Greek Souvlaki Beef Kabobs

4.24 stars average

Beef tenderloin kabobs are seasoned with classic Greek flavors including oregano, garlic and lemon juice to create these tender and juicy beef kabobs.

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time17 minutes

greek souvlaki beef kabobs

Beef tenderloin kabobs are seasoned with classic Greek flavors including oregano, garlic, and lemon juice to create these tender and juicy Greek souvlaki beef kabobs.

Greek souvlaki beef kabobs.

Growing up in West Michigan, one of my favorite traditions is heading downtown to the Festival of Arts every June to enjoy a pork souvlaki skewer hot off the grill. Every bite is smoky, tender, juicy, and delicious. But why wait until June? I decided to recreate (as best I could) the delicious dish with my Greek Souvlaki Beef Kabobs. A fairly easy dish with minimum clean up as you can make it all outside on the grill!

If grilling season hasn’t arrived where you live, let me teach you a Michigan trick: your broiler is your BFF. By providing the same direct heat as an outdoor grill, cooking meat under the broiler is the easiest way to get that same smoky flavor from the grill, no matter how much snow is still on the ground.

Ingredients

  • Beef kabobs: Ribeye, filet mignon, top sirloin, and porterhouse are all good cuts to use for your beef kabobs, and they can frequently already be found prepped and ready at the supermarket!
  • Olive oil: Heart healthy and mild in flavor, oil helps to marinate the meat in all of the flavors of the other ingredients.
  • Red wine vinegar: Like most vinegars, it’s tart and tangy in flavor, but has smoky undertones that taste great with this dish.
  • Lemon juice: Not only does it add some bright, acidic flavor, but it also acts as a natural tenderizer for the beef.
  • Garlic: Freshly grated garlic is pungent and aromatic, and it sweetens up a bit as it cooks on your skewers.
  • Oregano: Dried oregano is a quick and easy way to season your beef to get a slightly peppery, slightly sweet taste.
  • Mint: Dried mint mixed with the oregano and garlic is a quick way to get a classic Greek flavor profile for your kabobs.
  • Kosher salt: The larger crystals on the kosher salt help it to stick better to the beef, and it enhances the natural flavors!
  • Chili flakes: You can skip it if you’re not a fan of spice, but I love the little kick of heat that the chili flakes add.

How to Make Greek Souvlaki Beef Kabobs

Addinh lemon juice to bowl

To create the marinade for your Greek Souvlaki Beef Kabobs, grab a large bowl and add your lemon juice.

Adding red wine vinegar to bowl

Next you’ll add the red wine vinegar.

adding oregano to bowl

Followed by the dried oregano and mint.

adding chili flakes

Then add the chili flakes for that kick of heat.

Grating garlic into marinade

Then use a microplane or grater to add the fresh garlic cloves to the mix.

adding olive oil to bowl

Whisk in the olive oil until everything is fully combined.

Seasoning marinade with salt

And finish with the kosher salt and some black pepper to taste.

pouring marinade over kabobs

Lay your souvlaki skewers in a large baking dish. I like to include onion along with green, yellow, and red bell peppers, and tomatoes on my wooden skewers for added flavor, but you could use all sorts of vegetables. Pour the souvlaki marinade over the top of kabobs and let them marinate.

lining kabobs in baking dish

Let the souvlaki skewers marinate for at least 30 minutes, rotating about halfway through. But if you have the time and forethought, the longer you let them marinate the better.

cooking souvlaki kabobs on grill

To cook your kabobs, preheat the grill to high heat and add the skewers. Cook for 8 -12 minutes (depending on desired doneness), and rotate one about halfway through. Remove from the grill and let rest for 8 minutes.

Garnishing Greek souvlaki beef kabobs with green onions.

Serve garnished with fresh scallions (green onions), or feta cheese and enjoy your Greek Souvlaki Beef Kabobs!

Complimentary Side Dishes

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the difference between a kebab and a souvlaki?

Honestly, not much other than where they originate from. Kebabs (or kabobs) are from the Near East while Souvlaki is from Greece.

Where can you buy beef kabobs?

The meat section of the supermarket may have them pre-packed and already cut for you. If you’re not seeing pre-cut beef kabobs, bring your favorite cut of meat to the butcher’s counter and ask them to cut the meat down to 2-inch cubes. This will save you from having to cut the beef at home.

What is traditional souvlaki made from?

Souvlaki can be pork, beef, chicken, or even lamb! It’s traditionally served on a skewer, but can be served in pita bread or on top of a salad as well. While cooked or served on a skewer, it’s not the same as a gyro.

Greek souvlaki beef kabobs

More Grilled Goodies

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Liz eating Greek souvlaki beef kabobs.

For a delicious and fun meal you can make anytime, try my Greek Souvlaki Beef Kabobs. Let me know how your family likes them in a comment below!

Your fork is waiting.

greek souvlaki beef kabobs

Greek Souvlaki Beef Kabobs

4.24 stars average
Beef tenderloin kabobs are seasoned with classic Greek flavors including oregano, garlic and lemon juice to create these tender and juicy beef kabobs.
PREP: 5 minutes
COOK: 12 minutes
TOTAL: 17 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Line kabobs in a large baking dish in a single layer.
  • Whisk together marinade (olive oil through chili flakes) and drizzle over the beef kabobs.
  • Marinate the kabobs for 30 minutes, rotating once, or up to overnight.
  • To cook, pre-heat grill or broiler on high heat.
  • Grill or broil kabobs for 8-12 minutes, rotating once halfway through the cooking process. Let rest for 8 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 7.9gProtein: 28.2gFat: 15.9gSaturated Fat: 5.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10.5gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 1250mgFiber: 5.5gSugar: 0.2g

25 thoughts on “Greek Souvlaki Beef Kabobs”

  1. Pingback: Week Five – Souvlaki – Payge Langmo's E-Portfolio

    1. Liz DellaCroce

      The deli/meat counter at your supermarket might already have kabob meat precut and ready to go, or you can use ribeye or top sirloin and cut it yourself.

  2. shannon christopher

    I agree that this marinade is so wonderful for tenderizing the beef. Loved the flavors, however I found it so salty that I could barely eat it. Or at least, I couldn’t eat much of it. My dinner guest thought the same about the amount of saltiness. So, for me personally, it is just a lesson learned to go lighter on the salt in the future (although 2 tsp is not much!). I want to make this again because I loved the flavors.

    1. I’m so sorry you found it to be too salty!! I generally find that 1 teaspoon per 1 pound of meat does really well but ultimately everyone has their own preferences. I hope you try it again and love it!

  3. Liz, I loved the souvlaki at Festival too so I couldn’t wait to try this recipe.
    I made my kabobs with pork tenderloin and onion since that’s what I had on hand and served it with rice and broccoli (not the most inspired pairing but it’s one of 2 vegetables both my kids eat w/o complaint).
    I knew my husband & I would love it because of the lemon and garlic but was pleasantly surprised that my 2 picky eaters liked a dish with so much flavor. We all cleaned our plates!
    This will definitely go into the regular rotation especially since it’s so easy to throw together. I’ll try it next with chicken and a salad of romain, cucumbers and tomatoes.

    1. Great recipe, authentic Greek Beef Souvlaki. Excellent, would definitely make again. Made the skewers for Father’s Day, everyone loved the meat. Marinated Filet Minion pieces the night before. Did not add salt recipe, it toughens meat if add while marinating. We added salt before grilling, only modest amount, due to dietary restrictions of guest, but turned out great. Thanks again for posting!

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