Backyard Beef Kebabs (Steakhouse-Style Sirloin, Mushroom and Onion Skewers)
Cubes of sirloin tip and cremini mushrooms marinated in olive oil, Worcestershire, soy sauce, lemon, Dijon, garlic, brown sugar and black pepper, threaded with chunks of red onion and seared hard over a hot charcoal fire.
The word is Turkish: shish comes from the Old Turkic sış, "pointed stick," and the Oxford English Dictionary's earliest English use of "shish kebab" is Sinclair Lewis's 1914 novel "Our Mr. Wrenn," Wikipedia says. Quantella Noto, on KRCU public radio's On the Menu, says the first kebabs probably came to America with Lebanese immigrants in the late 19th century, that by at least 1910 a Turkish kitchen in New York served shish kebab, and that as the chunks of meat got bigger they became perfect for the backyard grill; by the 1960s, "they were all the rage" (May 20, 2025:).
What America did to the skewer was make it a steak dinner: big cubes of beef, vegetables threaded in between, and a marinade from the steakhouse cupboard. This recipe is Joshua Bousel's for Serious Eats, built on sirloin tips, mushrooms and red onion with Worcestershire, soy and Dijon, "a steakhouse experience on a stick."
Why it works the kitchen science
A steakhouse marinade
Worcestershire, soy and Dijon add salt and savory depth, the lemon adds a little acid, and the brown sugar helps the outside brown fast over the coals.
Mushrooms and onion as sponges
The mushrooms soak up the marinade and stay juicy, and the thick onion pieces char at the edges while the beef cooks.
Step by step
- Step 1
Whisk together the oil, Worcestershire, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, brown sugar and pepper. Put the beef and mushrooms in a large zipper-lock bag, add the marinade, press out the air, turn to coat and refrigerate 1 to 5 hours.
- Step 2
Thread the beef onto skewers, alternating with mushrooms and onion. Discard the marinade.
- Step 3
Light a full chimney of charcoal; when the coals are covered in gray ash, spread them evenly over the whole grate (or heat all the burners of a gas grill on high). Set the cooking grate in place, cover and preheat 5 minutes, then clean and oil the grate.
- Step 4
Grill the skewers, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until the beef is well seared on all sides and the center of the thickest cube reads 145°F, 10 to 14 minutes in all.
- Step 5
Move the skewers to a platter and rest at least 3 minutes (Serious Eats rests 5 to 10) before serving.
Backyard Beef Kebabs (Steakhouse-Style Sirloin, Mushroom and Onion Skewers)
Serves 6 · about 8 skewers · 1 hr 35 min total
Marinade
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 tsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Skewers
- 1 1/2 lb beef sirloin tips, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, cleaned and halved
- 1 large red onion (10 oz), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces about 3 layers thick
- Metal skewers, or bamboo skewers soaked 30 minutes
Method
- Whisk together the oil, Worcestershire, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, brown sugar and pepper. Put the beef and mushrooms in a large zipper-lock bag, add the marinade, press out the air, turn to coat and refrigerate 1 to 5 hours.
- Thread the beef onto skewers, alternating with mushrooms and onion. Discard the marinade.
- Light a full chimney of charcoal; when the coals are covered in gray ash, spread them evenly over the whole grate (or heat all the burners of a gas grill on high). Set the cooking grate in place, cover and preheat 5 minutes, then clean and oil the grate.
- Grill the skewers, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until the beef is well seared on all sides and the center of the thickest cube reads 145°F, 10 to 14 minutes in all.
- Move the skewers to a platter and rest at least 3 minutes (Serious Eats rests 5 to 10) before serving.
Adapted from Joshua Bousel, "Steakhouse Beef Kebabs", Serious Eats (June 2, 2025), serves 6. We follow it as written: a marinade of olive oil, Worcestershire, soy sauce, lemon, Dijon, garlic, dark brown sugar and black pepper; 1 1/2 lb sirloin tips in 1 1/2-inch cubes and 8 oz cremini mushrooms marinated 1 to 5 hours; red onion in 1 1/2-inch pieces three layers thick; a full chimney spread evenly (or a gas grill on high); about 3 minutes a side; and a 5- to 10-minute rest. Serious Eats pulls the beef at 125 to 130°F (medium-rare); we cook to 145°F with a 3-minute rest, the FoodSafety.gov number for whole cuts of beef, which makes it closer to medium. That change is ours. Serious Eats. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Sirloin tips are the right cut: meaty, fairly tender and cheap enough for a crowd, Serious Eats says.
- Keep the onion pieces 3 layers thick so they don't spin on the skewer.
- Cut everything the same size so the beef and vegetables finish together.
- Serve with classic steakhouse sides: baked potatoes, creamed spinach or a wedge salad.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Shish kebab is an old American backyard classic. Documented in part: KRCU says kebabs were "all the rage" by the 1960s; the word was in English print by 1914 (Wikipedia).
- Lebanese immigrants brought kebabs to America. Disputed wording: KRCU says "we think" they came with Lebanese immigrants in the late 19th century; no source we read documents it.
- Put the vegetables on their own skewers. Folklore: a common grilling rule because vegetables and meat cook at different speeds; Serious Eats alternates them and cuts them to match.
- Beef kebabs should be medium-rare. Disputed: Serious Eats pulls them at 125 to 130°F; FoodSafety.gov's minimum for whole cuts of beef is 145°F with a 3-minute rest, which is what we use.
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