Steak Kabob Recipe

Prepare marinade

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning. In a medium bowl whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper until combined.

Marinate steak

Place the cubed steak in a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish. Pour about three-quarters of the marinade over the beef, reserving the remainder for basting. Massage the marinade into the meat so all pieces are coated. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2–4 hours. Do not marinate longer than 8 hours to avoid over‑tenderizing.

Bring meat to room temperature

About 20–30 minutes before cooking, remove the marinated beef from the refrigerator and let it sit covered at room temperature. This promotes even cooking.

Prepare vegetables while meat marinates or comes to room temperature: cut the bell peppers into 1–1.5 inch pieces, separate the layers of the red onion into wedges, slice the zucchini into 1/2‑inch thick half‑moons, and leave cherry tomatoes whole. Pat vegetables dry with paper towels so they sear rather than steam.

Assemble skewers

Thread the marinated beef cubes and prepared vegetables onto the skewers, alternating items for color and even cooking — for example: beef, red pepper, onion, beef, zucchini, tomato, beef, yellow pepper. Leave a small gap between pieces so heat circulates. Reserve any leftover marinade for basting but do not use marinade that has contacted raw meat unless you boil it first.

Preheat grill or grill pan

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium‑high (about 425–450°F / 220–230°C) or heat a heavy grill pan over medium‑high heat on the stovetop. Lightly oil the grill grates or pan with the teaspoon of vegetable oil to prevent sticking.

Grill kabobs

Place skewers on the preheated grill or pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes per side, rotating every 3–4 minutes so all sides develop good sear marks, for a total of about 10–12 minutes depending on cube size and desired doneness (medium‑rare to medium). During the last 4 minutes of cooking, baste once with the reserved marinade that has been boiled for 1–2 minutes, or use fresh reserved marinade. Use an instant‑read thermometer if desired: aim for 130–135°F (54–57°C) for medium‑rare, 135–145°F (57–63°C) for medium.

Rest and finish

Remove kabobs from heat and let rest on a platter for 5 minutes so juices redistribute. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the skewers and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the meat and vegetables.