These Brazilian Steak Kabobs are expertly crafted for maximum flavor and tenderness that has readers raving: “DELICIOUS!!!” “Absolutely amazing,” “This was SO good! It will be my go-to marinade for kabobs now” and “WOW what flavor. Love this recipe!”

The triumphant marinade, the addition of potatoes (thanks to a genius par-cooking method), and the expert grilling and basting technique make these kabobs a guaranteed showstopper. Follow along for a how-to-make video, expert tips, and creative variations!

Thank you McCormick® for sponsoring this Brazilian Steak Kabobs post. All opinions are my own.

WATCH: How to make Steak Kabobs

Brazilian Steak Kabobs Recipe

I remember the first time I dined at an all-you-can-eat Brazilian Steakhouse named Rodízio—pure magic. My eyes were wide, and my stomach was giddy throughout the night as servers came to the table with diverse towering skewers stuffed with every meat imaginable. The server slices meat directly off the cooking spit so you can sample as many juicy, hot grill meats as your hungry heart desires.

I wanted to create a melt-in-your-mouth tender, juicy steak kabob infused with the same magical, vibrant flavors as a Rodízio. Enter these Brazilian Steak Kabobs. Mission accomplished. Here’s why they’re so magical:

FLAVOR BOMB. The kabobs are an epic explosion of flavor, or “insane,” as Patrick calls them (which you might have learned by now is reserved for only the most delectable morsels earning his highest praises). They’re smoky, juicy, and savory with tangy, zesty, and spicy notes.
JUICY STEAK. The steak is melt-in-your-mouth juicy and tender thanks to the marinade, basting, and my precise cooking tips.
LIGHLTY CHARRED VEGGIES. Some reserved marinade is added to the vegetables for smoky, charred, bombs of bright, crisp-tender freshness.
WITH POTATOES! We’re able to add potatoes by par-cooking them in the microwave so they grill to perfection.
BAKED OR GRILLED. For year-round enjoyment.
PREP AHEAD FRIENDLY. No last minute hustle, just throw on the grill or in the oven.
GREAT FOR ENTERTAINING. Prep ahead, easy to cook, easy to eat, easy to cleanup.

Steak Skewers Ingredients

The ingredients list for the Brazilian steak marinade and the kabobs is fairly short:

Steak: Use quality top sirloin steak. It is less expensive than many cuts of beef but emerges juicy and tender due to cubing and marinating. Select thick cuts of sirloin and try to cut your steak into uniform size pieces.
Veggies: I used a mixture of red potatoes, bell peppers, and onion.
Spices: The star of this recipe is the McCormick Grill Mates® Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade which you may find at your grocery store or purchase on Amazon HERE. It’s a South American inspired blend of cilantro, garlic, onion, thyme and red and black peppers.
Olive oil: The base of the marinade.
Soy sauce: Use reduced sodium soy sauce so you can control the amount of salt in this dish.
Worcestershire sauce: Just 2 tablespoons adds a lovely umami flavor to this dish.
Lime juice: Brightens up the marinade and helps tenderize the steak.

Best Steak to use for Kabobs

I recommend top sirloin steak for steak kabobs. It’s a favorite cut for grilling because it’s fairly affordable, relatively lean yet tender even without a marinade and boats beefy flavor. Here’s the breakdown:

•Finely marbled: The finely marbled fat melts during grilling, resulting in superior flavor and juicy tenderness. It is void of thick pockets of fat that won’t melt during grilling.
•Little connective tissue: This means the muscles have done very little work so they aren’t tough. The lack of tough connective tissue keeps your steak melt-in-your-mouth through hand though without chewy pockets.
•Affordable: You reap the juicy, beef tenderness of a more expensive cut of beef without paying the extra $$.
•Thick: When purchasing top sirloin, choose thick fillets for juicier kabobs. Avoid petite sirloin steaks, as they’re too thin and will cook too quickly.

How to Make Brazilian Steak Kabobs

Aside from the actual skewering, these Brazilian Steak Kabobs are super quick to throw together. Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

1. Make Marinade. Whisk all the marinade ingredients together, consisting of olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, and the secret to all that flavor—one package McCormick® Grill Mates® Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade.

2. Marinate the Meat. Reserve ¼ cup of marinade for the veggies and basting, and bathe your beef in the remaining marinade for 4-6 hours.

3. Par-Cook the Potatoes. Next, we make grilling potatoes possible and perfect with a shortcut. Microwave your chopped potatoes for 4-5 minutes, just until tender. This allows them to grill alongside your steak and cook everything simultaneously. The only real trick is not to overcook your potatoes in the microwave, or they will fall off the skewers.

Marinate Vegetables. Once cooked and drained, add the peppers, onions, some of the Reserved Marinade, olive oil, salt and pepper to your potatoes and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill – so not only will your steak be infused with flavor, but your veggies as well for the best Brazilian Steak Kabobs ever.
Skewer. Finally, skewer your steak and veggies, being sure to keep a little space between them so that the food grills versus steams, and grill until lightly charred all over, then prepare yourself for an epic explosion of yum.

How Long to Grill Steak Kabobs

If making grilled steak kabobs, they’ll need to cook until lightly charred all over, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.

How Long to Cook Steak Kabobs in the Oven

If making baked steak kabobs, they’ll need to cook for 12-16 minutes at 450F.

Can I Prep Brazilian Steak Kabobs in Advance?

Grilled steak kabobs are best if marinated up to the time of grilling, but you can prepare elements of the steak kabobs ahead of time:

•Make marinade. Make marinade up to 3 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator WITHOUT the steak.
•Cube steak. Cut steak into cubes up to 24 hours ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (not in the marinade).
•Cut veggies. You can prep all your veggies 24 hours ahead of time and store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
•Marinate. Marinate steak and veggies up to 6 hours ahead of time.

Best Steak Kabob Recipe Tips

Soak the steak skewers: Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes in water before grilling or broiling to prevent them from charring.
Chop steak into 1 ½-inch cubes in order to keep them juicy. To that end, purchase steaks that are nice and thick and avoid petite sirloin steaks as they’re too thin. You will also want to cut the cubes as uniformly as possible so they cook evenly.
Marinate the steak kabobs for at least two hours. If you are short on time, then marinate one hour in the refrigerator then finish marinating one hour at room temperature. This will make the marinade more effective.
Don’t overcook steak. The beef is juiciest if cooked to medium-rare 135°F or medium 145°F. I find medium to be perfect so the veggies still have time to char a little, so I go for 140 degrees knowing the temperature will rise a few degrees after being removed from the oven.
Use a meat thermometer. I recommend an instant-read thermometer so you can check the doneness of your steak without any guesswork.

Recipe Variations to Try

Swap protein. Literally ANY protein can be used kabobs! You can swap the steak for chicken breasts or thighs, pork tenderloin, shrimp and even salmon.
Mix up the veggies. You’re welcome to mix and match the veggies or add more or less of your favorites. Mushrooms, tomatoes, and squash would all be delicious.
Add fruit. You won’t want to marinate the fruit, but you can make separate fruit kabobs with pineapple, peaches, nectarines, plums, watermelon, pears and/or grapes.

How to Store Steak Kabobs

Remove the meat and vegetables from the skewers and place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

How to Reheat Brazilian Steak Kabobs

Reheat the steak and veggies in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-low heat.

Can I Freeze Steak Kabobs?

You may freeze the steak but I don’t recommend freezing the vegetables because they can become a funny texture. If you are making to freeze, then I recommend making all steak kabobs. You can also make all veggie kabobs to enjoy now.

What to serve with Brazilian steak

Here are some of our favorite sides to serve with steak kabobs:

Potluck Favorites: Baked Mac and Cheese, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Corn Casserole, Elote
Salad: Broccoli Salad, Strawberry Salad, Spinach Berry Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Mexican Salad and Corn Salad
Pasta Salad: Italian Tortellini Salad, Greek Pasta Salad, BLT Pasta Salad, Cowboy Pasta Salad, Bacon and Pea Pasta Salad , and Greek Orzo Pasta Salad.
Fruit: Grilled Pineapple, Grape Salad, Summer Fruit Salad, Fruit Salad, Tropical Fruit Salad , or Berry Salad
Bread: Cornbread is my favorite with these kabobs!

Helpful Tools for This Recipe

Metal skewers: I LOVE my stainless steel skewers! They allow you to grill any time without soaking your wooden skewers (AKA no fires!), are reusable, dishwasher safe with an easy-to-use top ring handle. They are definitely worth the $20 for a lifetime of use.
Grill brush: is essential for keeping your grill clean! This grill brush with scrapers cleans stubborn stains deeply and efficiently.
Instant-read thermometer: you need an instant-read thermometer for the juiciest steak kabobs, chicken, pork AND for perfectly fried everything! It allows you to cook any protein to the perfect temperature every time.
Quality Knives: a chef’s knife will be your most used kitchen tool by far! Quality knives make prep time much quicker for this Steak Kabob recipe and are important for safety as well. If you’re concerned about moola, please remember that your best chef knives, depending on how hard you use them and how well you take care of them, can easily last 25 years or more. I love my Wusthof but there are hundreds of less expensive knives with great reviews such as this one.
Cutting Board: I use my big solid cutting board daily so it’s worth the investment. This extra-large cutting board allows you to prep all your veggies on one surface and the bamboo is easier on knives than plastic.

More Easy Grilling Recipes:

If you love grilling, you will also love:

Brazilian Mango Chimichurri Steak
Greek Beef Kabobs
Carne Asada
Cajun Steak
Greek Chicken
Thai Pineapple Chicken Satay
Caramelized Pineapple
Corn on the Cob
Cilantro Lime Chicken
Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
Pineapple Salsa

See all Grilling recipes HERE.

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Servings: -10 kabobs

Total Time: 52

Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 12

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Ingredients

Kabobs

1 1/2 lbs. top sirloin steak cut into 1 1/2” cubes
1 lb. red potatoes cut into 1/2”-1” cubes
1 red bell pepper sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
1 green bell pepper sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
1 large onion sliced into 1 1/2” chunks
salt and pepper

Marinade

1 pkg. McCormick Grill Mates® Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

Marinate

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or large freezer bag (whatever dish you are going to use to marinate your beef). Remove ¼ cup (to use later for vegetables and basting).
Add beef to remaining marinade and turn to coat. Marinate 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.
Add potatoes to a large microwave safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, covered, 4-5 minutes or just until fork tender; drain. Add peppers, onions, 2 tablespoons of Reserved Marinade, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate.

Assemble

NOTE: Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes in water before grilling or broiling.
When ready to cook, thread beef and veggies onto skewers.

Grilling Instructions

Grease and preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill skewers until lightly charred all over, approximately 2-3 minutes per side, basting with remaining marinade halfway through cooking. You can check a beef cube for doneness if desired.
Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Delicious served with Caramelized Grilled Pineapple and Cilantro Lime Rice (links below).

Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Evenly space kabobs on baking sheet and bake 12-16 minutes, turning once OR until beef reaches desired doneness (cooking time will vary depending on steak size, so you can check a beef cube for doneness if desired).
Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Delicious served with Caramelized Grilled Pineapple and Cilantro Lime Rice (links below).

Video

Notes

The star of this recipe is the McCormick Grill Mates® Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade which you may find at your grocery store or purchase on Amazon HERE.

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51 Comments

Marci says

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Hi Jen,

Would it hurt the beef to marinate longer?

Also, as far as the veggies how long should they sit in the refrigerator to marinate?

- Jen says
  
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  Hi Marci, I think it would be okay for up to 12 hours but I wouldn’t do any longer than that. The veggies are pretty indestructible so I’d marinate them at the same and for the same time as your beef. Enjoy!
  
David says

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I’m a kidney transplant patient as well. The McCormick spice blend is mostly salt, too salty for a kidney pt. I used half and subbed in the non-salt ingredients, also adding garlic powder and whole peppercorns. F Will definitely make again, though.

- Jen says
  
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  I’m so happy you were able to receive a kidney transplant David! Thanks for sharing your substitutions. I’m so happy the kabobs are a repeat!
  
Jennw says

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Gonna have to try these again. I brain-farted and didn’t actually add all the ingredients to the marinade. Just the packet and what it calls for on the back of the packet. Still delicious and will add it to the list to try for real next time.

- Jen says
  
  at
  
  Sorry for the late reply— I’m catching up on a backlog of comments, but I’m glad it turned out well anyway! I hope it goes great the next time you try it!
  
JennW says

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WOW what flavor. I had seen that marinade packet in the store before and wondered about it. Now I’m bummed it took me this long to try it. It’s so good! Love this recipe and am going to make it for Sunday dinner.

- Jen says
  
  at
  
  Better late than never! I’m so glad that you loved it!!

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