Shish Kebabs {Beef or Chicken Marinade}
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Get a load of how easy these Shish Kebabs are to whip up with tremendous flavors, slow marinated into the meat – beef, chicken or pork! The catch? They need to hang out in the marinade, but that is what makes entertaining so easy, make ahead dishes!
SHISH KEBABS {BEEF OR CHICKEN MARINADE}
I’ve always called them shish kaBOBs, not keBABs, a little googling set me straight.
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Funny, the word Shish Kebabs funny couple of words, so it got me thinking (dangerous I know), what in the world is a kebab and who shished them? The word kebab literally means “to roast” and it’s apparently of Turkish origin with shish kebab meaning: “gobbets of meat roasted on a spit or skewers.” So there you have it, enjoy your gobbets of meat roasted on skewers!
I received this recipe from a girlfriend (thanks Natalie!) during our MOPS days; our kids are no longer preschoolers, heck they’re in high school now, but we still see one another and love sharing great recipes. If I remember right, the recipe might be from one of the Colorado Jr. League cookbooks, the best!
Making the Meat Marinade (Gluten Free)
Remember to start your marinade at least 4 hours in advance, preferably 6 hours or more of your planned eating time, or overnight works too as does freezing the meat in the marinade and then thawing in the refrigerator!
Pour oil into a large mixing bowl, then gather your soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard and add to the oil. Be sure your soy sauce, Worcestershire and Dijon are all gluten free, this is a delightful, gluten free and dairy free recipe.
Smash the garlic and rough chop it, toss in marinade…squeeze lemons and pour into marinade. Whisk marinade until combined. Set aside.
Cut steak, chicken and/or pork into cubes, about 1 ½ inches each. If doing both types of meat, place into separate containers; because you really don’t want your chicken touching your beef. Then, pour marinade evenly over the meat making sure it swims in marinade.
Stir it around a bit so you are sure all pieces are covered in the marinade well. Cover and place in fridge for 4-6 hours at minimum. I love these stackable dishes, they go from fridge to oven.
How to Build the Best Kebabs
When you are ready to skewer up the kebabs, here are a few ideas:
- Pineapple, ever had grilled pineapple? The flavors are divine
- Mini peppers, quick to slice in half or whole bell peppers (any color, seeded and chopped into large squares)
- Sweet or Red onion chunks a must, even if you don’t eat them they impart great flavor
- Mushrooms, I’m not a fan, but others love them
- Tomatoes, but be sure to put on big cherry tomatoes
- Zucchini or summer squash, delicious grilled
- Artichoke hearts, mmm good!
- Asparagus, wash and cut into bit sized pieces, skewer 2-3 pieces between meat.
Fresh, tender, and oh-so-ever-flavorful, it’s like eating a Farmer’s Market on a skewer!
Start skewering the kebabs, alternating, veggies and meat. I have always started with an onion chunk first, kind of holds everything together.
Allow people to customize their skewer by asking what they would like and alternate colors and meats for a well balanced kabob, eh kebab. RESERVE MARINADE for basting.
TIPS FOR GRILLING SHISH KEBABS
Grill on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes per side, turning occasionally so that they brown evenly. Baste with reserved marinade as you turn them. Less time for chicken and steak medium.
BEST SHISH KEBABS
CAUTION | Remember the metal skewers get hot! Use tongs or a BBQ mit, because if you are like me, even though they are on a stinking hot grill, I think I can just reach in and turn them, not!
Don’t forget to baste the Shish Kebabs while they are cooking, they really cook quickly. Be sure to baste and turn and don’t baste just before you remove from the grill then it will have raw chicken or beef juice in it! YUCK!
Remove kebabs from grill and cover with foil and allow it to rest for a minute before serving.
Enjoy your “gobbets” of meat! I might have to rename them, I’m just getting tickled over that word, GOBBETS.
Easy Summertime Shish Kebabs would be lovely served with rice pilaf or brown rice and a simple Caprese salad (see below), with a side of ripe, juicy watermelon.
PAIR WITH AN EASY CAPRESE SALAD
Easy Caprese salad; slice a nice beefy tomato (my favorite knife), alternating with slices of fresh, creamy mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Chiffonade some fresh basil and sprinkle all over, grind some fresh sea salt and if desired fresh ground pepper.
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I was making sure I spelled Caprese correctly and read that it was originally made to resemble the colors of the Italian flag! Kebabs and Caprese a Mediterranean feast!
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Try these dishes to compliment this meal:
- Bacon Balsamic Macaroni Salad
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
- Asian Ramen Noodle Salad (All Natural)
- Hibiscus Mojito | A Summer Cocktail
- Easy Tomato Bruschetta
Other fabulous meat marinades!
- Hanneman’s Famous Flank Steak Marinade
- Asian Pork Marinade
- Coconut Lime Chicken
- Summertime Potluck Recipes
Like this recipe?
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BEST EVER Meat Marinade
Equipment
Ingredients
MARINADE
- 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed and rough chopped
- 1 cup vegetable oil, I used Avocado oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce, I prefer Bragg’s or Tamari
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, I like Annie’s natural
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1-2 teaspoons ground pepper
KEBABS
- 5 lbs sirloin or New York Strip steak, or mix and match half chicken, half beef
- 1-2 sweet onions, such as Walla-Walla or Vidalia (any onion will work, even red onions)
- 1 bag mini peppers, variety of colors, split in half or 1 each red, yellow, orange, chopped
- 1 lb or box of mushrooms of choice, optional
- ½ fresh pineapple, cut into large chunks
- 1-2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced 1/2 in discs
CAPRESE SALAD
- 1 large beefy tomato, sliced thick
- 1 round of creamy, fresh mozzarella, sliced same as tomato
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fresh Basil, chopped
- Fresh Sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients, set aside. Cut beef and/or chicken into 1 ½ inch cubes and place in shallow dish or container (keeping meats separate). Pour marinade over meat(s) and stir to coat all sides. Marinate in refrigerator 4-6 hours, or overnight. Stirring occasionally.
- Prepare veggies & pineapple for skewers, by cutting into large chunks. Remove stems from mushrooms. Once meat has marinated required amount of time, assemble kabobs by placing what each guest would like on their kabob, alternating colors and meat(s). Reserve marinade for basting.
- Grill over medium high eat 4-5 minutes per side, turning and basting with reserved marinade. Remove from grill and cover with foil, allowing to sit just 1-2 minutes.
Caprese Salad
- Slice tomato into thick slices. Slice mozzarella into similar sized slices as tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Chop fresh basil and sprinkle over tops of tomatoes/cheese. Grind fresh sea salt (and pepper) over it all, serve room temp
- Suggested pairings: Caprese salad, pasta salad, rice pilaf or brown rice. Add color to your table with chunks of fresh watermelon.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Kathleen Pope
Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer
Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.
Do NOT reserve the marinate that the chicken was in for basting
Thanks Tracy, I have always used my marinade for active basting and never had an issue, as long as you finish the marinade before you have flipped your kebabs so that any potential bacteria cooks out.
Will it be okay to make the marinade the day before and refrigerate?
Yes, of course!
Husband love it. I suggest the full amount of time to marinate,not just three hours. We’ll try again,properly.
We love Shish Kebabs this looks fabulous, it is a great recipe! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Thank you kindly Miz Helen! You are always so gracious.
Super easy to put the marinade together (even on a Monday morning). Chicken and veggies grilled up quick and made a simple weeknight dinner that we ate outside at sunset! I liked the tip about using the onions, even if you don’t eat them…but they ended up being delicious!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it and learned that onions grilled are delicious!!
Wow, these were a huge hit with my family! The marinate was delicious and we especially loved the pineapple grilled! Will definitely make these again soon.
Wahoo! So glad your family enjoyed them!
Wow, these were a huge hit with my family! The marinate was delicious and we especially loved the pineapple grilled! Will definitely make these again soon.