Grilled Beef Skewers Recipe

My favorite app ever. Marinated flank steak skewers prepared in a homemade teriyaki marinade with a hazy New England Style IPA.

Grilled Beef Skewers Recipe

Grilled and marinated flank steak skewers have long been a family favorite recipe. Beef skewers make a fantastic appetizer for any backyard or beach BBQ. For this recipe, flank steak is thinly sliced and marinated for 24 hours in a beer-based teriyaki marinade and then grilled to perfection. Since the meat is thinly sliced, the skewers cook in about 5 minutes and are super tender and slide right off the stick.

Homemade Teriyaki Marinade

The beer-based teriyaki marinade is a simple homemade sauce I came up with a few years ago. It’s flavorful, citrusy, sweet, and subtly smokey all at once. My marinade is a spin on a standard teriyaki sauce with some additional spices, citrus, and beer in place of water.

My homemade teriyaki is made with:

  • Beer: I like to use a hazy, tropical IPA however any IPA or malty ale will work.
  • Soy sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Brown sugar (for a little sweetness)
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh lemon juice (the acid tenderizes the beef)
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika
  • Crushed red pepper flakes

How to Prep the Flank Steak

Flank and skirt steak tend to be very flavorful, yet tougher cuts of meat due to the dense muscle fibers. You will notice the steak has a very defined grain running through it. If you slice against the grain, the meat will break apart much easier. Slicing strips with the grain will force you to bite through these tough fibers. Shoot for generous 1/4-inch thick slices for the best results.

Cutting flank steak

This recipe requires you to cut the flank steak BEFORE marinating and grilling. Be sure to let the sliced flank steak marinate in the marinade for about 24 hours if possible. This will tenderize and add more flavor to the steak. If using wooden skewers, let soak for 30 minutes before grilling to avoid burning.

To ensure the beef stays on the skewer, weave it through the stick several times so it stays intact. The beef will be very tender after marinating so this method will really help.

More Grilled Skewers

Grilled Beef Skewers Recipe
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Grilled Beef Skewers Recipe

  • Author: Shawn Williams
  • Prep Time: 12 hours
  • Cook Time: 8 min
  • Total Time: 12 hours 8 minutes
  • Yield: 10-skewers 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Marinated flank steak skewers prepared in a homemade teriyaki marinade with a hazy New England Style IPA.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound flank steak
  • Wooden skewers

flank steak marinade

  • 1/2 cup beer (Hazy New England IPA or pale ale)
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 lemon, juice squeezed
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Place the steak on a cutting board and find the natural graining running lengthwise through the steak. Cut the steak into 1/4-inch thick slices against the grain. This is to ensure the steak is tender and easy to bite. If you slice with the grain, the meat will be much tougher to bite through.
  2. Whisk marinade ingredients in a bowl until combined. Place the steak strips and marinade in a large Ziplock bag or sealed container. Let marinade overnight or for 24 hours for best results.
  3. Let wooden skewers soak in water for roughly 30 minutes before grilling. This will prevent skewers from burning. Skewer two slices of steak on each skewer. To ensure the beef stays on the skewer, weave it through the skewer several times so it stays intact. The beef will be very tender after marinating so this method will really help.
  4. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Serve immediately.

Notes

A pound of flank steak makes about 10 skewers with two strips each on each skewer. This serves as a good light app for 4-5 people.

Oil will emulsify in the refrigerator. This is OK. It will return to a liquid state if left on the counter 30 minutes before skewering steak strips.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 skewer
  • Calories: 115
  • Sugar: 3.5g
  • Sodium: 452mg
  • Fat: 3.9g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.3g
  • Fiber: 0.4g
  • Protein: 13.3g
  • Cholesterol: 25mg

Keywords: Flank steak skewers, beef skewers