Summer vibes are in full swing over here as we are sharing grilled skewers recipes all week. These easy Greek souvlaki beef shish kebabs are marinated in a simple marinade made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and dried herbs, and threaded with fresh bell peppers, zucchini and red onions. It’s the easiest meal to prepare and throw on the grill or in the oven. Serve it stuffed inside pita bread with some tzatziki sauce on top. So so good.
What is in Beef Souvlaki?
- sirloin strip beef steak - cut into 1 + ½ inch cubes. You can also use top sirloin.
- souvlaki marinade - made with a combination of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dried herbs, salt and pepper.
- vegetables - red bell pepper, red onion, and zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces.
- olive oil - for grilling.
You will also need skewers, tongs for grilling, and an indoor grill pan (if you are not using an outdoor grill).
How to Make the Best Greek Souvlaki Beef Shish Kebabs
- Marinate the beef steak. Add cubed beef into a zip-loc bag Add olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Press the marinade around the beef steak to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Skewer the beef. Thread the beef onto skewers, alternating with red bell peppers, red onion, and zucchini.
- Grill the skewers. Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes and lightly brush the grill with olive oil. You should notice the oil shimmer and sizzle when it's hot and ready. Grill the beef skewers for 8-10 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature for the beef reaches 155 F. For well done beef, cook for another 1-2 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches above 160 F.
Tips for Making Beef Skewers
- Marinate the beef. It is crucial to let the beef marinate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse and for it to get juicier. The lemon juice in the marinade also tenderizes the beef steak. I prefer letting it marinate overnight for best results, if you have the time.
- Italian seasoning substitute. I use Italian seasoning on almost all my marinade recipes because it’s so versatile and contains a great blend of dried herbs and spices, including oregano, parsley, basil and thyme. To use dried herbs instead, add ½ tablespoon each of dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil, and dried thyme.
- How to make the beef even more tender. Turn off the heat and remove the the grill from heat a couple minutes earlier, when the internal temperature reaches 150 F (5 degrees lower than the desired level). Let it rest for a few minutes in the pan as the residual heat will continue to cook the skewers. Resting after cooking helps the juices redistribute into the meat. Once the internal temperature reaches 155 F, remove from the pan and serve.
- Use a digital thermometer. A digital meat thermometer is very useful when grilling meat skewers for checking doneness. Simply insert halfway inside the meat to get a quick measurement.
- Double up the recipe. This is a smaller batch recipe that makes 5 skewers. You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.
- How to cook skewers in the oven. If you prefer, you can cook these skewers in the oven instead. This way you can cook them all year round. Simply place the skewers on a baking tray and broil on high for 4-5 minutes per side.
- How to store. Unthread the beef souvlaki and store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
How to Serve Greek Beef Souvlaki
Serve these souvlaki beef skewers alongside a side of pilaf rice, lemon potatoes and Greek salad. Don't forget to slather lots of tzatziki sauce on top. You can make your own homemade sauce in less than 5 minutes using Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. You can also stuff these shish kebabs into homemade pitas with tzatziki sauce and/or hummus. You can also stuff these skewers inside pita bread to make a Greek gyro wrap. So so delicious.
More Grilled Skewers
- Easy Greek Souvlaki Chicken Skewers
- Spicy Cumin Lamb Skewers
- Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Pineapple
- Greek Souvlaki Lamb Skewers
- Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
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Recipe
Souvlaki Beef Shish Kebabs
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 5 skewers
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Easy Greek souvlaki beef shish kebabs are marinated in a garlicky lemony olive oil marinade and threaded with fresh vegetables. Cook on the grill or oven.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. sirloin strip steak (or top sirloin), cut into 1 + ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
- tzatziki yogurt cucumber dip (for serving)
Instructions
- Marinate the beef steak. Add cubed beef into a zip-loc bag Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Press the marinade around the beef steak to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Skewer the beef. Thread the beef onto skewers, alternating with red bell peppers, red onion, and zucchini.
- Grill the skewers. Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat for 4-5 minutes and lightly brush the grill with remaining olive oil. You should notice the oil shimmer and sizzle when it's hot and ready. Grill the beef skewers for 8-10 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature for the beef reaches 155 F. For well done beef, cook for another 1-2 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches above 160 F.
- Serve. Serve these beef souvlaki skewers with a side of Greek rice, pita bread, lemon potatoes and Greek salad. Don't forget to slather lots of tzatziki sauce on top.
Notes
Marinate the beef. It is crucial to let the beef marinate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse and for it to get juicier. The lemon juice in the marinade also tenderizes the beef steak. I prefer letting it marinate overnight for best results, if you have the time.
Italian seasoning substitute. I use Italian seasoning on almost all my marinade recipes because it’s so versatile and contains a great blend of dried herbs and spices, including oregano, parsley, basil and thyme. To use dried herbs instead, add ½ tablespoon each of dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil, and dried thyme.
Double up the recipe. This is a smaller batch recipe that makes 5 skewers. You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.
How to make the beef even more tender. Turn off the heat and remove the the grill from heat a couple minutes earlier, when the internal temperature reaches 150 F (5 degrees lower than the desired level). Let it rest for a few minutes in the pan as the residual heat will continue to cook the skewers. Resting after cooking helps the juices redistribute into the meat. Once the internal temperature reaches 155 F, remove from the pan and serve.
Use a digital thermometer. A digital meat thermometer is very useful when grilling meat skewers for checking doneness. Simply insert halfway inside the meat to get a quick measurement.
How to cook skewers in the oven. If you prefer, you can cook these skewers in the oven instead. This way you can cook them all year round. Simply place the skewers on a baking tray and broil on high for 4-5 minutes per side.
How to serve. Serve alongside a side of pilaf rice, lemon potatoes and Greek salad. Don't forget to slather lots of tzatziki sauce on top. You can make your own homemade sauce in less than 5 minutes using Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. You can also stuff these shish kebabs into homemade pitas with tzatziki sauce and/or hummus.
How to store. Unthread the beef souvlaki and store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (+30 minutes to marinate)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: beef souvlaki, beef skewers, Greek beef souvlaki, souvlaki beef skewers, beef shish kebabs, shish kebabs
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Rebecca Chambers says
Made the beef skewers this past weekend. Let marinate for a little under 48 hours.
AMAZING! Will be making again. Followed recipe exactly. Thank you!
★★★★★
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Rebecca! So happy you liked the recipe!
Ashley Marie Lecker says
These are amazing, and there is nothing better than dinner from the grill this time of year. I love simple marinate and fresh veggies with the steak in this recipe.
★★★★★
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks Ashley! It's one of our favourites 🙂
Nancy says
I’m a personal chef. I made these for a client who liked them! But I didn’t get around to tasting a bite as I usually do. I was wondering about the tablespoon of salt, marinating first 16 minutes, I actually rinsed them off because I was concerned about the amount of salt, and re-made the marinade with only 1 teaspoon of salt and broiled them. Just wondering why that much?
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Steak needs a lot of salt for flavour because nothing tastes worse than a bland piece of steak.
Lori says
Thanks for your explanation- i made these and they were amazing- except for me they were wayyy too salty- the overall flavor though was fantastic- I'm definitely going to be making these again. Can't wait to try the rest of your Kebab recipes
★★★★★
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you for sharing! I will make a note to add salt to taste. Thank you!
Chiara says
I was looking for fast and good recepies and this blog is AMAZING!
I did these and my host family loved it! I also send the blog to my family.
★★★★★
Jen says
These were absolutely delicious! And I love that you can meal prep the night before, perfect for summer weeknights.
★★★★★
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks Jen! So glad you liked the recipe!
Katie says
I made these along with your teriyaki chicken skewers for my daughter’s outdoor birthday BBQ. We loved them thank you! Going to try your lamb skewers next!
★★★★★
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much! So glad you liked the recipe. Let me know what you think of the lamb skewers 🙂