Here’s a fun roundup that will make you feel like a grilling maestro: my favorite skewers recipes! Skewers, which are also known as shish kabobs, are a freakin’ delicious way to grill lots of different kinds of meats and veggies at once. Since we’re cutting the protein into pieces, then marinating and basting with some incredible seasonings, these skewers recipes have the best flavor and can feed the whole family. 

Pork, sausage and beef skewers cooking over some flames.

Why You’ll Love These Skewers Recipes

One of the best things about cooking with skewers is that this method exposes a lot of surface area on our meats and veggies. Because you have pieces of meat rather than one big steak or roast, you get even more browning and charring on the individual chunks. And we know what that means: even more freakin’ delicious flavor! Also, because you’re placing all those individual chunks on one skewer, you save time by just flipping the skewer instead of a bunch of pieces. 

Bacon wrapped shrimp skewers getting started over the flames.

Guess what restaurants often serve with skewers or kabobs? Fries! Check out my recipes for Buffalo Chicken Fries, Birria Fries and Loaded Chili Cheese Fries to pair with your skewered food!

The Ingredients You’ll Want for Your Skewers Recipes

  • Meats: I’ve made chicken skewers, shrimp skewers, beef skewers, lobster tail skewers, chorizo skewers and more. Pick your protein (or three) for your skewers recipe and go for it! 
  • Veggies: Red onions, bell peppers, zucchini slices and even juicy pineapple are all great for shish kebabs, because they’re easy to thread on the stick. You’ll want veggies that are thick and won’t fall apart on the grill grates. 
  • Seasonings: To prep our meats, we’ll often want to marinate them for maximum flavor. Olive oil or canola oil, soy sauce, lemon juice or lime juice and zest, fresh herbs like rosemary and a favorite dry rub are some of my go-to ingredients for marinating and basting. Kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder are also essential here.

Add flavor to everything you’re cooking

shop over the fire spice lines

​Tips for The Best Grill Skewers

Cut your protein and veggies into pieces that are the same size. ​That way, everything will cook evenly and at the same time. 

Marinating some steak for skewers as part of the prepping process.

Avoid tough cuts and marinate as long as possible. While the marinade can help soften some meats, you want to avoid stew meat or other cuts that have a tendency to be chewy. Also, allowing the meat plenty of time to marinate gets us the best flavor.

Place the same type of protein or veggie on one skewer. Chicken thighs cook differently than steak pieces, which cook differently that shrimp, and shrimp cook differently than bell peppers and red onions — I could go on and on. So, because of this, we don’t want to mix up all these proteins in our skewers recipes and mess up a delicious cut while trying to match cooking times. The best way to avoid this pickle is to make one skewer all with steak pieces, for example, another with all chicken thighs, another with red peppers, and so on. I know it doesn’t look as pretty this way, but everything will cook evenly and taste much better.

Loading the black pepper steak skewers

Once you’re done cooking, push the meat and veggies off the prepared skewers to serve. Because it’s hard to eat off a skewer, honestly. You don’t want one of your guests to get stabbed in the mouth by something that looks like the equivalent of a grilling sword, do you? 

An overhead shot of the finalized Philly cheese sausage skewers.

Metal or Wooden Skewers? 

I’m definitely in the metal skewers camp. First off, you can reuse them. Also, having a flat surface makes the food more stable so it doesn’t rotate or slide while you’re grilling. But some cooks say the metal heats up faster than a wooden skewer and cooks the inside of the meat too quickly. I haven’t found this! But if you want to go with wooden skewers or bamboo skewers, make sure you get products with a smooth finish so they’re less likely to splinter. Soaking them in water helps with splintering and charring issues too. 

The Best Skewer Recipes

Beef Skewers Recipes

grilled meat is skewered.

Meat Skewers Recipe

The Meat Skewers Recipe comes together quickly and easily using the Santa Maria attachments on my new FYR Grill. Steak, pork, and chorizo make a tasty trio for your next summer cookout.
View Recipe
Black Pepper Steak Skewers finishing up their cooking process over the fire.

Black Pepper Steak Skewers

Black Pepper Steak Skewers for a delicious, savory way to enjoy tri-tip steak.
View Recipe
Steak Onion Skewers dizzled in sauce and served with potatoes.

Steak Onion Skewers

Steak Onion Skewers for a delicious steak and potatoes dinner.
View Recipe
closeup of a pile of cubed steak topped with tomato herb chimichurri

Parmesan Crusted Steak Skewers

These Parmesan Crusted Steak Skewers are juicy bites of grilled steak crusted in parmesan and served with fresh Tomato Herb Chimichurri. 
View Recipe
three strip steak skewers topped with salsa vinaigrette over a fire

Strip Steak Skewers with Salsa Vinaigrette

These Strip Steak Skewers with Salsa Vinaigrette are made with juicy, slow-roasted strips of steak topped with a tangy homemade dressing.
View Recipe
Philly Cheese Sausage Skewer

Philly Cheese Sausage Skewers

Philly Cheese Sausage Skewers because they're delicious!
View Recipe
Garlic Basted Sirloin Skewers

Garlic Basted Sirloin Skewers

Garlic Basted Sirloin Skewers are our favorite, classic flavors served in a fresh way! Simple and easy grill with Oklahoma Joe's.
View Recipe
teriyaki bourbon steak skewers

Teriyaki Bourbon Steak Skewers

Get some savoriness and sweetness all at the same time with these Teriyaki Bourbon Steak Skewers. Roasted over the coals until perfect!
View Recipe
Skewered Picanha with Bone Marrow Chimichurri served on a cutting board.

Skewered Picanha with Bone Marrow Chimichurri

Skewered Picanha with Bone Marrow Chimichurri is a delicious dinner treat!
View Recipe

Cheesy Skewered Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde

Cheesy Skewered Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde for a crisp kick on a savory dish! More recipes like this to come in my new book, Food X Fire!
View Recipe
Simple Skewered Flap Steak

Skewered Flap Steak

This Skewered Flap Steak topped with Habanero Pepper Sauce is inspired by the last time I visited Rodizio's Grill in Nashville. 
View Recipe
Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinaigrette

Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinaigrette

Need some inspiration on the grill? Try this Skewered Picanha with Salsa Vinaigrette for a hearty yet tangy bite. Super delicous cooked over fire.
View Recipe
cheesy steak pinwheels

Cheesy Steak Pinwheels

As a child, I was always told not to play with my food. Little did they know that I would do that as an adult all the time! These Cheesy Steak Pinwheels are no exception to that rule.
View Recipe

Churrasco Picanha with Jalapeño Vinaigrette Salsa

Churrasco Picanha with Jalapeño Vinaigrette Salsa is one of our family favorites!
View Recipe

Chicken Skewers Recipes

Cherry Coke Chicken Skewers

Cherry Coke Chicken Skewers

Cherry Coke Chicken Skewers for a sweet, cherry spin on one of our favorite proteins!
View Recipe
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sausage Skewers on the grill next to bright orange coals.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sausage Skewers

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sausage Skewers
View Recipe

Chicken Wing Skewers

Chicken Wing Skewers are a game day (or any day) winner!
View Recipe
Chicken and Scallion Skewers

Chicken and Scallion Skewers

Chickens and Scallion Skewers recipe for an epic spring evening dinner! Easy to cook and fun to eat, this recipe has it all!
View Recipe
BBQ Chicken Bacon Ranch Skewers

BBQ Chicken Bacon Ranch Skewers

BBQ Chicken Bacon Ranch Skewers combine our favorites for one awesome dish. Glazed in BBQ and drizzled in ranch, these skewers are delicious!
View Recipe
mojo chicken drumstick skewers

Mojo Chicken Drumstick Skewers

Mojo Chicken Drumstick Skewers marinated in a Cuban mojo inspired sauce with some char from Cowboy Charcoal.
View Recipe
spicy mezcal drumstick skewers

Spicy Mezcal Drumstick Skewers

Tired of the same old stuff? Spice things up a bit with these Spicy Mezcal Drumstick Skewers. 
View Recipe
fire roasted chicken kebabs

Fire Roasted Chicken Kebabs

Zesty chicken kebabs cooked over the fire. Get ready to be flavor struck!
View Recipe

Pork and Lamb Skewers Recipes

Pizza Sausage Skewers

Pizza Sausage Skewers

Pizza Sausage Skewers for all you low carb recipe lovers out there. This sweet and spicy, white and red sauce, Italian sausage duo has it all.
View Recipe
parmesan herb pork loin skewers

Parmesan Herb Pork Loin Skewers

Cheese is the key to life. It is so delicious and amazing, that it was hard not to make these Parmesan Herb Pork Loin Skewers.
View Recipe
white wine herb lamb skewers

White Wine Herb Lamb Skewers

St. Patrick’s Day, here we come! For this year’s celebration I made a White Wine Herb Lamb Skewers with Mint Chimichurri recipe.
View Recipe
Spiced Lamb Kebabs with Mint Chimichurri on the grill with flames in the background.

Spiced Lamb Kebabs with Mint Chimichurri

Spiced Lamb Kebabs with Mint Chimichurri is the perfect dinner switch up.
View Recipe
Harissa Rack of Lamb Kebabs

Harissa Rack of Lamb Kebabs

Crush the bakyard with some North African inspired Harissa Rack of Lamb Kebabs. These delicious meat skewers are amazing over the fire.
View Recipe
zesty lamb kebabs

Zesty Lamb Kebabs with Mint Yogurt Sauce

Sweet & tangy American Lamb sliced into cubes them marinated and grilled on kebabs over the fire. Great summer time recipe!
View Recipe

Seafood Skewers Recipes

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers ready to serve.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers are deliciousness, wrapped in bacon… Bacon wrapped deliciousness!
View Recipe
Spicy Tequila Lime Shrimp Skewers getting the butter baste.

Spicy Tequila Lime Shrimp Skewers

Spicy Tequila Lime Shrimp Skewers will have you coming back for more!
View Recipe
honey cajun shrimp and sausage skewers

Shrimp and Sausage Skewers

This recipe features a lip-smackingly good bourbon, butter, and honey glaze over cajun-spiced shrimp and spicy sausage on skewers.
View Recipe
Lobster Skewers with Bang Bang Sauce being basted with herb ghee.

Lobster Skewers with Bang Bang Sauce

Lobster Skewers with Bang Bang Sauce is everything you love about lobster tails, this time on a skewer and with a zippy sauce finish.
View Recipe
Grilled Lobster Tail Skewers

Grilled Lobster Tail Skewers

Grilled Lobster Tail Skewers seasoned with my new Smoked Chipotle Mezcal blend. Topped with a butter sauce, these were delicious!
View Recipe
Honey Sriracha BBQ Shrimp

Honey Sriracha BBQ Shrimp

This Honey Sriracha BBQ Shrimp recipe is everything we love about a sweet and spicy combo! Skewered and lathered in sauce, you don't want to miss this!
View Recipe

Shrimp Al Pastor

Crush this fire cooking thing with these Skewered Shrimp Al Pastor. Simple recipe yet effective cook over hot Cowboy Charcoal!
View Recipe

​What to Serve with Skewers

Because there are so many skewers recipes, we’ve got tons of choices for sides! Depending on what kind of summer cookout you’re having, I’d go with a salad — bean salad, Greek salad, orzo salad, cucumber salad — or aromatic rice or homemade flatbreads. 

Leftovers and Reheating

If you have any leftovers from these skewers recipes, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can reheat them on the grill with the meat tucked inside aluminum foil packets. Or, use an oven method by wrapping the skewers in aluminum foil and heating them at 350 degrees F until warmed through.

Other Round Up Favorites

FAQs

​Is it shish kebab or shish kabob? 

You’re going to love this answer: both! Kabob (or kebab) are terms that originated in the Middle East. Both refer to skewered meat grilled over an open flame. Typically, the “kabob” spelling is used by people from countries like Armenia and Iran. Then, “kebab” (or even “kabab”) is used by people from countries like Lebanon and Syria. 

What would be some other types of meats I could use in these skewers recipes? 

For red meat, New York strip or sirloin tip work well. For chicken pieces, I love chicken thighs for their juicy flavor on the grill. Just keep an eye on your cooking times and temperatures, since different meats require different things to make sure they’re both safe and delicious to eat. 

How do I tell when the meat is done? 

Use a digital meat thermometer. With a digital thermometer, you can get quick and accurate readings. It makes it easy to ensure your meat in your skewers recipe reaches the perfect internal temperature. They are especially handy for grilling, where precision is key. I don’t grill without one!

Get The Cookbooks!

Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire

By Derek Wolf

All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture.

Derek Wolf

Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *