Marinated steak is skewered and grilled to perfection in this spicy Jalapeno Beef Skewers recipe. The marinade tenderizes the beef and the sliced jalapenos add flavour and spice. Quickly grilled over high heat, this beef is nicely browned and charred on the outside with a perfectly medium-cooked interior.
I’m not a huge lover of red meat, but these Jalapeno Beef Skewers were divine! To be completely truthful, I can’t remember the last time I ate steak. It’s not an easy thing to do when you live with a vegetarian. Sure, I can prepare meat anytime I want, but I always feel like I need to prepare two meals – one for me and one for him – so it’s easier to eat vegetarian dishes at home. However, when the time comes for steak, it needs to be super flavourful, yet fast and easy too.
I have a fascination with cooking meat on skewers! It’s always been something that I loved to do, but have not been able to do much of it on an outdoor grill with the exception of the past few summers. You see, previous to buying our house, we only had our city apartment. Barbecues are not permitted on outdoor balconies, so my grilling was limited to an indoor grill. It’s just not the same, is it?
Now, in the case that you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use use a stove-top grill pan, or an electric grill like this. I know it’s considered a panini press, but I own one of these and I use it for everything – especially when it’s too cold to go outside to grill. Even if you grill inside, be sure to skewer the beef, because everyone likes to eat food on sticks!
Make your own online recipe box!
Click the in the lower right corner of your screen
& follow the quick and easy instructions!
PREPARING THE BEEF
The key to really good beef is rather simple. You should always marinate the beef first. By doing so, you are not only injecting flavour into the beef, you’re also making it more tender. That seems basic enough, right? Well, there’s one more thing you’re doing as well. You’re ensuring that the beef doesn’t dry out on the grill.
I don’t know about you, Dear Reader, but whenever I grill meat, the animalistic caveman that lives somewhere in my subconscious whispers in my ear. He says, “Hey LB – it’s not going to taste any good unless it’s totally engulfed in flames!” You see, I’m one of those people who loves to have strong grill marks but doesn’t care to have overcooked meat. I find I can get both with a very hot grill and lots of flame.
The charred fatty bits of beef are the best part for me, but not everyone feels the same way. Likewise, not everyone likes their beef to be medium or medium-well. If you’re one of those who prefer beef to be rare or medium-rare, I admire you!
Those of us who like tender beef, but would prefer not to have any trace of pink, suffer greatly. Why is it that a steak goes from medium-well to overcooked in thirty seconds? I have learned to combat that with marinating and high heat. While the high heat cooks the beef thoroughly, the flames help to get those char marks and flavour, but the marinade keeps the beef moist and tender.
LET’S TALK ABOUT MARINATING
When it comes to marinating beef, some of us think that it’s okay to marinate it all day or even overnight. That might work for some marinades, but not all. Let me explain. If you’re using a marinade that has acidity in it, then I would not marinate longer than two hours. The acid will react with the enzymes in the beef and toughen it. Since this particular marinade has no acidity, it’s safer to marinate the beef for a longer time.
My favourite marinades for chicken always use buttermilk. Buttermilk helps to make for a more tender chicken dish. The acidity of the buttermilk will break down protein structures in the chicken and help it retain moisture a whole lot better. But, my favourite marinade for beef is always olive oil based. The olive oil has the unique ability to pull the flavours from the other marinade ingredients and infuse them right into the beef.
Therefore, a marinade consisting of more mellow ingredients, like a mixture of olive oil, garlic, onion, and herbs, etc., would allow for a longer marinating time. For this particular marinade, I would highly recommend you allow the beef to marinate for at least two hours. But, to get the best results, try marinating your beef for 12 hours or overnight.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE:
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this Jalapeno Beef Skewers recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
- Beef – I’m using two pounds of strip steak. You can use flank or sirloin if you wish.
- Olive Oil – Once again, the olive oil will pull the flavour out of the other ingredients and infuse them into the beef. In addition, you won’t need to grease or oil your cooking vessel when you’re ready to grill, fry, or sear! Use a light olive oil, rather than a full-bodied olive oil.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is best. You will get more flavour.
- Worcestershire Sauce – This stuff is like a miracle worker when it comes to imparting flavour. Use it often to get really good results in most of your savoury dishes.
- Dried Herbs – I’m using dried thyme and oregano.
- Seasonings – You will need onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Dried Red Chili Flakes – This is optional. I love the flavour of jalapenos, but I need a bit more heat than they provide.
- Jalapenos – Slice them into half-inch pieces.
HOW TO MAKE JALAPENO BEEF SKEWERS
This is super easy. Measure all of the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Next, transfer the prepared beef to a bowl and toss it well until each piece is covered in the marinade mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, but longer is better. Don’t exceed more than 12 hours though.
Once the beef has marinated, it’s time to assemble the skewers. Start with a piece of beef followed by a slice of the jalapenos. Be sure that the cut end of the jalapeno is touching the beef. End the skewer with a piece of beef. You can make the skewers as long or as short as you want. Do not push the pieces together too tightly because this will prevent the beef from caramelizing properly.
Preheating your grill is very important for several reasons, but there are two I’ll discuss now. First, preheating a grill will prevent the beef from sticking. When the grill is hot, and the beef is placed on it, it will instantly begin to sear the meat. This sear not only adds flavour and looks pretty, it also prevents the beef from sticking.
Secondly, preheating the grill will pretty much eliminate the need to overcook! If you place the beef on a cold grill and turn on the heat, before the grill is hot, the beef has already started to cook from the heat building on the grill. This will overcook the beef and make it dry and not very appealing.
Once your grill is preheated to 400 degrees F, place the skewers on the grill and cook the beef for 2-3 minutes per side for a medium doneness. You can grill for more or less time but aim for a minimum temperature of 145 degrees F. Transfer the grilled beef to a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
When it comes to Jalapeno Beef Skewers, you cannot go wrong with summery side dishes. I say that because most of us tend to grill in the summer months. Whenever I think of grilled beef, I always think of potato salad and coleslaw. Now, if you were to serve coleslaw with this beef, I have a few options for you. If you want something spicy, I suggest my Jalapeno Buttermilk Ranch Coleslaw, or you could go with a more mild option, like this Homestyle Cream Coleslaw.
In terms of potato salad, my go-to is always this Vegetable Potato Salad. I grew up eating this one and it’s still my personal favourite to this day! This coleslaw and pasta salad combination is always a good choice! And, of course, who could go wrong with corn in the summer!? Load up on this Cream Cheese Corn!
QUESTIONS?
If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!
Do You Like This Recipe?
You should consider trying these other delicious recipes too!
Jalapeno Beef Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strip steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3-4 large jalapenos, cut into 1/2 inch slices
Marinade Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes, optional
Instructions
- Measure all of the marinade ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Next, transfer the prepared beef to a bowl and toss it well until each piece is covered in the marinade mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, but longer is better. Don’t exceed more than 12 hours though.
- Once the beef has marinated, it’s time to assemble the skewers. Start with a piece of beef followed by a slice of the jalapenos. Be sure that the cut end of the jalapeno is touching the beef. End the skewer with a piece of beef. You can make the skewers as long or as short as you want. Do not push the pieces together too tightly because this will prevent the beef from caramelizing properly.
- Preheating your to 400 degrees F.
- Place the skewers on the grill and cook the beef for 2-3 minutes per side for a medium doneness. You can grill for more or less time but aim for a minimum temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Transfer the grilled beef to a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Upload a photo and tag me so that I can see it!
Leave a Reply