Beef Shish Kabob
22 Comments
Updated May 23, 2024
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Beef shish kabobs are the ultimate summer grilling recipe. Juicy and tender sirloin steak is soaked in the best beef marinade, then threaded on skewers with onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms before being tossed on a hot grill for a quick 15 minutes until perfectly browned. Hello, summer cookouts and dinner parties!
What is Shish Kabob?
For a quick history recap — shish kabob comes from the Turkish word şiş kebap, which translates to skewered roasted meat. In the US, it’s sometimes spelled shish kebab and sometimes spelled shish kabob, but no matter the spelling, skewered meat and veggies cooked over a hot grill is a winner of a meal!
I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and have eaten numerous versions of shish kabobs. And if you go beyond the Middle East, different cultures have their own twist on it with a variety of marinades, veggies, and meats such as lamb, pork, or chicken (like chicken souvlaki or Greek chicken kabobs). But today I’m highlighting a classic beef shish kabob recipe threaded with chunky steak bites and colorful sliced vegetables.
Beef Shish Kabob Recipe Ingredients
- Steak: I’m using sirloin steak for quality meat that’s also affordable. Plus, it lends a lot of flavor no matter how you cook it. But if you’re wondering about other steak options, I’ve got a few notes on that in the next section.
- Vegetables: Red onion, bell peppers of all colors, and mushrooms are a classic kabob combo. But feel free to use other vegetables that grill beautifully such as summer squashes or eggplant.
- The Best Shish Kabob Marinade: The marinade is the key to ultra-flavorful kabobs! My version is a blend of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper. If you’re gluten-free, make sure to use Tamari soy sauce and a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. You can find the exact brands I use linked in the recipe card below!
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below
The Best Meat for Shish Kabob
When it comes to the shish kabob meat, you have two choices. You can spend a bit more for the most tender and juicy steak bite. Or, you can grab a more affordable option that lends similar results. Let’s talk through those:
- Pricier Cuts: Filet mignon or ribeye are some of the most tender pieces of beef, which is why they’re on the expensive side. But if you have the budget for them, they’re the ideal option for melt-in-your-mouth, beefy goodness. Side note — sometimes these pricier cuts taste even better when they’re not marinated (like my filet mignon recipe). So, I’d say pick and choose when you want to use it!
- Less Expensive Cuts: A budget-friendly option that will meet you in the middle is top sirloin steak, which is what I’m using in this recipe. It cooks extremely well over a fire (as long as you don’t overcook it), and is great at absorbing marinades.
How To Make Beef Shish Kabob
Make the marinade. Add all of the marinade ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Marinate the steak. Toss the steak pieces in the marinade. Then, cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Do not marinate for more than 24 hours as the meat can become gamey.
Thread the skewers. Thread the beef, onions, and peppers onto skewers. Have fun with different combinations! Then, season each shish kabob with some kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Get grilling! Heat an outdoor or indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the shish kabobs on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned throughout. And if you’re using metal skewers like I am, make sure to wear gloves to rotate the skewers as they’ll be hot!
Storage Tips
Served for a party, these shish kabob skewers will be gone in a flash. But if you happen to have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge or freezer to enjoy at a later date in the future.
- To store for the week: Unthread the beef and veggies, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll keep for 4 to 5 days.
- Freeze for later: Since the steak is already cooked in bite-sized pieces, it makes for easy reheating in the future. Add the steak and veggies to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure to thaw it in the fridge the night before when you’re ready to eat them.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer flat metal skewers to wooden skewers for grilling. They’re reusable, sturdy, and prevent the meat and veggies from rotating around the skewer when you flip them. Specifically, I love these flat metal skewers because they’re easy to thread through meat and veggies!
This recipe achieves medium-cooked beef chunks at about 145°F. But if you want them well done, slice the beef into smaller pieces to avoid overcooking the vegetables in the process.
You should have a total of 8 to 10 skewers, with four pieces of beef threaded on each one with vegetables in between.
More Grilling Recipes
Who loves summertime grilling as much as I do? Toss several of the recipes below on the grill for fun outdoor festivities!
- Grilled Salmon Steaks (with the best mustard chive sauce)
- Grilled Watermelon: Who knew watermelon could be so sweet and smoky?
- Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce: The chimichurri sauce on this is everything!
- Grilled Corn on the Cobb: A summer staple when corn is blooming.
- Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers: The perfect seafood grilling option to add to the mix.
There’s no doubt this shish kabob recipe will be a summertime staple. If you make it for friends and family, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below!
Beef Shish Kabob
Description
Video
Equipment
- Metal Skewers These are the flat metal skewers I love for grilling.
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¼ cup low-sodium tamari soy sauce
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Beef Shish Kabobs
- 2 pounds top sirloin steak, cubed
- 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 bell peppers (any color), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 ounces baby bell mushrooms, halved
Instructions
- Make marinade. Add all of the marinade ingredients to a mixing bowl, then stir to combine.
- Marinate steak. Add the steak pieces to the marinade. Stir to coat. Cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, and up to 24 hours.
- Thread skewers. Thread the beef, onions, and peppers onto skewers. You can alternate the order of ingredients on the skewers. Season each shish kabob with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Grill. Heat an outdoor or indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the shish kabobs on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned throughout, about 15 minutes.
- Rest. Allow skewers to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- Grill options: An outdoor grill is best for a charred and smoky flavor. But you can always use an indoor version like this lodge grill I use all the time!
Nutrition
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This recipe was a big hit with my family for Fourth of July. I am making it again tonight for my company!
Wonderful! So happy your family loved these shish kabobs, Barbara!
Love this marinade! My son instantly fell in love with the dish and requests it all the time. That’s high praise indeed if you knew my son :) You can also broil or bake this dish and it’s still delicious. Thx for the recipe Lisa!
So happy you both love it!
Made these tonight, they were excellent! We will definately make these again.
I just Always remove white membrane from my bell peppers because it tends to be bitter
This recipe was very easy but yet the most delicious and juicy beef kabob!! My three kids, all teens, said this was the best kabob they’ve ever had!!! Can’t wait to make it again!!
Hi Mimi – Thanks for the review and happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this shish kabob recipe!
My husband and I enjoyed this meal! Marinade is 100%!
Happy you both loved the shish kabobs!
Was really delicious. I made this along with the broccoli salad during the summer. It made for a really good dinner and tasty leftovers. I enjoy doing her recipes. They’re easy to follow and she keeps in mind to add lots of vegetables to keep it healthy. I enjoyed following her monthly menu when I subscribed to her newsletter. It made meal planning easy and grocery shopping too.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Rachel! I’m happy you love these beef shish kabobs and my other recipes as well. :)
We’ve been making these on repeat! So tasty and amazing leftovers.
Happy to hear you’re loving these beef shish kabobs!
We are doing kabobs this weekend thank for the recipe!!!
Hope everyone enjoys this recipe Gerri!
Excellent marinade! made with grassfed sirloin steak, garden bell pepper, garden cherry tomatoes, onion, & garden zucchini. The marinade will be plenty for way more than 2 lb. meat.
I’m happy you loved these shish kabobs!
This was a hit with my family! Thank you!
Yay, I’m glad you and your family loved the shish kabobs, Liz!
This recipe was amazing. I ended up making little more marinade for the veggies too, as they grilled, to give them flavor. I didn’t get a pic of them unfortunately, we were in a hurry to get to a 4th of July party. I had 12 skewers of meet and veg and they were gone in a blink! I’ll definitely be making them again, the meat was so flavorful and so tender! Thanks for the recipe!
Happy to hear these kabobs were a success for July 4th!