We have two delicious marinades for you here today that we just love for both meats and seafood.
Our recipe consists of fresh lemon or lime, honey, and sesame seeds, plus a bonus recipe for a classic Italian-style marinade with olives oil, white wine, and garlic.
Served with our favorite No Mayo Pasta Salad and Italian Style Potato Salad you have the perfect picnic side dishes to accompany your delicious skewers.
The best part about this recipe, we have 3 cooking methods grilled, air fry, or baked.
Grilling being our first choice for seafood since it won't leave a fishy smell in the house and for meats that great char and smokey-flavored meats, but you can also air fry or bake our skewer/kabobs!
Just scroll to the recipe card below for recipes, both our marinade recipes and full instructions, and let's get our grill on.
On the Barbie
If you've heard that term on the barbie, you know they are referring to grilling in Australia, and just one of the summer's favorite styles of cooking.
Cooking with soaked skewers is fun, and you can actually grill anything from fruits, meats, seafood, or even use them for just threading for a non-soaked or non-cooked skewer for threaded salads and side dish items.
We just love adding some vegetables to our skewers for a full meal on a stick!
This simple marinade recipe is not only easy to make, it also tenderizes the meat and gives it a burst of fantastic sweet and savory flavors with the honey in the mixture.
When we have a large family gathering, baking these in a gridded iron skillet makes cooking easier feeling a crowd, cool, then thread on skewers perfect for any event.
Just follow our simple instructions for the perfect cookout.
Ingredients to make this recipe:
- 2 pounds of boneless meats or seafood cubes
- garlic cloves peeled then sliced (or in a pinch use granulated garlic powder around 3 teaspoons)
- fresh basil, oregano, parsley
- fresh garlic minced or cleaned and left whole for marinating
- salt and black pepper
- sesame oil
- honey
- Juiced fresh lime
- sesame seeds
- Optional: see Italian style marinade in the recipe card below
Tools You Will Need
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- bowl
- lemon juicer
- spoon
- plastic wrap
- skewers
- gridded cast iron pan(if not grilling)
- long dish soak skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading and grilling
Skewer Side Dishes and Dessert Ideas (not cooked)
- thread romaine or other lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese on skewers and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or another dressing you prefer
- cook vegetables separately and skewers them for a side dish
- for desserts skewers cut pound cake into cubes, add whole strawberries or sliced peaches, and drizzle with a chocolate ganache or you can thread marshmallows, brownie bites, and strawberries and drizzle with hot fudge sauce
Pin for later
Let's Get Grilling!
As I mentioned before, this is the perfect marinade for any kind of meat, seafood, and bursting with summer fresh flavors.
If you were looking for a way to tenderize meat that melts in your mouth, you have hit the jackpot right here.
Cookouts can be so much fun and easy and this recipe is perfect for all your outdoor picnic needs!
Best Marinade for Kabobs
Yield: 6
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 MinTotal time: 16 Min
If you're looking for grilling the best marinade for meat kabobs you just found it. Sesame seeds, honey, lime are just a few ingredients perfect for any meats, seafood for all your grilling needs!
Ingredients
- You will need 2 pounds of meats or seafood (or a combination)
- cut into cubes (chicken, boneless center-cut pork chops, boneless ribeye, salmon chunks, shrimp, scallops, lobster, or lamb)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic finely chopped or cleaned and left whole for marinating ( you can substitute 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic also)
- 1 lemon or lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon finely minced parsley
- salt, pepper to taste around (1/2 teaspoon of each)
- Mix the marinade in a bowl whisk it to combine and add meat for 30 minutes or overnight.
- large or mini skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
- Optional for threading with meats and seafood:
- mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, cherry tomatoes, onions
- See directions for Grilling, Air Fry, or Baked below
- For an Italian Marinade
- 1/4 olive oil
- juice of 1 or 2 fresh lemons or more to coat evenly
- fresh rosemary, chopped parsley, dried oregano, 3 chopped fresh basil leaves(around 1 teaspoon each if using dry)
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- salt, pepper, and dash cayenne to taste
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Mix the marinade in a bowl whisk it to combine and add meat for 30 minutes or overnight.
Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag or bowl with a cover, add all the marinade ingredients and cubed meats.
- Marinate meats for at least 30 minutes (for seafood only or 30 minutes, not overnight lime juice will cook seafood and too strong to leave overnight) or overnight for meats.
- Thread the skewers with the meat of choice, ( I always double the recipe and do one for meats and one for seafood in separate containers)
- Spray the grates with cooking oil spray.
- Heat the grill to medium heat.
- Seafood takes around 3 to 4 minutes for shrimp and 8 to 11 minutes for others.
- Most meats around 8 to 11 minutes just check internal temperatures.
- Cook on both sides.
- See notes for all complete cooking instructions below.
Notes:
- Grill: Soak the skewers in warm water, thread chicken. Heat the grill to medium heat and cook for around 5 minutes turning once until juice run clear and internal temperature is 165 degrees for meats 145 degrees
- Oven: place on in a cast-iron skillet, and bake at 400 degrees until browned and the juice runs clear around 8 to 15 minutes depending on if it's fish or meat. Cool then thread on skewers
- Air Fry: Heat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place meat on the middle rack set the timer for 11 minutes. Thread on skewers when cooking is completed. For seafood for around 3 to 5 minutes, do the same thread after cooking.
Pin for later
Check Out These Great Recipes Below
Bang Bang Corn
Best Grilling Recipes
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2012. It was edited and re-published in 2021.
