Dinner on a stick—that’s skewers and kabobs.
They’re a time-honored tradition when summer hits.
Not only are skewers and kabobs delicious, allowing the flavors of chunks of meat and veggies to intermingle on the grill, but they’re also fun to prep. Kids can even get in on the fun.
The key to making the most of skewers and kabobs? It’s simple: Experiment with ingredients, try something new, and don’t forget to have fun.
Some quick tips for skewers and kabobs:
- If using wood skewers, be sure to soak them for about half an hour before grilling. This prevents the skewer from catching fire on a hot grill.
- Speaking of hot grills, skewers and kabobs are cooked over screaming-hot heat. Choose cuts and veggies that lend themselves to hot-and-fast cooking: Steak, chicken, smoked sausage, and shrimp are kabob-friendly meats, and onions, peppers, and cherry tomatoes are famously delicious on a stick.
- Prep meat and veggie chunks to cook at the same rate. The best way to do this is to cube ingredients to equal size. For veggies like onions and peppers that might take a bit longer to cook through, pre-cook them on the grill before adding meat (especially shrimp, which cooks on a hot grill in the blink of an eye).
- Too hot to grill? These skewers and kabobs recipes work great with your broiler. Head inside, crank up the oven, load skewers and kabobs into a foil-lined baking pan, and broil away.
Our Most Popular Easy Kabob and Skewers Recipes
Seared Shrimp & Sausage Skewers
A tried-and-true classic. Shrimp and smoked sausage are strung onto skewers for a quick pass over the flames. The result is the flavors of light, fresh shrimp and robust, spicy sausage combined with a gentle infusion of smoke from the grill. Serve these on the stick or over dirty rice.
FULL RECIPE: Seared Shrimp & Sausage Skewers
Smoked Pork Belly & Pineapple Skewers
Not only do these skewers look amazing served up family-style on the patio, but the flavors from hickory wood, slow-smoked pork belly, and the mellow sweetness of pineapple come together with very little hands-on time. The crisp glaze from your favorite flavor of our Bar-B-Q sauce takes these skewers from good to craveable.
FULL RECIPE: Smoked Pork Belly & Pineapple Skewers
Live Fire Low Country Seafood & Sausage Skewers
Imagine arriving at the dinner table with a tray of still-steaming skewers loaded with gargantuan pacific shrimp wrapped around sausage, buttered sweet corn and hasselback potatoes. Pair with a handful of ice-cold pilsners and the best of buddies.
FULL RECIPE: Live Fire Low Country Seafood & Sausage Skewers
Picanha Steak Skewers
Picanha, a favorite steak cut at most Brazilian steakhouses, is also known as top sirloin with the fat cap still attached. It’s also known as the Coulotte steak, without the fat cap—very lean, but flavorful. The name comes from a Picana, which is the pole used to herd cattle in Spain and Portugal. The picanha steak is tender, flavorful, cooks at its best on a skewer, and is in danger of disappearing if left unattended in the company of hungry friends and family. Chefs beware!
FULL RECIPE: Picanha Steak Skewers
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Chimichurri
Grilled shrimp is simple and so perfectly summer. These grilled shrimp skewers are perfect as a side dish to a masterfully grilled steak or a stack of tacos, or as a stand-alone alongside a grilled salad. The chimichurri adds a splash of bright, fresh flavor.
FULL RECIPE: Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Chimichurri
Sweet BBQ Bacon Wrapped Kabobs
What could be better than when dinner is wrapped in bacon and served on a stick? It’s festive, it’s a crowd-pleaser, and it’s delicious. Chunks of bacon-wrapped chicken are tossed in BBQ sauce, then loaded onto skewers with red onion. After the fire from the grill crisps it all just so, another glaze of BBQ sauce sweetens the deal.
FULL RECIPE: Sweet BBQ Bacon Wrapped Kabobs
Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs
A specially-mixed seasoning blend makes these kabobs something special. Sweet brown sugar, smoky paprika, and herbal thyme team up with chicken, bacon, and pineapple before it’s time to layer on some sweet, tangy, savory BBQ sauce. Chopped parsley adds fresh-from-the-garden flavor and lets guests know that when it comes to grilling, you mean business.
FULL RECIPE: Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs
Grilled BBQ Burger Kabobs
These burger kabobs are one of our favorite easy kabob recipes. They’re a playground for burger lovers, leaving the door wide open to experiment with different ingredients, toppings, and seasonings. Turn this recipe into a make-your-own-kabob party, setting out all the fixin’s so folks can take their pick, and see what mini-burger combos you can come up with.
FULL RECIPE: Grilled BBQ Burger Kabobs