Quick! Think of all your favorite summer foods. Ever wonder why they're all 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 hoisin 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Chicken Satay
Satay, considered to be a national dish of Indonesia, is a popular Southeast Asian street food that usually involves a marinated meat being skewered and grilled, then served with a simple saucy dip. Our peanut sauce is the ultimate wingman to satay, containing all the fragrant notes of lemongrass, coconut, fish sauce, and fresh lime zest.
Get the Chicken Satay recipe.
Steak Taco on a Stick
Meet your new favorite way to eat steak tacos. We've paired ours with sweet corn, red onion, and avocado, but get creative with your favorite steak pairings (we're going to try our Jamaican jerk steak tacos next!).
Get the Steak Taco on a Stick recipe.
Balsamic Grilled Mushrooms
Mushrooms can get sidelined at a barbecue as a lame side dish, but when tossed in a balsamic-soy glaze, they'll get ALL the attention.
Get the Balsamic Grilled Mushrooms 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.
Zucchini and Cauliflower Skewers with Feta
Shaving the zucchini into long strips and then curling them creates a gorgeous effect. Use it all summer for grilled eggplant, bacon, and more!
Banana Split Kebab
Dessert kebabs might be even better than savory ones. Assembling these is a great activity to keep kids away from the hot grill too.
Get the Banana Split Kebab recipe.
Beef & Broccoli Kebabs
All of the flavors of your favorite Chinese beef & broccoli, brought to the grill!
Get the Beef & Broccoli Kebabs recipe.
Bacon and Caprese Skewers
Make your Caprese salad portable to share with friends and family, by threading cherry tomatoes, croutons, basil, and balls of mozzarella on skewers. Kick it up a notch by adding some thick-cut bacon to the mix, and don't forget that balsamic drizzle!
Get the Bacon and Caprese Skewers recipe.
Cajun Butter Shrimp & Sausage Skewers
We love these skewers for many reasons: they're FULL of flavor, they're hearty, and most of all, they provide the perfect bite. Sausage + shrimp = a match made in Cajun heaven. They're like Jambalaya on a stick!
Veggie Kebabs
These kabobs have the *perfect* combination of flavors and textures. Serve them up with our ultimate meat-lovers veggie burger for a backyard vegetarian feast that even a carnivore couldn't turn down.
Get the Veggie Kabobs recipe.
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