My boyfriend asked me to make dinner on my day off last week, and I wanted to make something summery and fun! And I succeeded — I think this is my favorite thing that I’ve made in quite awhile – Beef Shish Kabobs with Cilantro Pesto.

Since he was the one requesting the meal, I decided to go with beef as my protein (I’m usually more of a fish and chicken kind of chick) and I had to include some sort of sauce, as he’s big on sauces. And since it’s summer, what better way to combine these things than shish kabobs?

The amazing thing about shish kabobs is that the combinations are literally endless. For my shish kabobs I used sweet peppers, leeks (basically a big, mild green onion) and Portabello mushrooms (we LOVE grilled Portabellos). However, you can change things up as you wish to suit your tastes — and my cilantro pesto goes great with anything. This recipe makes leftover pesto that you can use on other meats, as a sauce for zoodles or pasta, or as a nice dip for veggies.

Diet friendly

Not only is this dish delicious, but it’s actually also quite diet friendly! What I mean by this is that it’s made with real food ingredients that make it naturally Paleo friendly, and also the perfect Low Carb and Keto summer option also!

Ingredients

Cook Time: ~15 minutes
Prep Time: 30 minutes active, 30 minutes to 2 hours inactive

Marinade:

• 1/2 lime (juice)
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Pesto:

• 2 bunches of cilantro
• 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 lime (juice)
• salt to taste

Kabobs:

• 2-3 lbs. beef (I used strip steak, but it’s not necessary to use such a nice cut of meat in this application)
• 1 leek
• 1 small bag sweet rainbow peppers
• 6 Portobello mushroom caps
• Wooden skewers

Beef Shish Kabobs with Cilantro Pesto Directions

1. Cut your beef up into cubes and place into a bowl or plastic bag with all of the other ingredients for the marinade. Place the marinating vessel into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Soak your skewers in water for 30 minutes prior to assembling the kabobs.

2. To create the pesto, add all ingredients except cilantro and oil into a blender and blend, adding cilantro and oil in batches until you’ve used it all and ground the pesto down to a paste-like consistency. This will make well over a cup of pesto, so you will have leftovers. Store the leftovers in a small, airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil covering the top. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pesto that you’ll be using in your dish and mix it, then place it in the refrigerator while you assemble and cook your kabobs.

3. Chop your vegetables into evenly-sized portions to prepare for skewer assembly. Layer your marinated beef in between vegetables in different combinations.

4. Grill! You can use a gas or charcoal grill outside or a George Foreman grill, grill pan or even your oven inside. Grill until all ingredients are cooked to your liking.

5. Place a circle of pesto in the middle of the plate and layer skewers over the circle. Sprinkle some more pesto on top of the kabobs and serve.

Need more ideas for easy, paleo grill food? Check out our round-up of Fun, Yummy, and Paleo Grill Recipes (Part II)! 

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