Whether you call them kabobs (sometimes, kebabs) or food-on-a-stick, there are so many ways you can be creative with this type of dish while threading on a lot of flavor.
Apart from the traditional Persian and Middle Eastern meaty renditions of this snack, here are some of the more unusual grilled kabob recipes you can explore.
1. Grilled Watermelon and Halloumi Kabobs
The idea of a kabob is essentially just skewering different pieces of food onto a stick, so I figured, why not play around with the ingredients?
Hence, I came up with this grilled watermelon and halloumi kabobs.
To make this snack, start by cutting four cups of seedless watermelon and 8 oz. of halloumi cheese into cubes. Then, thread both ingredients onto a skewer, alternating between the two.
Depending on how long your skewers are, you can have around four to eight layers of watermelon and cheese.
Just make sure to leave about an inch or two at the end of the stick where you can hold your kabobs easily.
Once you’ve threaded all your watermelon and halloumi cubes, grill your skewers for two to three minutes on each side.
You might encounter some pieces of watermelon or cheese sticking to the grill, which is completely normal.
If you want to avoid this experience at all costs, I suggest greasing the grates of your grill beforehand with some oil or salted butter.
Once your kabob is nicely charred, take the skewers off of the grill and transfer them to a serving platter.
Finish this dish off by drizzling your skewers with two tablespoons of balsamic glaze and garnishing with fresh mint leaves.
Pro Tip: If you’re using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. This will prevent your wooden sticks from burning while on the grill.
2. Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Kabobs
You’ve probably had a peanut butter and banana sandwich before, but have you ever had a grilled peanut butter and banana kabob?
If you haven’t, I recommend making this recipe at home.
Start by getting four ripe bananas, half a cup of creamy peanut butter (any brand will do), a quarter cup of honey, and half a cup of granola.
As you gather your ingredients, preheat your grill to medium heat so they’re nice and warm for grilling in a few minutes.
While waiting for the grill to heat up, peel your bananas and cut them into one-and-a-half-inch chunks.
Thread these banana chunks onto your skewers, making sure to leave a small gap between each piece.
When all your bananas are threaded onto your skewers, put them on the grill to cook for two to three minutes per side. Keep them on the heat until you see grill marks start to form.
Meanwhile, let’s talk about making your peanut butter mixture.
For this step, I want you to grab a small bowl and mix your peanut butter and honey until they’re well combined.
Once you’re happy with the consistency of your mixture, spread a dollop around your skewered banana chunks, making sure to coat every inch.
While your peanut butter mixture is still sticky, sprinkle your crushed granola bars on top. Mind you, this part can get a little messy.
If you don’t want to deal with all the crumbs after you finish this recipe, here’s an alternative method I like to use.
Instead of sprinkling your crushed granola bars, grab a baking sheet and lay your granola flat at the bottom.
Then, press your grilled peanut butter-covered banana skewers onto the sheet until there’s a thin coating of granola all around.
After which, put your granola-coated banana skewers inside the fridge until they set. This should take about 30 to 40 minutes.
But, if you’re too eager to try your kabobs, you can skip the chilling process altogether.
3. Grilled Avocado and Shrimp Kabobs
Stepping away from all the dessert kabobs for a bit, let’s now dive into something more savory with this grilled avocado and shrimp kabobs.
When it comes to making kabobs, the most important step is preparation. You need to make sure all your ingredients are ready before you fire up the grill.
Then, once you’ve skewered your ingredients onto your barbecue stick, the remaining steps will be a piece of cake. The same goes for this recipe.
So, start by grabbing two ripe avocados, a pound of large peeled and deveined shrimp, two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of chili powder, and half a teaspoon of cumin.
For your seasoning, get your salt and pepper shakers, as well as two limes and a fourth cup of chopped fresh cilantro.
With your ingredients laid out on your counter, it’s time to prep each one.
As such, cut your avocados in half and chop the flesh into chunks before setting them aside. How big or small you want your avocado chunks to be is all up to you.
While your chopped avocados are resting, prepare your shrimp by tossing them into a bowl with your olive oil and seasoning, including chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and the juice of one lime.
Make sure to coat your shrimp completely. You want to taste all the flavors of your spices when you take a bite.
By now, you know how it goes: thread the shrimp and avocado chunks onto your skewers. You can alternate between the two or play around with the pattern any way you like.
Once your skewers are ready to cook, place them on the grill for three to four minutes per side.
When your kabobs have nice grill marks peeking through, take them off of the heat. Garnish with your remaining lemon wedges and chopped cilantro, and you’re done!
This is a really simple kabob that you can serve at any BBQ party or have as a snack when you feel like munching on something.
Pro Tip: Try to find avocados that are in between the stages of nearly ripe and ripe. These avocados are firmer and, therefore, have a lower chance of breaking apart after grilling.
4. Grilled Pineapple and Spam Kabobs
Who knew that pineapples and spam go together? Not me. Not until I tried this recipe. Now, I’m a big fan.
The combination of the salty spam mixed with the sweet and juicy pineapple just somehow works together, and I’m here for it!
To make this kabob recipe, you’ll need two cups of pineapple chunks. If you don’t have the time to cut chunks out of fresh pineapples, canned pineapple chunks are good enough.
Aside from your pineapple chunks, you’ll also need a can of spam (which you need to cut into cubes), a quarter cup of teriyaki sauce, and two chopped green onions.
Now, alternate between your pineapple chunks and spam cubes when you thread them onto your skewers. Once your kabobs are ready, brush them with your teriyaki sauce.
It can get a little messy at this point as your teriyaki sauce can start to drip everywhere.
If you want, you can lay out a clean parchment paper on your counter before this step. This should make cleaning so much easier afterward.
With your kabobs coated and flavored, it’s time to grill! Place your sticks on the grates and let them cook for three to four minutes on each side.
After grilling, take the sticks off the heat and place them on a serving platter.
Toss in some of your green onions on top and you’ve made yourself some delicious grilled pineapple and spam kabobs!
5. Grilled Beet and Goat Cheese Kabobs
I know that beets may be the last thing you think of when it comes to grilling, but for some reason, combining beets and goat cheese has been such a game-changer for me!
The sweet and earthy flavors of beets paired with the creamy and tangy goat cheese really complement one another.
This recipe is a situation where you have to try it to believe it. So, if you’re curious enough to know what grilled beet and goat cheese kabobs taste like, here’s a recipe you can follow.
As with every other recipe on this list, we’re starting by gathering our ingredients.
These include two cups of cooked beet chunks (red beets, golden beets, or both), a cup of crumbled goat cheese, two tablespoons of thyme, and two tablespoons of olive oil.
While you preheat your grill, let’s make our skewers by threading our beet chunks onto the sticks. Be sure to leave a little space in between each piece, because we’re saving that for our cheese later on.
In the meantime, brush your beet chunks with olive oil and sprinkle them with your fresh thyme leaves. If you can’t get your hands on fresh herbs, the powdered version will work just fine.
With your beets nicely seasoned, place the skewers on the grill and let them cook for five to six minutes per side.
After the timer’s up, take them off of the heat and it’s time to add our pièce de résistance: goat cheese.
Sprinkle your crumbled goat cheese over the beets while they’re still hot. The residual heat from the grilled vegetables should be enough to melt the cheese, creating a creamy, gooey coating.
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how well this unusual pairing works together.
6. Grilled Tofu and Kimchi Kabobs
For this last recipe, I admit, it’s quite out there — especially for people who have mixed feelings about kimchi, tofu, or both.
Some of you might skip this recipe altogether, but the rest of you might be intrigued enough to give it a shot.
So, for those of you brave souls out there, here’s my grilled tofu and kimchi kabob recipe.
The ingredients you’ll need to make this include one block of firm tofu (sliced into cubes) and a cup of roughly chopped store-bought kimchi.
For the seasoning, you’ll need two tablespoons of gochujang (or Korean red chili paste) and a tablespoon of sesame oil.
Fair warning, since the main ingredients are mostly fermented, they have a really strong and bold odor.
After collecting the ingredients, make your kabobs by threading your tofu cubes and kimchi pieces onto your skewers. Then, set the sticks aside.
In a small bowl, make your seasoning by whisking together gochujang and sesame oil.
Gochujang has a bit of heat to it, so if you don’t want to make your kabobs spicy, feel free to lessen the amount you put in the sauce.
Now, get your silicone brush, dip it in the mixture, and slather it on your skewers.
When your kabobs are nicely coated with this savory sauce, place them on the grill and leave them on the heat for around three to four minutes per side.
Look for the signature grill marks on your tofu before taking the sticks off of the heat and taking a bite.
Since this recipe is leaning towards the spicy spectrum, be sure to have a glass of water (or milk) on standby in case you need some relief after the initial taste test.
Get On With This Kabob Kraze!
Kabobs are one of the simplest and most fun recipes you can play around with. You can try different flavor pairings and see which ones work.
Believe me, I’ve been through my fair share of kabob failures in the past. It took me quite a while to muster the courage to go outside of my comfort zone, but I think it was worth it.
Without my bold choices, I don’t think I would be able to come up with these quirky and creative recipes.
So, if you haven’t found the right kabob recipe yet, take the first step and pick one from this list.
