Tender steak bites and fresh mushrooms are marinated in an ultra-flavorful yet easy to make marinade, skewered with onions and peppers, then grilled to juicy steakhouse-style perfection!
This is one of my Grilling recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
I think it’s safe to say that we’re officially into grilling season. Seriously one of my favorite times of the year!
When it comes to grilling, I love making up skewers. Not only are they pretty to look at, they’re an easy way to grill everything at once, and food on a stick is basically the best ever!
You know when you go to a great steakhouse, and your steak is just literally bursting with flavor? That’s where my inspiration came from for the marinade for these skewers.
It’s full of savory flavors like soy, balsamic, Worcestershire, garlic, and dijon, and is mixed with a bit of brown sugar and herbs to balance the flavors out.
In fact, even if you don’t want to make the skewers, you could definitely use this marinade for a great grilled or seared steak!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Ultra-flavorful – the marinade is just bursting with flavor, and goes so well with other types of meat as well.
- Easy to prep – all the components of these skewers can be prepped ahead, which means you have less work at dinner time!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Balsamic vinegar – you can use other types of vinegar if you’d like, such as red wine vinegar. If possible though, I do highly recommend the balsamic.
- Worcestershire sauce – this isn’t really a flavor that can be replicated, so if you don’t have this on hand, I recommend picking up a small bottle.
- Soy sauce – to keep the sodium to a minimum, I use the reduced sodium variety.
- Mustard – I like to use dijon mustard, but stone-ground or horseradish are other varieties that work well.
- Garlic – if you’d rather not use garlic cloves, you can use about 1 heaping Tbsp of garlic paste (gourmet garden is a good brand), or about 1 tsp of garlic powder.
- Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar, but if you have dark on hand, that will also work well.
- Spices – for this recipe, these are dried parsley, black pepper, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. I don’t use salt, because of the sodium in the soy and worcestershire sauce.
- Olive oil – if you’d like to use another type of oil, avocado oil is a great alternative.
- Steak – I use strip steaks or sirloin steaks.
- Mushrooms – I like to use cremini (sometimes called baby bella) mushrooms, but button mushrooms will also work.
- Red onion – a sweet onion or shallot are other alternatives.
- Bell pepper – I like to use a green bell pepper (for the color combo with the red onion), but any color of pepper will work.
- Garnish – for a pop of freshness, sprinkle the cooked skewers with some minced fresh parsley.
How to make grilled steak skewers:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Make the marinade. I find a bowl (or large liquid measuring cup) and a whisk are the best tools here.
- Marinate steak. Pour about half of the marinade into a bag with the steak.
- Marinate mushrooms. Pour about half of the rest of the marinade into a bag with the mushrooms. Reserve the rest for later.
- Assemble skewers. You can alternate the steak, mushrooms, onion, and pepper in whichever order you prefer.
- Grill.
- Baste. As the skewers are cooking, brush them with the leftover marinade.
Helpful Tip!
To ensure even cooking, try to cut the steak into similarly sized pieces. Also, if you prefer, you can make skewers with just steak, and skewers with just veggies. That way you can really make sure the steak is cooked the way you like it, without burning the veggies.
Variations of this recipe
- Steak – any type of steak can be used for these skewers, just make sure you pick one that is a little on the leaner side, so the beef cubes aren’t full of fat.
- Mushrooms – instead of cremini or baby bella mushrooms, regular white button mushrooms will also work just as well.
- Other veggies – since summer produce is abundant, feel free to use what you have available or what you prefer. Other peppers, zucchini, par-cooked potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and more!
- Non-grilling option – if you don’t have a grill, or the weather isn’t conducive to being outside, you can cook these skewers in the oven! Bake them on a sheet pan in a preheated 400°F oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until cooked to your desired doneness. You can also broil them on high at the end for a more charred look and flavor.
FAQ’s
I like a sirloin or strip steak, but you can use any type you enjoy most. I do recommend not using a super thin steak, as it may cook too quickly, and make sure you’re not using a cut of beef that requires a low and slow cooking method, like a chuck roast or brisket.
Making steak skewers ahead of time
Since the steak and mushrooms have to marinate for several hours, it’s a bit of a make ahead recipe already.
However, for the best flavor and texture, I don’t recommend making these entirely ahead of time, as they taste best when fresh.
You can prep ahead though!
- Steak – the meat can be pre-cut into cubes and refrigerated.
- Veggies – the bell pepper, red onion, and mushrooms can be chopped and kept refrigerated.
- Marinade – you can make the marinade ahead of time and keep it refrigerated. The olive oil may harden, but leaving it out at room temperature for a bit will get it back to normal.
Storage
For the best results, I do recommend removing the steak and veggies from the skewers.
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3-4 days.
My Favorite Skewers!
Using metal skewers means no soaking them in water and you can reuse them time and time again! This set comes with a bag to keep them in, and is pretty inexpensive.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Balsamic soy marinade
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced or grated
- 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Steak skewers
- 1 1/2 lbs. steaks (sirloin or strip steaks are best) cut into 1 inch cubes
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms mushrooms larger than 1 inch should be cut in half
- 1 medium red onion peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 medium green bell pepper seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
- minced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Make the marinade
- In a small mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbsp dijon mustard, 6 cloves garlic, 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar, 1 tsp dried parsley, 3/4 tsp black pepper, 3/4 tsp dried thyme, and 1/2 tsp dried rosemary.
- Whisk to combine. While whisking, pour in 1/3 cup olive oil, continuing to whisk until combined and smooth.
- Get 2 large re-sealable plastic bags (or shallow bowls). Add the steak to one bag, and the mushrooms to the other. Pour about half of the marinade into the steak bag, about half of the remaining marinade into the mushroom bag, and reserve the last bit of marinade for brushing onto the skewers later.
- Massage the marinade into the steak and mushrooms, then seal both bags and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
Assemble skewers
- If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for about 30 minutes before using them. If using metal skewers you can disregard that step.
- Assemble the skewers, alternating 1 1/2 lbs. steaks (sirloin or strip steaks are best), 8 oz cremini mushrooms, 1 medium red onion, and 1 medium green bell pepper in any pattern you prefer.
Grill
- Preheat grill to MED/MED HIGH heat. Lightly brush the grates with a bit of vegetable or avocado oil and place skewers onto the grates and grill for about 8-10 minutes for a medium doneness (about 140-145°F).
- Turn the skewers occasionally, so that all sides can get a bit of a char. As the skewers are cooking, brush them with a bit of the reserved marinade from earlier. Cook until the steak is done to your liking (using an internal thermometer is the best way to check for doneness).
Serve
- Remove skewers to a platter or plate and sprinkle with some minced fresh parsley if desired, and serve warm/hot.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated this recipe will serve about 4, but the exact amount of servings, and the serving size, are up to you.
- Alternate cooking directions (for the oven) are located in the post above this recipe card, under the heading “variations of this recipe”.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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