Kabobs make summer grilling worthwhile. Executing a delicious marinated assortment of meats paired with the freshest fruits and veggies will wow you and your foodie party-goers.
But it takes more than you might think to properly kabob. Check out these tips and tricks (including some delicious recipes!) to serve some killer kabobs this summer.
Start Your Grill Off Right
Prep your grill with the finest tools from Brookshire Brothers. CharKing has the charcoal and lighter fluid you need for a quality grill. Check out their classic and mesquite Charcoal Briquets and Instant Ignite Lighter Fluid.
Make sure to also pick up some Simply Done electric lighters and aluminum foil. Spread a strip of double thick foil on the edge of the grill to protect the ends of your skewers, preventing wooden skewers from burning and metal ones from getting too hot.
Before lighting up, spread oil on the grill and wait until the oil smokes to add your skewers.
Prep Your Ingredients
There are many ingredients you can use for killer kabobs. Most will require some type of preparation before being grill-ready.
One rule of thumb is to slice/cut all ingredients to roughly the same size so they will cook evenly. Some ingredients may not be able to be cooked on the same skewers. Items like pork and cherry tomatoes have very different cook times, so consider pairing ingredients with similar cook times together or putting the same ingredient together on one skewer.
Marinade your meat beforehand (even overnight) for the best results. Discard the marinade after removing the meat. Choose your favorite fruits and veggies, and cut them into similarly sized chunks that will survive the skewer.
Some slower-cooking vegetables like potatoes may need to be partially cooked before grilling.
Prep Your Skewers
Choose the best skewers for the ingredients you prefer. Metal skewers are best for foods that take longer than 5 minutes to cook.
Bamboo skewers should be soaked in room-temperature water for at least 30 minutes before adding ingredients and grilling so they don't burn in the grill's intense heat.
Arrange ingredients on the skewers in your preferred order with consideration to cook times. Some ingredients (like shrimp) may turn on their skewers. You can prevent this by using two skewers parallel to each other to pierce the food.
Get To Grilling
Place your skewers on the clean, hot and well-oiled grill with enough space between them to cook evenly. Make sure to turn the kabobs so all sides become seared. Check on them frequently to prevent burning.
Once seared, some meat may need additional cooking. You can move the kabobs from direct to indirect heat to continue slow cooking.
When the kabobs are cooked through, remove them from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before serving. If using metal kabobs, warn your guests that they may retain heat from the grill.
Find The Perfect Recipe
If you would prefer a recipe over creative selection of ingredients, check out some from our blog!
We have a recipe for Garlic Butter Chicken and Steak Kabobs, Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Kabobs and Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Lemon and Oregano.
