With hundreds of 5-star reviews, this recipe for Beef Kabobs with a simple, savory marinade is one of the most popular recipes every summer for good reason! The meat is super flavorful and juicy, you can use any vegetables you like, and there is very little prep!
I’ve used this multiple times for both beef and chicken and they always turn out so much delicious flavor. My go to recipe for marinade. All ingredients are kept in most pantries so it’s easy to make without having to buy anything new. ~ Melissa
Tired of grilling boring chicken? I don’t blame you! These super flavorful beef kabobs are a total game changer for your backyard barbecues. Be ready to share the recipe because friends, neighbors, and family members will be clamoring to know what’s in the marinade and why the juicy bites of steak and veggies are just so dang good!
Kabobs are a meal all on their own, but if you are having a cookout, consider serving them with our favorite Broccoli Salad or a cool & classic Macaroni Salad .
What You Need to Make Kabobs
You likely already have everything you need for the marinade in your pantry and fridge already.
Beef Kabob Marinade Ingredients
To make the beef kabob marinade, just combine:
- Worcestershire sauce
- soy sauce
- olive oil
- mustard
- garlic
- brown sugar
- lemon juice
- basil
- parsley
- pepper
Vegetable Kabob Options:
When it comes to adding things besides meat onto the skewers, I like to pick anywhere from 3-5 options from the following list:
- red, green, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- red or yellow onions
- crimini or white button mushrooms
- zucchini sliced into discs
- baby red or yukon gold potatoes that have been boiled just until tender
- cherry tomatoes
- yellow squash
- pineapple chunks
What is the best meat to use for kabobs?
A good sirloin steak is my choice of meat for beef kabobs. It’s actually a tougher cut of meat that is a little less expensive that other cuts, but by cubing it into 1″ cubes, marinating it in this super flavorful beef kabob marinade, and then grilling over high heat, it actually comes out juicy and tender, despite being fairly lean to begin with. Just try to be sure your cubes of steak are all about the same size so that they cook evenly on the grill.
How long to marinate meat before grilling kabobs?
You will want to marinate the cubed meat for anywhere from 1 to 6 hours. And it’s a good idea to stick your wooden skewers in a shallow pan of water at the same time you set your meat in the fridge to marinate so they won’t burn up on the grill.
They really only need about 30 minutes, but I always forget unless I do this step while I’m prepping the meat.
How to Grill Kabobs with Marinated Steak & Vegetables
- Start by making sure the grill is clean and preheated to high heat. You can reduce the heat to medium-high once you put the kabobs on, but starting them on a super hot grill will help get a nice char on the kabobs, which is what adds that great barbecue flavor.
- Skewer the meat alternating with vegetables, aiming for about 4-5 pieces of steak per skewer.
- Use tongs to turn the skewers every 2-3 minutes until all sides have a nice char. Grill times can vary based on the temperature of the grill, temperature of the meat, the size of your chunks of steak, etc. so just keep an eye on how quickly the kabobs are cooking, but I typically grill my marinated steak kabobs for 8-10 minutes total.
- Don’t overcook the meat. In my opinion, beef kabobs are best when the meat is cooked medium-rare to medium. I like to see a little pink inside!
Sirloin is typically the best choice for using when making beef kabobs. It is tender but holds together well on the skewer, and has great flavor and is less expensive than other meats.
If you plan ahead, it would be great to marinate beef for anywhere from 6 hours to 24 hours. But I’ve also found that even marinating in the fridge for 2 to 5 hours works well too.
Shish kabobs are incredibly versatile, and you can use a variety of vegetables based on what you like and what’s available to you. Feel free to mix and match any of these veggies for colorful and flavorful kabobs! Bell peppers (red, green, yellow) Onions (red, white, or yellow) Cherry tomatoes Mushrooms (button or cremini) Zucchini Yellow squash Eggplant Cherry tomatoes Pineapple (adds a sweet flavor) Brussels sprouts (for a unique twist)
Some veggies, like potatoes or denser root vegetables, might benefit from a quick blanch or parboil to soften them slightly before skewering. However, most vegetables can be put on the skewers raw and will cook nicely on the grill along with the other ingredients.
You can drizzle the vegetables with a little olive oil and season with salt & pepper to keep things simple. Or what I like to do is after assembling my kabobs but before grilling them, I pour the marinade that the meat was in over skewered meat and vegetables so the veggies get a splash of seasoning from the marinade.
You can use any onion you like, but just be sure it is thick enough to not split apart or fall off the kabobs. We like sweet onions and red onions best, but red onions, pearl onions, and even green onions that have been chopped into 2-inch pieces can be skewered and grilled as kabobs.
We recommend cooking your kabobs with the grill cover open. Grilling with the cover closed can create a more oven-like environment, trapping heat and potentially overcooking or charring the kabobs too quickly. However, if your grill has an adjustable cover or if you’re using indirect heat for a longer cooking time, you might partially close the cover to help regulate the temperature while still allowing some airflow.
You can prep the kabobs up to 1 day in advance and keep them covered in the refrigerator until ready to grill.
More Grilling Recipes like these Shish Kabobs
- Grilled Chicken Shawarma
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn
- Grilled Summer Vegetable Quesadillas
- Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad with Creamy Cajun Dressing
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Perfect Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet BBQ Pork Rub
- Grilled Santa Maria Tri-Tip
- Grilled Soy Brown Sugar Salmon in Foil
Marinades & Rubs
Traditional Greek Marinade
Beef & Lamb
Sriracha Mayo Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops
Chicken & Poultry
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
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Best Beef Kabobs Marinade
Ingredients123
Marinade
- ▢ 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- ▢ 1/4 cup soy sauce
- ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
- ▢ 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- ▢ 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ▢ 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
Kabobs
- ▢ 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or sirloin tips cut into 1-inch cubes
- ▢ 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons dijon or whole-grain mustard
- ▢ 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
- ▢ 8 ounces crimini mushrooms
- ▢ 1 red onion cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 onion layers each)
- ▢ 2 green bell peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade. ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Place the cubed meat into a large plastic zip-tight bag and pour all but the reserved marinade over it, then seal and squish to coat well. Place in the refrigerator for 1-6 hours to marinate. This is also a good time to place wooden skewers in water to soak. 1 ½ pounds sirloin steak or sirloin tips
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until just tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 6-8 minutes. Drain well, then toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, and mustard. Set aside. 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, 2 Tablespoons dijon or whole-grain mustard, 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary, 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat grill to high heat while preparing the kabobs. Chop all vegetables into chunks that are roughly the same size as the cubed steak, keeping 3 layers of onion together in each chunk. Drizzle vegetables with the reserved marinade. 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, 1 red onion, 2 green bell peppers
- Thread alternating pieces of meat, vegetables, and potatoes until the skewers are filled, aiming for 4-5 pieces of steak on each skewer.
- Place kabobs on the grill directly over the heat and reduce heat to medium-high. Grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes, until the meat is cooked medium-rare to medium and the vegetables start to char just around the edges.
- Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Best Beef Kabobs Marinade
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Kabobs
- 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or sirloin tips cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons dijon or whole-grain mustard
- 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms
- 1 red onion cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 onion layers each)
- 2 green bell peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade. 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Place the cubed meat into a large plastic zip-tight bag and pour all but the reserved marinade over it, then seal and squish to coat well. Place in the refrigerator for 1-6 hours to marinate. This is also a good time to place wooden skewers in water to soak. 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or sirloin tips
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until just tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 6-8 minutes. Drain well, then toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, and mustard. Set aside. 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, 2 Tablespoons dijon or whole-grain mustard, 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary, 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat grill to high heat while preparing the kabobs. Chop all vegetables into chunks that are roughly the same size as the cubed steak, keeping 3 layers of onion together in each chunk. Drizzle vegetables with the reserved marinade. 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, 1 red onion, 2 green bell peppers
- Thread alternating pieces of meat, vegetables, and potatoes until the skewers are filled, aiming for 4-5 pieces of steak on each skewer.
- Place kabobs on the grill directly over the heat and reduce heat to medium-high. Grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes, until the meat is cooked medium-rare to medium and the vegetables start to char just around the edges.
- Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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