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Nothin’ says Summer to me more than grilling a good kabob!  The fantastic aroma of a smoky bbq fills the entire neighborhood and makes your mouth water.  These Garlic Steak Kabobs with a Creamy Cilantro Sauce are my favorite Summer family dinner.  Beef filet is cut into chunks and then marinated with a delicious garlicy sauce.  Skewered and grilled with onion and red pepper, they are tender, flavorful, and utterly mouthwatering.  Then, drizzle with or dip into a cool and bright Creamy Cilantro Sauce for the perfect bite!

Kabobs are Great for Meal Prep!

Kabobs are also such an easy Meal Prep idea because you can prep them entirely ahead and then simply grill them when you’re ready to eat!  You can also make a double recipe to have leftovers of this delicious meat and then slice for steak sandwiches, a quick stir fry, or add to a mushroom sauce over pasta!  Want more ideas for making food once and getting two dinners out of it?  Click here to get 30 Leftover Protein Dinner Ideas!

Cilantro – love it or replace it  

Ok, I know that cilantro can be polarizing.  Not everyone love it.  In fact, I spent most of life absolutely hating it.  But then somewhere in my early 30’s, I took a turn.  Today, I truly love it!!  Can’t get enough of it!  If you’re on the fence, please give it a try in this recipe.

If you know it’s not for you, you can certainly swap it for a combination of parsley and dill or basil.

Here are some of the other recipes that Cilantro really brings a delicious impact to:

• Greek Orzo Salad with Olives, Cucumbers, & Feta
• Chicken Chimichurri Rojo
• Cilantro Lime Quinoa
• Cilantro Lime Yogurt Chicken & Sweet Peppers

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

For kabobs, you do need skewers. I like metal ones vs. wood so that you don’t have to worry about them burning up. You also can wash and reuse metal ones. Flat skewers are also great so that the food doesn’t spin around. You can grill it on one side, then flip the skewer and the food flips too vs. rolls. Finally, LONG skewers are best. Look for 14″ or longer so that whether you want to grill a little or a lot of food, you have the space on the skewer. Here are some skewers that I really like!

For the cilantro sauce, my go-to mini food processor was perfect for the job.

PREP-AHEAD FOR YOUR GARLIC STEAK KABOBS

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you can prepare in the day(s) ahead! (See full recipe below)

For this recipe, you can marinade the beef, cut the red pepper and onion, and make the Creamy Cilantro Sauce.

For the Cilantro sauce, all of the ingredients go right into a food processor.  Blend until smooth and store in the fridge. 

What is the best meat for kabobs? 

I love so many different types of kabobs!  Chicken, shrimp, swordfish, and so many veggies are fantastic grilled on a kabob.  The key is to make sure that whatever goes on a skewer is firm enough to stay on as it cooks. 

For beef kabobs, you want to ensure you have a tender cut.  I recommend Petite Beef Filet. It’s one of the most tender cuts without the most expensive price tag. The Petite Filet comes from the shoulder and is so incredibly tender. It tastes very similar to filet mignon, but is much less expensive.

You can either buy the pre-cut beef for kabobs or cut your own into 2 inch cubes.

Then mince the garlic and add it plus the olive oil, seasonings, Worcestershire Sauce, and water to the beef in a storage bag or container.  Rub the marinade around the meat and then store in the fridge until ready to skewer and grill.

What Other Vegetables Can be Added? 

One of the great things about skewers is that you can grill foods that are normally too small or fragile to grill, as they may slip through the grill into the fire.  However, when placing food on a skewer, you want to make sure that all food on one skewer has the same cooking time.  If you place zucchini on these beef skewers, they may turn to complete mush by the time the beef is done.  I really only find that peppers and onions hold up to the beef on the same skewer.

Other veggies that you should put on a separate skewer are zucchini or yellow squash chunks, whole button mushrooms, whole brussels sprouts, Corn chunks.

Finally, veggies that DO NOT do well on a skewer are any with a high water content or extremely long cooking times.  Examples are tomatoes and carrots.  

SKEWER & COOK YOUR GARLIC STEAK KABOBS 

When you’re ready to grill, I think it’s helpful to split the ingredients into the # of skewers I plan to make. So, if I am making 4 skewers, then split the beef cubes into 4 equal portions. Same for the onion and the red pepper. This way you don’t end up with one skewer with very little.

To make the skewers, simply alternate the red pepper, a couple layers of the onion, then the beef. Repeat until you use up the portioned out ingredients for that skewer. If you want, you can brush additional oil on the skewers, but since you had oil in the marinade, I find that I don’t need any additional for the onion and red pepper.

Tip: A safe way to skewer tougher veggies is to place them on a hard surface and then push the skewer down through them.

Preheat your grill to high. These don’t take much time at all to cook to medium. Place on the grill for about 4-5 minutes, then flip the skewers over and grill the other side for another 4-5 minutes. (4 minutes on each side will get you to a medium-rare and 5 minutes to a medium.)

Serve with rice or quinoa or potatoes on the side.  Add the cilantro sauce and enjoy!  😍 Carrie