Steak Kabobs

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...)

1. 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.)
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. At this point, I allow the assembled steak kabobs to marinate for at least an hour, or even overnight.
5. 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.
6. 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

Print Recipe

These steak kabobs, grilled with cherry tomatoes and red onions, are marinated with spices for smoky flavor and tender, juicy results!

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

Preparation:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Allow the skewers to marinate for at least an hour, or better yet, over-night.
4. 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.)
5. 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!