50 Skewer & Kebab Recipes That Are A Cookout Must This Summer
Because food on a stick is just more fun.
Think fast! Imagine all yourfavorite summer foods. Ever wonder why they're all seemingly served on a stick? Popsicles and corn dogs are cool and all, but grilled skewers and kebabs steal our heart (and plate space) every year. Next time you’re at the store picking up BBQ supplies, pick up an extra pack of grill skewers. They’re a cookout MUST for a few reasons: They turn average ingredients into something spectacular, make grilling extra easy (especially for those of us who aren’t a grill master), and cleanup is a breeze when dinner is served on a stick. Check out our list of 50 easy grill skewer recipes to see what we mean—it’s kebab time!
You may think that skewering your food is a total no-brainer activity, and while you’d mostly be right, we DO have a couple tips to make sure your kebab experience goes off completely without a hitch. Most importantly, you gotta pick the best grill skewers. Right off the bat, we can tell you that the secret to stopping your ingredients from just spinning around and falling off your stick is using a pointy flat or two-pronged skewer—sorry round toothpicks and blunt dowels, you’re out! For smaller, appetizer-type options, like our Greek salad skewers or our melon prosciutto skewers, use a smaller flat wooden option. For bigger, heavier ingredients, like in our bánh mì kebabs or our grilled chicken kebabs, we prefer to use a metal option, two-pronged if you can manage it. If you do go with something wooden, don’t forget to soak your skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before putting them on your grill—otherwise, they might catch on fire, and you don’t need that. Here’s our best order of operations: Cut your meat and veggies into uniform pieces (bigger than your grill grates); marinate or season everything (for at least a half an hour is best); pat your ingredients dry as much as possible (it will help create that charred crust you want); and lastly, skewer!
Want more summer recipe ideas for your next outdoor celebration? Check out our top 100 best grilling recipes, our favorite summer cocktail ideas, and our best weeknight dinners you can make on the grill too.
Campfire Hot Dog Skewers
In this recipe, we layer cut up hot dogs, bell peppers, pineapple, and onions on skewers before basting with a homemade sweet-tangy BBQ sauce and grill until charred and caramelized. The result is a slightly sweet, summer-worthy skewer made to be served at any BBQ, camping trip, or casual summer dinner.
Get the Campfire Hot Dog Skewers recipe.
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Skewers
Get your grill out: This is a chicken dish that goes with everything! Get the marinade and grilling technique down, then turn these cilantro-and-lime chicken skewers into a variety of meals, each with different flavor profiles so they never get boring. The only problem? These super-tender and flavorful chicken bites won’t last long. Once you start snacking on one, you’ll want to eat them all.
Get the Cilantro-Lime Chicken Skewers recipe.
Kibbeh-Spiced Lamb Skewers
Get the Kibbeh-Spiced Lamb Skewers recipe.
Watermelon Feta Skewers
Watermelon + feta is one of our favorite combinations of all time — especially during the summer time. You can go classic and toss all of your ingredients in a bowl à la watermelon feta salad, but if you’re looking for an adorable party app, these skewers are the next best thing. Simply layer watermelon, tangy feta, red onion, cucumber and basil on your skewers, then drizzle with a balsamic glaze to top it all off.
Get the Watermelon Feta Skewers recipe.
Pesto Shrimp Skewers
If we're looking for an delicious, low-effort summer dinner, skewers win out, every time. They couldn't be simpler: simply layer on your chosen ingredients, choose a signature sauce, grill, and serve!
Get the Pesto Shrimp Skewers recipe.
Hawaiian Chicken Skewers
Whether we’re looking for a creative BBQ main, an easy weeknight dinner or party side, grilled skewers are one of our go-to’s all season long. While we have plenty of favorite protein + veggie combinations, these Hawaiian chicken skewers just might be one of our favorites. With sweet pineapple, chicken, red bell peppers, and onion all basted in a sweet teriyaki-style sauce, these skewers are the ultimate summer dinner.
Get the Hawaiian Chicken Skewers recipe.
Grilled Shrimp Piccata Skewers
Chicken piccata is an Italian American staple we love so much, we had to transform it into a summertime staple. These grilled shrimp piccata skewers are the perfect combination of juicy, charred shrimp, bright lemon zest, briny capers, and white wine butter sauce that will make your friends beg you for the recipe. Since it only takes 45 minutes from start to finish, it’s ideal for everything from a backyard bash to a quick weeknight dinner.
Get the Grilled Shrimp Piccata Skewers recipe.
Bánh Mì Kebabs
A classic bánh mì is one of the world's great sandwiches. An ideal way to get that classic bánh mì taste? With these kebabs! Par-cooked carrots and slightly sweet daikon grill up nicely with thick pieces of pork chop, and they're perfectly matched with a straightforward combo of fish sauce, soy sauce, and honey.
Get the Bánh Mì Kebabs recipe.
Steak Kebab Bowls
Nothing screams summer quite like rainbow veggie kebabs dotted with succulent cubes of marinated steak, charred to perfection over the grill. We complete this dish by resting the kebabs over a bed of crunchy spinach and cucumber salad tossed in a garlicky tahini dressing, plus a pile of herby orzo, which is toasted until golden before being gently simmered in savory chicken stock.
Get the Steak Kebab Bowls recipe.
Melon Prosciutto Skewers
If you haven't experienced the flavor combo of prosciutto + melon, get on it STAT. It's the ultimate in sweet and salty.
Get the Melon Prosciutto Skewers recipe.
Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Chicken tastes even better when slid on skewers alongside bok choy and scallions, then glazed with a hoisin BBQ sauce. The best part of the glaze: There's no need to cook anything! Just whisk the ingredients together and you’re ready to go.
Get the Grilled Chicken Kebabs recipe.
Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs
Sure gnocchi is amazing served in a bowl with a sauce, but have you ever had nicely browned gnocchi taken straight off the grill? We’re here to tell you that the crispy-chewy texture is something that you've GOT to try this summer.
Get the Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs recipe.
Chipotle Tofu & Pineapple Skewers
Tofu is so much more than a meat substitute—it’s a protein source that stands on its own, and the perfect base to soak up tasty sauces, like this chipotle and guajillo chili marinade inspired by a popular Mexican street food, tacos al pastor.
Grilled Summer Fruit Skewers
All summer's best fruits need are a little olive oil and honey to be transformed into the perfect summer dessert.
Get the Grilled Summer Fruit Kebabs recipe.
Air Fryer Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Skewers
These garlic-Parmesan chicken skewers are more than the sum of their (already wonderful) parts. Dripping with a buttery sauce made from fresh summer herbs, nutty Parmesan, and punchy garlic, these flavorful little wonders on a stick are made in the air fryer so they’re super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. And best of all, they’re ready in just 30 minutes—no grill required.
Get the Air Fryer Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Skewers recipe.
Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)
Yakitori (Japanese for "grilled chicken") is one of the oldest and most popular traditional Japanese dishes. Though you'll often find it served from flat tops by street vendors, yakitori is grilled skewers made from all parts of the chicken, including chicken breast, chicken thighs, hearts, and gizzards. Most yakitori places will offer two seasoning options: salt (shio) or yakitori sauce (tare). Tare is made of just four ingredients, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. It slightly resembles teriyaki sauce with both sweet and salty elements. You can add ginger and other ingredients, but in this case, minimalism is a great approach.
Pineapple Salmon Skewers
Pineapple and salmon are a match made in heaven. That's what makes our baked pineapple salmon so wildly popular! Smoky, sweet, and just a little spicy, these skewers are a major crowd-pleaser.
Get the Pineapple Salmon Skewers recipe.
Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Souvlaki is a classic Greek street food consisting of tender pieces of marinated meat that have been skewered (in Greece “souvla” means skewer) and cooked on a grill. We love it whether we’re serving it on skewers at a BBQ (no picnic tables? no problem!), or tucked into a pita with veggies for a yummy weekday lunch.
Get the Greek Chicken Souvlaki recipe.
Grilled Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts aren't a particularly dirty vegetable (*cough* leeks), but it's still good to give them a good rinse to remove any debris. Trim the ends of the sprouts and discard any leaves that fall off in the process. Place trimmed sprouts in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Drain in a colander, pat dry, and continue with your recipe!
Get the Grilled Brussels Sprouts recipe.
Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs
These Buffalo cauliflower kebabs put all your favorite flavor from classic Buffalo wings onto skewers–and they're vegetarian to boot! Glaze the kebabs with more buffalo sauce, grill until the cauliflower is tender, then drizzle with blue cheese dressing.
Get the Buffalo Cauliflower Kebabs recipe.
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