Lebanese Steak Shish Kabob

This Steak Shish Kabob recipe is flavorful and easy to customize. The Lebanese beef kabob marinade helps make them tender, juicy and delectable. 

Summer is here, which means one thing! I now make everything I can on the grill! I love a good Kafta Kabob or Salmon Kabobs, but there’s something special about a flavorful grilled steak skewer.

Use sirloin for a beefy and affordable cut, or your favorite cut of beef. With a simple marinade these steak kabobs are tender and juicy. It is the perfect recipe for summer grilling when you need an easy meal that doesn’t heat up your kitchen. But, If you don’t want to fire up you’re grill, why not try to my Air Fryer Steak Tips recipe!

You’ll love these Lebanese Shish Kabobs for entertaining and cook-outs. Just keep in mind they’ll go quick so you may want to do a double batch.

The Beef Kabob Marinade

I went for a Middle Eastern steak shish kabob marinade that relies on extra virgin olive oil for tenderizing the beef chucks. But for best flavor, I mix the meat in a mixture of spices: allspice, cinnamon and black pepper and cover them in olive oil. The flavor in the marinade is really what makes these beef kabobs extra special! It’s simple to make, so don’t skip it.

I like to marinade the beef for at least 4 hours, in the fridge before threading and cooking. Letting them marinade is what turns a less expensive steak into an impressive dinner. Using a higher quality cut of beef, won’t need as much time marinading.

The Secret to Shish Kabob Threading

Just kidding – there is no secret at all! I just like to follow these tips for perfect steak shish kabobs:

• Cutting the pieces in uniform sizes is the key to a great beef shish kabob! It ensures all pieces are perfectly cooked, and you don’t end up with some well done and some rare on the same skewer.
• 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. Just make sure you soak wooden skewers in water for at least 1 hour before using them.
•  Don’t smush everything together tightly. Thread pretty loosely so heat can get in between – this helps cook the steak tips more evenly.
• If using veggies in your skewers, cut them into a similar size pieces as the meat, to encourage even cooking. I like threading the beef and vegetables onto separate skewers so I can better manage their cook times.
• Beef kabobs can be grilled to rare, medium or 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.

Recipe Variation:

These kabobs are only stacked with beef, as I like to grill vegetables on the side. But, you can use a variety of vegetables to add to the skewers, like zucchini cut into half moons, cherry tomatoes, and yellow squash, onions and bell peppers.

Storage And Reheating

SERVE: You can keep these at room temperature for about an hour before they need to be stored in the refrigerator.

STORE: Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

FREEZE: Once cooled, place kabobs in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

REHEAT: To reheat beef kabobs, place the kabobs in aluminum foil. Place them in a 300-degree oven for about 20-30, or until heated through.

Cook’s Tools

• Bamboo skewers
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Grilling tools

Recipe FAQ’s

What is best the best steak for shish kabob?

When you are marinating steak, you have different options!

Sirloin- in my experience is the best cut of meat for kabobs. It is what I used for these Mediterranean kabobs, it is a naturally tender piece of meat that is lean, and it is more affordable than other cuts.  If you allow it a few more hours in the marinade (refrigerated), you will have better results.

Generally, the less expensive your steak, the more time you should allow for marinating and tenderizing.

Beef Tenderloin (or Fillet Mingon): I recommend this kind of meat if you’re making kabob for dinner and you don’t have time to marinade. Beef tenderloin is a higher end, but naturally tender cut that does not need to be tenderized. Follow the same marinade recipe, to add flavor. But no need to leave them marinade for a long period of time.

How long to marinate steak kabob meat?

How long to marinate the meat will depend on the cut you choose; anywhere from few minutes to 24 hours.

For fillet mignon or beef tenderloin, you can do with a few minutes of marinating time, I basically let mine marinade while I prep veggies for grilling, or a salad, but I like to go for at least a couple of hours in the fridge for more flavor if I had the time.

If using sirloin steak, you will need to marinade for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours (refrigerated), the longer the better!

What to Serve with Lebanese Shish Kebabs:

Lebanese shish kebabs are always served with Hummus and Baba Ganoush.

Love summer grilling recipes? Try this Grilled Burger Recipe, Kafta Kabob, Steak Salad, or Salmon Kabob.

These easy grilled Steak Shish Kabob recipe is crazy juicy and exploding with flavor in each bite! Steak Shish kabobs are always a fun and easy dinner idea with hardly any cleanup, great for entertaining too and even make fantastic leftovers. 

If you try this Lebanese Steak Shish Kabob recipe, or any other recipe on Salt & Sweeet, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

Happy Grilling! xx