You know them, you love them! Those juicy pieces of meat or fish strewn across a skewer and cooked to perfection!! Kabobs combine tasty pieces of beef, fish, or chicken with anything else you can cook on a grill. But not everyone knows how to perfectly prepare this tasty dish, which is where here, we’ll help you discover the secret to juicy, tasty kabobs from start to finish.

Notes to Consider

Kabobs, also called kebabs or skewers, require numerous stages to be properly executed if you want the best results. But, it also helps to keep a few tips in mind beforehand.

Keep the meat sizes equal, so they cook simultaneously. The same goes for vegetables if you’re using any.
Let your meat and veggies be a bit bigger than the grill grate spaces, so the kabobs don’t fall in between them.
Stick to a slow roasting temperature, preferably medium, at 400F. Any higher and the meat will be scorched, with undercooked centers.
Stick to the approved internal doneness temperature for the meat type you’re using. Chicken fully cooks at 165F, while beef and fish are done at 145F.
If you’re bothered about the doneness difference between meat and veggies, note that the cut sizes of the meat won’t take more than 12 to 15 minutes. But vegetables are mostly done by 10 minutes max.

Choosing the Skewers

Kabob skewers come in different designs, but their base materials are either bamboo or metal. Metal skewers easily hold their own on the grill, but many fear the heat may cause them to corrode and release an aftertaste in their food. But most times, this is simply an exaggeration, as metals for skewers are food-grade.

Bamboo skewers are popular and the more affordable of the two. But they may get scorched while cooking, which is why you should first soak them in water for half to one hour before using them for grilling.

Preparing the Seasoning

Dry rubs work best for kabobs, allowing maximum flavor results without compromise. And you can combine any ingredients to make yours. Regular additions like black pepper, cayenne, paprika, garlic, and onion powders add the familiar depth synonymous with grilled foods. But you can also consider additions like brown sugar, cumin, allspice, caraway, thyme, curry, oregano.

If you prefer wet ingredients, you can also make a marinade by combining dry spices with vinegar or citrus juice. The advantage of a marinade is it helps soften the meat while infusing more flavor but at the expense of longer cooking time.

Preparing the Kabobs

You can choose meat or fish for kabobs, and regarding meat, any type will do. While the most common options remain beef and chicken, others also use pork, veal, lamb, and venison. And fish isn’t the only seafood option to consider for kabobs, as you can also use lobster, prawns, snails, crabs, and many other options.

For the common options like beef and chicken, you first need to cut them into equal pieces, and the thickness shouldn’t exceed 1½ inches so that they can remain juicy. If you’re using vegetables, ensure that they’re the soft kind, so they cook simultaneously with the meat. Slow-cooking vegetables should be partly cooked before using them in kabobs.

Once the meat and vegetables are equally diced, arrange them on the skewers as desired. You can place them in meat-veggie-meat format, or add two meat pieces before one veggie, and on like that. There isn’t a specific arrangement for food pieces on kabobs, and you’re at liberty to set it as you please. But ensure that there’s space between the food pieces for even cooking.

Grilling the Kabobs

Fold some foil to make a double-thick strip, and place these at the ends of the grill. This will protect the end of the skewers so the wooden ones won’t burn and the metal ones won’t grow too hot. Next, prepare the grill for 375F, and brush the rack with oil. Arrange the kebabs once the rack starts to smoke, so the ends rest on the foiled areas. Ensure they’re also evenly spaced on the grill, and brush them with oil if you sued a dry rub (pat them dry if you use a marinade).

Cook the kabobs for 12 to 15 minutes, turning them at the halfway mark. Then, check for internal doneness of 145 for beef or fish and 165F for chicken. Once they’re done, set the kabobs on a platter, and let them rest for five minutes before serving.

Grilled Kabobs(8 servings)

Author: Bobby

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

Kabobs

Two pounds beef, cubed
Wooden skewers, soaked in water

Dry Rub

Quarter cup sweet paprika
Quarter cup brown sugar, firmly packed
Three tablespoons coarse salt
Three tablespoons black pepper
Two teaspoons onion powder
Two teaspoons celery seeds
Two teaspoons garlic powder
Quarter teaspoon ground cumin
Quarter teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

Combine the dry rub ingredients in a bowl, so they evenly mix. And while you do, ensure to break any sugar clumps.
Set the grill to 350F and allow it to heat. While you wait, sprinkle six tablespoons of the dry rub on the beef, and rub it into the meat with your fingers.
Pass the beef cubes into each skewer, and arrange with vegetables if you prefer. Then, brush each stick with olive oil before arranging them on the rack.
Cook the kabobs for six to seven minutes per side, checking for the approved internal temperature of 145F. Once it’s reached, move the kabobs to a serving platter and let them rest for five minutes before serving.

This video can also give you more insight into the recipe.