Beef cubes are put into a delicious and simple balsamic steak marinade and then assembled onto skewers to make fantastic easy grilled Italian style beef kabobs. They’re perfect for summer barbecues and are low carb and gluten free.
Easy Italian Grilled Beef Kabobs
First, I must say that kabobs are not exactly known as Italian recipes. Kabobs are thought to have originated in Turkey and became very popular in Greece.
Nonetheless, they’re considered a Mediterranean dish and worthy to make Italian style, which is what I’ve done with this recipe.
What I mean by Italian style is that I use Italian ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, peppers, zucchini, onions and baby bella mushrooms.
Also, this recipe shouldn’t be confused with spiedini, which is thin strips of beef rolled up and topped with crumbs and cheese and cooked on skewers. That’s a different Italian beef kabob variation that originated in Abruzzo, Italy and became popular in Missouri.
It’s a great summer main dish because it has flavorful beef cubes and grilled veggies that alone are a tasty low carb and gluten-free meal. Add rice or pasta to make it a complete meal.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links which means, if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission but, the price you pay is the same.
What to Serve with Italian Style Beef Kabobs?
- rice
- salad
- couscous
- Parmesan Bow Tie Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
What kind of beef should be used for kabobs?
Sirloin or beef stew meat (chuck) is the most commonly used. It’s sold already cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes which makes it easy to use for kabobs.
What vegetables are good with kabobs?
Many of the below vegetables are used in this recipe.
- bell peppers
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- mushrooms
- eggplant
- onions
- tomatoes
Ingredients
*The full, printable recipe is in the recipe card below.
Steak marinade ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- minced garlic
- Kosher salt
- ground black pepper
You’ll put the beef cubes in the marinade for 2-3 hours. It can sit up to 8 hours.
Vegetables
- stew beef cubes
- red bell peppers
- green bell peppers
- whole baby bella mushrooms
- zucchini
- vidalia onion (or white or yellow onions)
How to Assemble the Skewers
To make attractive, colorful kabobs, arrange them where the red bell peppers are spaced out and there aren’t multiple veggies next to each other.
For this recipe I assembled them as follows: green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, onion, beef cube, mushroom.
However, what’s great about kabobs is you don’t have to assemble them perfectly. That just takes more time.
After you’ve assembled the beef cubes, if you have leftover veggies, then put them all on one skewer. Do the same for the meat. Although you won’t have leftover meat if you follow this recipe.
I aim for 3-4 beef cubes per skewer which is about a 1/4 lb of beef per person.
As a matter of fact, you can put all of the beef cubes on the same skewers and all of the veggies on separate skewers. This is particularly helpful if you want to make some beef cubes well done and some medium rare.
Also, if you want the bell peppers to be cooked more tender, you can leave them on longer if they’re one their own skewer.
Skewers
If you’re using disposable wooden skewers, you’ll need to soak them in water prior to assembling them. Read the instructions on the package.
I used 14 inch metal skewers for this recipe.
After you’ve assembled put a sprinkling of garlic powder over them, if you wish.
Substitutions
- Use orange or yellow bell peppers instead of red and green or a combination.
- Use white mushrooms in place of baby bella mushrooms.
- Substitute yellow squash instead of zucchini, if you prefer.
- This recipe works just as well with chicken instead of beef or in addition to.
These Italian-style beef kabobs are great for parties because you can make them ahead or for weekend dinners. They’re delicious! Serve it with rice for a complete meal.
You may also like:
Grilled Asian Hoisin Beef Kabob Bites
Deconstructed Sheet Pan Marinated Teriyaki Beef Kabobs
Easy Grilled Italian Style Beef Kabobs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef cubes
- 1 large red bell peppers
- 1 large green bell peppers
- 8 oz whole baby bella mushrooms
- 2 small zucchini
- 1 vidalia onion
steak marinade
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt ((or 1/2 tbsp of table salt))
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- First, add to a two quart bowl: Add marinade ingredients and stir. Add beef cubes and submerge them into the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Then, when you're marinade is ready, wash and cut the bell peppers into 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and wide pieces.
- Then, cut the onion into 6 wedges. You will use two or so slices at a time, not the whole wedge.
- Next, clean the mushrooms. Do not slice them unless they're larger than one inch.
- Then, add to the kabob stick in this order or similar one piece: mushroom, bell pepper, beef cube, 2 onion slices. Repeat until all the meat and vegetables are on the skewers. Put leftovers onto one skewer. However, if you want your beef cooked medium-rare, put the beef cubes on separate skewers so you can cook them to your desired doneness.
- Next, oil spray your grill and then preheat grill to 400F on medium-high heat. Put the kabobs are the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the peppers are desired tenderness. Flip them over midway through.
Notes
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