This shish kabob recipe features tender marinated beef, peppers and onions, all skewered together and grilled to perfection. Shish kabobs are a quick and easy meal option that can also be cooked in the oven during cooler weather months.

My kids love food on a stick, so I often serve meat and veggies on skewers including shrimp kabobs, Hawaiian chicken kabobs, and these flavorful steak shish kabobs.

Shish kabob made with beef, peppers and onions on a serving plate.

You just can’t go wrong with classic shish kabobs – they’re fun to eat, simple to make, and can easily be customized to suit your family’s tastes. Add some side dishes like black eyed pea salad, mushroom rice, crock pot baked potatoes and roasted cherry tomatoes, then you’ll have a restaurant quality meal that’s sure to earn you rave reviews from family and friends. You can even add some tzatziki sauce for dipping!

Shish Kabob Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, onion powder, steak, red onion, red and green bell peppers and fresh parsley.

How Do You Make Shish Kabobs?

A great shish kabob is flavored with a fabulous marinade. First make a marinade with soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and seasonings. Place cubes of steak in the marinade and let them soak up all the flavors for at least an hour. Skewer the marinated steak with peppers and onions and the kabobs are ready to go on the grill. Grill the kabobs until the steak is cooked through and the veggies are slightly tender. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy.

Steak cubes in a bowl of marinade.

Tips For Shish Kabobs

  • You can use wooden skewers (bamboo) or metal skewers. I like to use metal skewers because they don’t bend or break. If you use bamboo skewers, make sure to soak the skewers for 30 minutes in cold water so that they don’t burn on the grill.
  • You want your veggie chunks to be about the same size as your meat so that everything touches the grill.
  • I like to use two different colors of bell peppers because it looks nicer, but you can use a single type of bell pepper if you prefer.
  • These skewers can be grilled indoors on a grill pan, or outside on a gas or charcoal grill. If you don’t have a grill, you can use your broiler instead.

Quick Tip

The longer you marinate the meat, the more flavorful the end product will be. You can leave the steak in the marinade for up to 24 hours.

Raw beef skewered with peppers and onions.

Recipe FAQs

What cut of beef is best for kabobs?

For steak shish kabobs, you want a naturally tender cut of meat with some marbling in it. I like to use top sirloin, but other great choices include beef tenderloin, New York strip, or ribeye. Don’t use beef stew meat or chuck, as they require a much longer cooking time.

Can you prepare kabobs the night before?

If you want to prepare kabobs the night before, the best way to do it is to leave the meat in a marinade overnight. Cut up veggies should be stored in dry airtight containers. You will want to store onions separate from other veggies. You can also skewer everything the night before; however, the veggies may dry out a little. Make sure to use an airtight container.

What vegetables do you put on a shish kabob?

While this particular shish kabob recipe uses peppers and onions, you can use other types of vegetables too such as zucchini or mushrooms.

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Beef skewers cooking on a grill pan.

Shish Kabob Flavor Variations

One reason shish kabobs are so much fun is that you can put practically anything on the skewers. Here are some fun variations you can try.

  • Meat: Try bite sized pieces of chicken breasts or chicken thighs, pork tenderloin cubes or medium sized shrimp instead of the beef.
  • Vegetarian: For a vegetarian option, you can use cubes of extra firm tofu.
  • Veggies: Feel free to add different vegetables to your skewers such as mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash or cherry tomatoes. You can even add fruit like pineapple for a tropical twist!
  • Spicy: For spicy kabobs, add crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce to the marinade.
A hand holding a beef shish kabob with peppers and onions.

These shish kabobs will please your family and friends with their bright colors and fresh flavors. They are easily customized and always fun to eat! Need some more summer entertaining inspiration? Don’t miss my collections of 30 summer dessert recipes, 38 summer dinner recipes and 45 summer salad recipes!

More Great Grilling Recipes

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5 from 80 votes

Shish Kabob Recipe

AuthorSara Welch
Shish kabob made with beef, peppers and onions on a serving plate.
This shish kabob recipe features tender marinated beef, peppers and onions, all skewered together and grilled to perfection. Shish kabobs are a quick and easy meal option that can also be cooked in the oven during cooler weather months.
Time
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marinating Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Serves 6

Ingredients 

For the marinade

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

For the kabobs

  • 2 pounds lean steak such as sirloin or New York strip, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 large red onion cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions 

  • Place all the marinade ingredients in a bowl or in a resealable gallon sized freezer bag. Mix to combine.
  • Add steak pieces to the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
  • Season the onions and peppers with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Thread the beef, peppers and onions onto skewers.
  • Heat a grill or indoor grill pan to medium high heat.
  • Place the kabobs onto the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
  • Broiler directions: Prepare the skewers as directed and place on a sheet pan coated with cooking spray. Broil for 4-5 minutes per side. Continue with the recipe as directed.

Notes

  1. You can use wood (bamboo) or metal skewers. I like to use metal skewers because they don’t bend or break. If you use bamboo skewers, make sure to soak the skewers for 30 minutes in cold water so that they don’t burn on the grill.
  2. You want your veggies to be about the same size as your meat so that everything touches the grill.
  3. The longer you marinate the meat, the more flavorful the end product will be. You can leave the steak in the marinade for up to 24 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 715mg | Potassium: 789mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 718IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 4mg

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Comments

  1. I’m looking forward for some recipes to get new ideas for good home cooking we eat mostly all my meals at home. Thank you!!

  2. 5 stars
    Served them last night for dinner and they were a delicious grilled treat! The marinated meat and colorful veggies create a flavorful and satisfying meal.