The Best Grilled Steak Kabobs (Easy Marinade Recipe) 

My family loves this Steak Kabob Recipe!  These are truly the best steak kabobs, prepared with a delicious steak marinade and fresh veggies. 

Looking for a recipe that your whole family will enjoy this summer? This is it! I love this recipe because it takes a traditionally tough (and affordable) cut of beef, and transforms it with a great kabob marinade. Seriously, the beef ends up SO tender and flavorful! I think that shish kebabs are the perfect summer meal because all of the cooking happens outdoors! No need to heat up the oven. 

“Great marinade. Picky teenager ate without any A1 or other sauce. Definitely marinade for 24 hours. Meat becomes very tender and flavorful. Make sure your meat is around the same sizes and skewer vegetables separate from the meat. We cooked this on a charcoal grill. Amazing.”

– Michelle

I also love this recipe because it’s totally possible to throw together for weeknight dinners. If you have enough time, you can throw the steak in the Ziploc bag to marinate in the fridge the night before, or the morning before. You can also put the beef and marinade in a large bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap.

For this easy recipe, I used my outdoor grill. A charcoal grill or gas grill will work fine! You will need to prepare the grill for high heat. If it rains you out, don’t worry! You can prepare these beef kebabs under the broiler in your oven or on an indoor grill pan. 

Recipe Substitutions and Additions

The best recipe is one that uses what you already have on hand! Here are a few ingredient substitutions you can make for these steak kebabs: 

• Add cherry tomatoes, or any of your favorite vegetables. I really love adding grape tomatoes, they have the best flavor when they’re grilled and bit blistered!
• Instead of sirloin, use New York Strip Steak
• Add fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme to the marinade, or add them to the cooked kebabs after cooking 
• Substitute any color of sweet bell peppers for the red pepper, or any of the other veggies. 
• Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the marinade for a hint of sweetness. 

Want to make chicken kabobs, too? I recommend my Easy Grilled Mojo Chicken marinade.

“Made this for the family this weekend. Marinated the meat for 24 hours. It was fantastic. The meat was flavorful, juicy and tender. This is a keeper!”

Rebecca, Pinterest User

How Long Can Beef Marinate?

The answer to this question depends largely on what marinade you use. But, for this marinade recipe, I wouldn’t let the time in the marinade exceed 24 hours. 

“I used the marinade on 2 sirloin strip steaks and it was delicious! I halved the recipe for the 2 steaks.”

Val B.

What is the best beef for kabobs?

Personally, I recommend using sirloin steak for kabobs. It’s economical, has excellent flavor and is lean and heart healthy!

I marinate my sirloin for about 24 hours to be sure that meat has time to tenderize. Flat iron and strip steak are also great cuts for beef kabobs.

But, if you want this recipe tonight for dinner and are unable to marinate, I would then recommend working with beef tenderloin. Beef tenderloin is a higher end, but naturally tender cut that does not need to be tenderized.

When I use beef tenderloin (filet mignon) for kabobs, I still marinate the beef prior to placing it on the skewers, but only to add flavor. Beer tenderloin is so tender, it truly doesn’t need a marinade. A quick, 30-minute soak is all you need!

This recipe is my favorite way to enjoy the sirloin steak we get every year! Learn more about our beef purchasing process in my post, My Experience Buying a Quarter Beef – Costs, Cuts and Tips!

Tips for Perfect Steak Kabobs

Regardless of the cut of beef that you choose for your kabobs, there are a few more tips to make sure your beef kabobs turn out perfect each time:

• Be sure to cut the beef into even pieces to ensure they cook through consistently. I like to cut my beef into about a 1 to 1.25-inch piece.
• Use wooden skewers to be sure the beef stays a bit rare in the middle. Metal skewers conduct heat, so I only use them for chicken and vegetables.
• Beef kabobs can be grilled to rare, medium or even well done, it’s your choice! I grill the steak kabobs over high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes, which typically results in medium doneness.
• Allow the grilled beef kabobs to rest for about 5 minutes after removing from the grill. This allows the juices in the beef to re-settle, keeping it nice and juicy, with flavor in every bite!
• Consider threading the beef and vegetables onto separate skewers so you can better manage their cook times, especially if you are a first-time kabob griller!

Tips for Perfect Steak Kabobs

Regardless of the cut of beef that you choose for your kabobs, there are a few more tips to make sure your beef kabobs turn out perfect each time:

• Be sure to cut the beef into even pieces to ensure they cook through consistently. I like to cut my beef into about a 1 to 1.25-inch piece.
• Use wooden skewers to be sure the beef stays a bit rare in the middle. Metal skewers conduct heat, so I only use them for chicken and vegetables.
• Beef kabobs can be grilled to rare, medium or even well done, it’s your choice! I grill the steak kabobs over high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes, which typically results in medium doneness.
• Allow the grilled beef kabobs to rest for about 5 minutes after removing from the grill. This allows the juices in the beef to re-settle, keeping it nice and juicy, with flavor in every bite!
• Consider threading the beef and vegetables onto separate skewers so you can better manage their cook times, especially if you are a first-time kabob griller!
• When choosing a leaner cut of meat, make sure you use a marinade, like the awesome beef marinade in this recipe!

Have ribeye steak? I love this Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Basil Garlic Butter!

Serving Suggestions

I think these juicy steak kebabs are the perfect thing to serve as the main dish at a summer BBQ! 

For side dishes, try this Bell Pepper Quinoa Pilaf, The Best Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, or my Easy Old Fashioned Cucumber Salad (with onions).

Storing Leftover Shish Kabobs 

These easy steak kabobs are almost just as good the day after! Remove the steak and veggies from the skewers, and place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Here are a few of my favorite recipes that I think you’ll also love!

• Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak
• Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Fig Sauce
• Hibachi Steak Lettuce Wraps
• Red Wine Pot Roast with Mushrooms (Crock Pot Option)
• Turkey Fajita Kabobs
• Shrimp Kabobs: Spicy, Sweet Shrimp Skewer Recipe!
• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Skewers
• Grilled Chicken Skewers
• Grilled Corn On the Cob in Foil
• Lemon Pepper Pork Chops
• The Best Grilled Cod Recipe