Grilled Beef and Vegetable Kebabs
Tender sirloin cubes, zucchini, red pepper and red onion on the same skewer, finished with lemon and parsley. A colourful vegetable-packed beef kebab dinner.
These beef and vegetable kebabs bring a little of everything to each skewer: browned steak, soft-edged zucchini, sweet red pepper and onion. A measured olive-oil coating carries paprika, cumin, garlic and oregano; lemon juice and parsley go on after cooking for a fresh finish.
This is an original Mediterranean-inspired version of sebzeli kebap, made with steak cubes rather than minced meat. There is no long marinade or separate sauce. Prepare eight metal skewers for four servings of two, using an outdoor grill with room to turn them. The 45-minute estimate assumes the grill heats while you prepare the ingredients; a small grill or extra batches take longer.
Why you’ll love this recipe
A quick-cooking steak cut makes short grilling practical. Similar-size beef and vegetables expose more surfaces to the heat, while small gaps help the onion and pepper cook. A cooler area of the grill lets you finish a skewer gently if its edges brown before the beef reaches temperature. Lemon added after cooking stays distinct from the spice coating.
Before you start · Equipment
Kitchen scale; two cutting boards; sharp knife; mixing bowls; eight flat metal skewers about 12 inches (30 cm) long; rimmed tray for raw kebabs; clean serving platter; outdoor grill with a cooler zone; long tongs; food thermometer; heatproof gloves.
Everything you’ll need.
Get your ingredients ready, then follow the quantities in the recipe below.
See ingredient amounts
This guide describes the original 4 servings of 2 skewers. Use the recipe card for amounts adjusted to your chosen yield.
A vegetable-packed steak kebab
Zucchini, red pepper and red onion contribute 800 g of prepared vegetables to 600 g of steak. Each serving gets two skewers with all components divided evenly. This version is a grilled beef dinner; it is not a vegetarian kebab.
Choose steak for a short cook
Sirloin provides manageable cubes for the grill. Remove the visible separable fat and weigh the trimmed meat before cutting. Tough braising cuts do not become tender in the stated grilling time. Keep the steak refrigerated until threading.
Leave room for heat to reach the vegetables
Pressing the pieces tightly together shields their sides from heat. Small gaps, similar-size pieces and regular turns help the vegetables cook around the beef. Keep onion wedges modest, with only a few layers attached.
Use the cooler grill area when needed
Grill temperature, wind and the size of the meat pieces change cooking time. Move skewers away from direct heat if their surfaces darken quickly. A thermometer reading from several large cubes on every skewer is more useful than colour alone.
- Whole-muscle beef: at least 145°F (63°C), followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes.
- Touching the metal skewer can distort the thermometer reading; insert from the side into the beef.
- If vegetables need extra cooking, separate them with clean utensils after the beef is done.
Keep the finish simple
Lemon and parsley are added after the mandatory beef rest. Divide any juices along with the food. A separate salad makes a useful side; its nutrition is outside this recipe.
Store safely and keep the estimate in perspective
Remove food from cooled skewers for storage in shallow covered containers. Refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days and reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Nutrition is an ingredient-weight calculation, not a laboratory measurement or a measured cooked yield.
About the ingredients
- Top sirloin steak
Choose a thick boneless steak suited to quick grilling and trim visible separable fat before weighing 600 g. Stewing beef needs a different cooking method. This recipe and its safety instructions assume intact whole-muscle beef, not ground or mechanically tenderized meat. Nutrition uses raw separable-lean top sirloin, all grades.
- Zucchini, red pepper and onion
Weigh the vegetables after trimming. Aim for pieces close to the width of the beef cubes; thin zucchini slices soften too early and very thick onion wedges stay hard. The nutrition calculation uses generic raw onion as a disclosed proxy for red onion.
- Measured oil and spices
Use individual unsalted spices and weighed salt. The 30 g oil is divided between beef and vegetables, so no extra drizzle is needed before grilling. Generic paprika represents sweet paprika and cumin seed data represents pure ground cumin.
- Metal skewers
Flat metal skewers hold the pieces more steadily when turned. Use eight approximately 12-inch (30 cm) skewers and an outdoor grill large enough to accommodate them. Wooden-skewer soaking or a stovetop cooking method is not part of this recipe.
- Lemon and parsley
Add the fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley after cooking. The finish is a light drizzle, not a yogurt sauce or marinade. Use all measured quantities and share the platter juices to match the ingredient-based nutrition estimate.
How to make Grilled Beef and Vegetable Kebabs
Season trimmed steak cubes, oil the cut vegetables separately, and thread eight metal skewers. Grill while turning, check every skewer to 145°F (63°C), rest the beef for at least 3 minutes, then finish with lemon and parsley.
1. Season the sirloin cubes
2. Prepare the vegetables and thread eight skewers
3. Grill and check the beef temperature
4. Rest, finish with lemon and serveWatch How To Make It
chefzelish.com
Grilled Beef and Vegetable Kebabs
Tender sirloin cubes, zucchini, red pepper and red onion on the same skewer, finished with lemon and parsley. A colourful vegetable-packed beef kebab dinner.
Ingredients
0 / 13 readyIngredient amounts for 4 servings of 2 skewers
Beef and vegetables
Spice coating
Fresh finish
Let’s make it.
Season the sirloin cubes
Preheat a clean outdoor grill to medium-high, approximately 400–425°F (200–220°C), with a cooler indirect area available. Using a separate board for raw meat, trim the sirloin and cut into roughly 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. In a bowl, mix 15 g olive oil, the garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper and 3 g salt. Toss with the beef until evenly coated. Refrigerate the bowl while preparing the vegetables; no long marinating period is needed. Wash hands, knife and board after handling raw beef.
Prepare the vegetables and thread eight skewers
Wash and dry the zucchini and pepper, then prepare them and the peeled onion as listed. Toss the vegetables with the remaining 15 g olive oil and 2 g salt. Divide all beef and vegetables among eight flat metal skewers, alternating steak with zucchini, pepper and onion. Leave small gaps rather than compressing the pieces, and keep enough handle clear to grip safely. Transfer to the raw-food tray. If a skewer is overloaded, spread the pieces along its usable length; do not pile pieces on top of each other. Discard any raw-meat bowl residue; it is not a finishing sauce.
Grill and check the beef temperature
Lay the kebabs across the hot grill grate with room between them. Turn with tongs every 3–4 minutes, allowing about 12–16 minutes overall. Check several of the largest beef cubes on every skewer by inserting the thermometer from the side into the centre, keeping its tip away from the metal. The beef must reach at least 145°F (63°C) before leaving the grill. If the edges brown too quickly, move that skewer to the cooler area and close the lid briefly to finish; timing depends on cube size and grill heat. The vegetables should be tender enough to bite comfortably. If they need longer, carefully slide them off a finished skewer with clean utensils and return them to the grill in a suitable grill basket; keep the cooked beef on the clean platter. Use clean tongs and a clean platter for cooked food.
Rest, finish with lemon and serve
Rest the cooked beef for at least 3 minutes after it reaches 145°F (63°C). Metal skewers stay hot: use heatproof gloves, warn diners and slide food off the skewers with clean utensils if preferred. Drizzle all 30 g lemon juice over the eight kebabs and scatter with all 8 g chopped parsley. Divide any platter juices between four portions and serve two skewers per person. Rice, bread, salad and sauce are optional separate sides and are not included in the stated nutrition.
Nutrition per serving
2 skewers: one-quarter of all beef, vegetables, coating and finish. Estimates may vary with ingredients and brands.
- Calories
- 331 kcal
- Protein
- 35.9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14.1 g
- Fat
- 14.4 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.4 g
- Fiber
- 3.9 g
- Sugar
- 7.5 g
- Sodium
- 583 mg
Checked 10/6/2026. Values are per the serving described above, regardless of recipe yield.
Notes from the kitchen.
Helpful tips
The 45-minute estimate includes 25 minutes preparation, 17 minutes cooking and a 3-minute beef rest. Preheat while prepping. Extra batches, larger cubes and vegetable finishing increase time.
Make it your own
The specified formula uses trimmed top sirloin and the listed vegetables. Chicken, minced meat, other steak cuts, sauces and additional oil change the safety instructions, timing and nutrition.
Storage & freezing
Refrigerate cooked food in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days; reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Metal skewers stay hot after cooking.
At the table
Makes eight skewers, four servings of two. Nutrition includes all meat, vegetables, oil, 5 g salt, lemon and parsley. Divide platter juices evenly. Bread, rice, sauce and extra sides are excluded.
A little something delicious.
Keep this recipe close for the next time the craving strikes.
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