Steak kabobs are a scrumptious “grilling season” recipe to prepare, made extra flavorful with the addition of colorful veggies such as cherry tomatoes and red onions. Easy to grill up on either an indoor grill pan or your outdoor grill, these steak kabobs are marinated in spices, garlic, lime juice and olive oil for a slightly smoky flavor and tender, juicy results!
One of Grilling Season's Most Delicious Offerings
Putting together fresh, simple, healthy and wonderfully flavorful meals that make use of a grill is one of my favorite things about this time of year.
Whether we prep our outdoor grill or I pull out my trusty little indoor grill pan, grilling up some deliciously marinated meats as well as some seasonal veggies is a wonderfully tasty treat, kabobs (or kebabs) being the perfect example.
Steak kabobs prepared with tender rib eye steak, plus sweet cherry tomatoes and mild red onions are a beloved favorite of mine, especially when the steak is made extra mouthwatering with a sprinkle of spices for a smoky kick.
Threaded onto bamboo (or even metal) skewers with those bright, juicy vegetables, these steak kabobs are a delicious and savory offering fit for grilling season, one that is surprisingly easy to put together and that yields such colorful and flavorful results.
How to Make Steak Kabobs Extra Flavorful
When it comes to preparing steak kabobs at home that are tender, juicy and flavorful, there are a couple of things to keep in mind: the type of steak one uses, and how one seasons the steak.
In my experience, I've found that the best steak to use for kabobs is rib eye steak, with its terrific marbling of fat and its rich, beefy flavor. When cooked to medium-rare or even medium, the meat is tender, juicy and very flavorful, with a nice outer sear—super tasty!
Marinating the steak is also an important step, as that helps to impart additional flavor and even a touch of smokiness brought out when the meat is grilled, pairing really deliciously with the veggies.
I've found that a really tasty steak kabob marinade is best when it includes a little bit of spice, a touch of acid, some salt, and some fat, so I opt for warming cumin and paprika, some lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, garlic and olive oil for my marinade.
I assemble my steak kabobs with my veggies, and then allow the skewers to marinate for at least an hour, or better yet, overnight if I plan on grilling the next day.
The type of veggies one chooses is up to personal preference, and since I love the sweet juiciness of cherry tomatoes and the flavor of red onions when they char up, I opt for those. (Bell peppers are also a terrific option for a more peppery flavor, and zucchini and/or squash are also great picks.)
Because we're huge fans of chimichurri sauce in our household, I even love to whip up a batch of that to drizzle over top of my steak kabobs once grilled. It's a super bright and zippy addition that's totally optional!
Here's a glance at my steak kabobs recipe:. (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To begin, if using bamboo skewers, I soak those in cold water for about 15 minutes to prevent the skewers from burning. (As an alternative, you can use metal skewers.)
- While the skewers soak, I cut my rib eye steaks into medium-size chunks, and place them into a bowl along with the marinade ingredients, and toss it all together to coat the meat well.
- Next, I go ahead and assemble my steak kabobs by alternating some onion, then steak, then tomato, then repeat with more onion, then steak, then tomato, leaving a little room at both the bottom and top of the skewer to make them easier to grab/handle, and not too overloaded.
- At this point, I allow the assembled steak kabobs to marinate for at least an hour, or even overnight.
- Once ready to grill, I use either my indoor grill pan or prep my outdoor grill, and grill the kabobs for roughly 6-8 minutes, or until medium-rare and charred on the outside, turning as needed.
- I serve the steak kabobs fresh off the grill just as they are, or with some delicious chimichurri sauce drizzled over top for added flavor.
Tips & Tidbits for my Steak Kabobs:
- Rib eye steak for rich, beefy flavor: While rib eye steak can be a bit on the pricier side, it's really hard to beat the flavor and tender texture of it. I use a couple of steaks that total about 1 ½ to 2 pounds, trimming off excess fat and cutting to medium-size cubes. I grill the steak to medium-rare doneness, which keeps the meat nice and juicy.
- Marinate your steak for at least an hour: The ingredients in the marinade help the steak to be extra flavorful, tender and juicy with a bit of a smoky kick. So allow them to marinate for at least an hour once you assemble the kabobs; and if you have more time, then a couple of hours, or even overnight, will work great.
- Colorful veggies to add to your steak kabob: Sweet cherry tomatoes and red onions are my simple favorites here, but you could also add some red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers to the skewers, or even zucchini or yellow squash.
- Soak your bamboo skewers to prevent flare ups: If you have metal skewers then you can skip this step, but if using bamboo skewers, give them a bit of a soak in cold water for about 15 minutes so that they're moist and do not burn or flare up as easily. (You could also wrap the end of the skewer that you hold onto with a bit of foil for additional protection.)
- Chimichurri sauce, a deliciously zippy topper: To add a drizzle of mildly spicy and bright chimichurri sauce over top of your steak kabobs, you can grab this chimichurri sauce recipe and whip up a quick batch!
Recipe
Steak Kabobs
by Ingrid Beer

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern
Yield: Makes 6 steak kabobs
Nutrition Info: 455 calories per skewer
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 rib eye steaks (1 ½ to 2 pounds total), trimmed of excess fat and cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Sea salt (about 1 teaspoon, or to taste)
- Pinch black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- ½ small red onion, cut into small chunks
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- Skewers, soaked in water
- Add the cubed steak into a bowl, along with the olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and garlic, and toss well to coat.
- Next, assemble the steak kabob skewers by adding a piece of the red onion, followed by some of the steak, then tomato, then more onion, steak, tomato to each skewer until all ingredients are used, and you have about 6 skewers assembled.
- Allow the skewers to marinate for at least an hour, or better yet, over-night.
- Once ready to grill, place a grill pan over medium-high heat drizzle in a touch of oil, and grill the kabobs for about 6-8 minutes, turning them to char on each side, or until medium rare. (Alternately, you can use your outdoor grill.)
- Serve hot, fresh off of the grill with your favorite sides.
(Once again, if you'd like to add some additional zip and flavor for your steak kabobs, you can prepare this chimichurri sauce as an optional topper!)
Hungry for more savory steak recipes? Check out this Steak Salad, these Steak Tacos, this Pepper Steak, this Steak and Ale Soup, or these Grilled Steak and Avocado Salsa Crostini!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2015, and has been updated with even more love!
The Cozy Apron
Wow, Roseanne—sophomore year, already?! Oh my goodness! So wonderful to hear from you, "cyber-sister"! Your words are always like a salve…My thoughts will be on you as you and your husband navigate through this time, especially with it being a time of "first heartbreak" for your daughter; never easy I can imagine, especially when you have a girl. We're simpatico with you when it comes to knowing when to be involved and when to give space—in our situation, the Marine Corps is now the entity that he will be answering to, and our role will be to give support and encouragement, and a soft, quiet, and safe place for him to lay his head when he needs it, and when he is able to. And I'm grateful for God's guidance on this. The saving grace for me has been to take my son's desire for success in his endeavor, his desire to become a Marine and an upstanding and shining example, and to use it as my own fuel. That has been the key, and I've gotten unimaginable relief in taking that mind set. I'm so proud of him, and happy for him; and when we, as parents, can gain our gusto from the desires of our children as they embark on their own lives, it helps us immensely. Thank you so much for sharing where you are at this moment in life with me, and know we truly are "sisters" in this endeavor. Much love to you and yours, and many blessings!! Please keep me updated...
The Cozy Apron
Hi Claire, thank YOU for sharing all that you did! You know, sharing comments on personal blogs, especially food blogs, is generally a "safer" place because the vibe is different and more nurturing. Every now and again you get some snarky comments, or someone that tries to spread venom rather than light (it seems unavoidable these days); but one can't be deterred from sharing because of that. I'm so glad you found our site, and hope you continue to check in on recipes and posts, especially if you're considering beginning a blog of your own. You seem to have the desire to share with people, and that is a great thing; we need one another to share our experiences and provide uplift and encouragement! So kudos to you for considering throwing your own hat into the ring, so to speak. And as far as commenting on general, social media platforms? I, personally, just don't do it. People far too easily hide behind fake avatars and identities, hide behind what they think is anonymity, just to cause a ruckus. And what you get (for the most part) is folks taking advantage of an opportunity to be troll-like and rude; not everyone, certainly, but far too many. It's best not to even participate in that game, in my humble opinion. 🙂
cheg
These look absolutely delicious!
The Cozy Apron
Thank you, Cheg!
Elisabeth
These look delicious but the recipe does not seem complete. There is green (cilantro? parsley?) all over them but I did not see any herb mention.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Elisabeth, that is the chimichurri sauce that I mention in the post.
I like to drizzle that over my grilled kabobs, and this sauce/topping is totally optional. I do provide a link to my chimichurri sauce in a couple of places within the post, as well as below the final recipe step.
Hope that clarifies! 😉
Elisabeth
Perfect! Thanks for the response!!
Tami Chapek
I love this recipe! I used mushrooms, zucchini, onions, red peppers and cherry tomatoes vs just the vegetables listed here. It was amazing!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Tami, so glad you enjoyed! All those veggies sounds super tasty too!
Niki
Great recipe and pics! So great that I saw a MasterChef contestant (Elizabeth Linn) on Instagram using your picture.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Niki, thanks so much!
And I really appreciate the heads up about the photo. Looking into it. 😉 (Part of the hazards of "the biz", I guess. )