Kebab Night Made Easy: Cheap & Tasty Skewer Recipes
If you’re looking for an easy way to bring big flavor to your summer meals without blowing your grocery budget, kebabs are the way to go!
In honor of World Kebab Day (July 11), we’ve put together a list of delicious and affordable skewer recipes that use budget-friendly meats like chicken, pork, sausage, shrimp, and bacon …plus plenty of fresh seasonal produce like zucchini, peaches, and jalapeños.
These kebabs are perfect for the grill, broiler, or even the air fryer, and we’ve included ideas for what to serve with each one so you can build a full meal without the fuss. Whether you’re feeding picky kids, trying something new, or just want dinner on a stick, these recipes are easy, flexible, and packed with summer flavor!
Simple Meat and Veggie Skewers the Whole Family Will Love
Kebabs don’t have to be overly complicated or expensive! I will say that if you are using wooden skewers make sure to soak them in water first before grilling. This will prevent the wood from splintering. Nobody wants a piece of wood in their dinner!
Bacon & Pineapple Skewers
This fun combo is perfect as an appetizer or a side dish! For the sauce, I mix about 2 tbsp brown sugar to 1 tbsp soy sauce to make an easy glaze. You can double or triple the glaze depending on how many skewers you want to make.
Shrimp & Summer Veggie Kebabs
One of the best parts about summer is the abundant supply of in season produce! Of course, you can easily switch out the yellow squash and tomatoes to any vegetables that you like.
Sausage & Pepper Kebabs
This is such a traditional and yummy flavor combination, so it totally makes sense to use this on skewers too.
Mediterranean Veggie Kebabs
This is such a yummy skewer for a side dish or a main dish for those meatless nights. You can easily swap out the olive oil for Italian salad dressing if you like too!
BBQ Pork & Pineapple Kebabs
I love the combination of barbeque sauce, pork, and pineapple. A little sweet, a little smokey, and a little tangy. All the flavors of summer right?
Buffalo Chicken & Jalapenos Kebabs
This is a fun flavor combination for those that like some heat! For the sauce, I simply melt butter and mix in hot sauce and seasonings. Then brush over the skewers or use oil instead of butter and marinade the chicken in it!
Chicken & Zucchini Ranch Kebabs
I am a huge fan of Ranch seasonings, and I could honestly put it on almost anything! To me it truly is a great all-purpose seasoning. This kebab is super simple but definitely tasty!
Maple Mustard Pork & Apple Skewers
What goes better with pork than apples? This fun skewer may feel like Fall time, but it works great in summertime too!
Easy and Affordable Kebab Recipes for Summer Grilling
I hope these kebab ideas have inspired you to grab some meat and veggies and make some skewers! Now of course my kids are still pretty young, so I don’t serve them skewers directly.
I typically remove everything from the skewer first before serving my kids. It does make a nice presentation to leave everything on the sticks, but you don’t want any accidental pokes!
