at least once a week when the weather is warm. They are quick, easy and delicious. Pork kabobs and chicken kabobs are tasty, but beef kabobs are my family’s favorite.

One of the best things about this dinner is that a little bit of prep early in the day makes getting a meal on the table a breeze. Set the meat to marinade early in the day and you can cook dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Why You Will Love Steak Kabobs on the Grill

Food just tastes better when it is cooked outdoors on the grill.
Everyone, but especially kids, loves to eat food on a stick.
Kabobs make food portable, which makes it perfect for a summer barbecue or party.
Marinading the beef means you can buy cheaper sirloin and still get amazingly tender beef.

mixing the kabob marinade — Steak Kabobs Marinade

Steak Kabobs Marinade

The marinade is the key to this simple recipe. The marinade both flavors the beef and tenderizes it. The marinade is made from:

Balsamic vinegar – Any kind of vinegar will work in the marinade to tenderize the meat, but I love the flavor of balsamic. I have also used red wine vinegar with excellent results.
Soy sauce – The soy sauce is salty so there is no need to include salt in the marinade. If you are restricting sodium use a low sodium soy sauce for the marinade.
Worcestershire sauce
Oil – Olive oil is my preference for oil in the marinade, but it won’t change the flavor much to use vegetable oil.
Garlic
Dijon mustard – If you don’t have Dijon mustard substitute spicy brown or regular yellow mustard. The mustard gives the marinade just a little bit of a kick.
Fresh herbs – I use rosemary in this recipe, but thyme or parsley wold also excellent. If you don’t have fresh herbs substitute a couple teaspoons of dried herbs.
Pepper

What is the Best Cut of Beef For Kabobs?

Sirloin is the best beef to use for steak kabobs. Sirloin is relatively affordable and tenderizes nicely with a simple marinade.

In addition sirloin doesn’t have a lot of fat, which makes it easier to cut into cubes. For these grilled steak kabobs you want meat that is about 1 inch thick.

Sirloin is sometimes labeled top sirloin, tri tip or sirloin tip. You could also use beef like strip steak or tenderloin, but that would get expensive fast!

steak kabob ingredients — Beef and Vegetables for Kabobs

Vegetables for Kabobs

There are lots and lots of vegetables that go nicely on a skewer when you are grilling kabobs. On these I included

Mushrooms – Mushrooms just belong with steak!
Bell peppers – Using multi-colored peppers adds color to the kabobs and makes them look pretty.
Onion – Either red onion, sweet onion or yellow onion works fine on kabobs.

But there are many other choices. Some others I frequently use are

Zucchini or summer squash – I especially like to include these during the summer weeks when my zucchini plants are producing more than I can possibly ever use!
Pineapple – I associate pineapple more with pork or chicken kabobs, but it is also delicious with beef.
Cherry tomatoes – These are tasty when they are grilled!

How to Make Grilled Steak Kabobs

1. Marinade the Beef

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Then cut the beef sirloin into cubes about 1 inch in size.

mixing the marinade — Mixing the Marinade

Put the beef in a large resealable bag and pour the marinade over the top. Squish the bag a few times to mix everything and put it in the refrigerator to chill.

marinading the beef — Adding the Beef to the Bag

The beef needs to marinade for at least 30 minutes and I think it tastes best when it marinades for at least 3 hours. My preference is to marinade the beef first thing in the morning, so it ends up being about 10-12 hours.

2. Prepare the Veggie and Skewers

About half an hour before you want to eat chop the vegetables you are using. For best grilling results try to make the vegetables pieces a consistent size.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the vegetables and add some salt and pepper to them if desired. I find it easier to season them before putting them on the skewers.

get ready to thread the ingredients onto skewers — Threading the Skewers

If you are using wooden skewers for the kabobs they need to soak in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. This will keep them from catching on fire on the grill.

3. Make the Steak Kabobs

When you are ready to cook take the steak out of the marinade and discard the marinade. Then thread the steak and vegetables onto the skewers.

I always try to make a pattern with the steak and vegetables on the skewers, because that is an easy way to make sure everything is distributed more or less evenly. Then I end up with one skewer with all the leftovers at the end.

steak kabobs before cooking — Steak Kabobs before Grilling

Heat the grill to medium high and cook the kabobs on the hot grill for 10-12 minutes, turning a few times so they brown evenly. Just remember metal skewers will get hot and use a hot pad when turning them!

steak kabobs on the grill — Steak Kabobs on the Grill

The exact cooking time for grilled steak kabobs can vary depending on your grill and how thick you cut the steak cubes. Check the largest of the cubes and make sure the have reached an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F.

How to Serve

I like to serve these kabobs with a 7 layer salad or fresh fruit. They are also great served with rice or air fryer baby potatoes.

Kabobs are perfect for dipping into sauces. My favorite sauce for steak kabobs is garlic aioli. Chimichurri sauce is another good choice, or just put some steak sauce in a bowl for a no effort sauce.

Tips

Watch the kabobs on the grill closely, so they don’t flame up and over cook.
The more uniform the cubes of meat and vegetables are the easier it is to get consistently cooked kabobs.
Metal skewers don’t have to be soaked but get very hot as they cook. Wooden skewers won’t be as hot after cooking but need to be soaked before cooking. I prefer to use metal skewers because it just seems easier. If you make kabobs frequently make sure you have a set!

FAQ

Can I cook these steak kabobs in the oven?

These kabobs will cook fine in the oven. Put them on a baking sheet at 425 degrees F and cook them for 10-13 minutes, turning them once. Check the internal temperature and make sure they reach 145 degrees F before serving.

How do you grill kabobs without burning vegetables?

The two biggest things to prevent burning the vegetables are cutting them to a consistent 1 inch size and watching the grill. If you make the vegetables too small they are more likely to burn.

Also if you walk away from the grill it could start flaring up and some vegetables could burn before you even notice. Being familiar with your grill and how it cooks is important.

Find More Grilling Recipes

Yield: 4

Grilled Steak Kabobs

Combine juicy beef with tender vegetables for an easy all in one dinner.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Marinade 8 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 9 hours

Ingredients

Marinade

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dry rosemary
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon pepper

Kabobs

1 pound beef sirloin
8 ounces mushrooms, cut in half
1 bell pepper
1 red onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir well.
Cut the sirloin into pieces about 1 inch in size and add them to a large resealable bag.
Pour the marinade into the bag with the steak. Seal it and put in the refrigerator to allow the steak to marinade. Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes, although I prefer at least 3 hours for tenderizing the steak.
If you are using wooden skewers put them in water to soak for 30 minutes before making the kabobs.
When you are almost ready to cook cut the mushrooms, bell peppers and onions into pieces about 1 inch in size.
Put the vegetables in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Take the steak out of the bag and discard the marinade.
Thread the steak and vegetables onto the skewers.
Cook the skewers on a grill at medium high heat. Turn them once or twice during cooking so the steak kabobs brown evenly. Remember that metal skewers will get very hot and handle with a hot pad. The kabobs will cook in about 10-12 minutes. Check and make sure the steak has reached 145 internally before serving.