Kabobs, or kebabs, are a type of dish that originates from the origin of Middle Eastern cuisines. Their variants are still popular around the world, including doner kebab or shish kebab, and they’re simply delectable.
These kebabs are made with a variety of meats, including cut or ground beef, chicken, pork, fish, goat, and lamb meat, skewered with different types of vegetables that make them more juicy and moist.
These are made either by grilling or roasting them over the fire, but there is also an alternate way, and that is the air fryer; it makes delicious kabobs within 15 minutes that are juicy and tender on the inside and perfectly charred on the outside.
These are pretty popular in the summer and hard to resist because you can enjoy your favorite type of meat with flavorful vegetables and a lot of healthy ingredients. They never disappoint in taste.
They can be eaten for lunch or dinner, but to avoid heating your kitchen, you can try making them in the air fryer. You’ll love it.
What do you need to make air fryer kabobs?
Ingredients:
- Teriyaki sauce
- Garlic powder
- Honey
- Ground ginger
- Beef sirloin (cubes)
- Boneless chicken (cubes)
- Bell peppers (pieces)
- Sweet onion (wedges)
- Mushrooms (wedges)
- Skewers
Directions:
- Mix the teriyaki sauce, garlic powder, honey, and ground ginger in the ziplock bag, and add the beef, chicken, mushrooms, sweet onion, and bell peppers to it. Let it marinate for about half an hour or overnight.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 Fahrenheit or 200 Celsius degrees and spray some oil on the base of the air fryer so that the skewers don’t stick to the fryer.
- Discard the marinade and start threading the meat and vegetables onto the skewer, leaving some space in between them.
- Place the skewers in the air fryer for 7–10 minutes and turn them as needed, until the meat is fully cooked and the vegetables are tender and juicy.
- With the help of a digital thermometer, see if the internal temperature is reached at 165-170 degrees. If yes, then you are ready to enjoy the mouth-watering kabobs.
The nutritional value of kabobs:
While kabobs are irresistible when cooked, they also play a big role in our diet. To have a healthy yet fulfilling life, you should check up on your daily meals and nutritional values.
This gives the idea of a balanced life if you are trying to get fit or hit the gym. The nutritional facts of 1 piece of kabob are listed below:
| Nutritional value | per serving (155g) |
| Calories | 325 kcal |
| Calories from fat | 178 |
| Total fat | 20g |
| Cholesterol | 96mg |
| Sodium | 873mg |
| Potassium | 568mg |
| Total carbohydrates | 8.5g |
| Protein | 28g |
| Vitamin A | 29% |
| Vitamin C | 12% |
| Calcium | 7% |
| Iron | 20% |
The list of nutritional values might be long, but it plays a huge role in the daily calorie diet, which is 2000 calories for an adult. Covering a quarter of the daily value indicates that they are high in essential vitamins, which are important for living a good and healthy life.
What are some good vegetables for kabobs?
Some of my favorite vegetables for kabobs are bell peppers (any color), yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, onions (yellow, red, or shallots), and tomatoes (cherry or grape tomatoes).
When choosing vegetables, it is important to select a variety that will hold its shape while being tender all the way through. To achieve this juiciness, cut them into 2-inch cubes or wedges for even cooking.
Cut the vegetables and meat into smaller pieces for even cooking, while making sure to give space when threading on the skewers.
Cooking over medium heat is better than using high heat. You’ll get scorched, tough, or even burned pieces with anything above 400 Fahrenheit or 200 Celsius.
What is the best meat to use on kabobs?
Sirloin is the best meat to be used on the skewer for a juicy meal every time. They are relatively tender and don’t need marination for a long time.
Sirloin (overall) is lean and fits into a balanced diet, and a plus point is that it is budget-friendly. Sirloin is good too, but it would need more marination time.
Other good beef choices for kabobs are strip, flat iron, or tenderloin.
Tips for cooking the best skewers:
To win the hearts by cooking the best skewers you will need these cooking tips:
- Choose the best beef cuts and boneless cubes of chicken.
- Marinate in the refrigerator.
- Thread the ingredients that can handle equal heat, i.e., beef, onion, and squash.
- Take out the ingredients or grill them. That will be extremely delicate.
- Give space between the ingredients on the skewer.
- The temperature should be around 400 Fahrenheit with 2-4 inches of prepared ingredients.
- Create smaller and different vegetable skewers for different tastes.
frequently asked questions.
What is a traditional kabob?
Traditional kabob is shish, made with lamb meat grilled fast and hot on skewers. The key to getting juicy shish kabobs is the long marinating hours.
To get a flavored shish kabob, it is ideal to let it marinate the night before or in the morning so that the meat can absorb the spices and taste good with no fuss during the cooking.
How do you not burn kabobs?
Here are some of the tips that will come in handy for not burning the precious kabobs:
- Use thicker bamboo sticks, not wooden ones.
- Use less cooking oil.
- Soak skewers in water before adding food.
- Cover the entire skewer with meat and vegetables.
- Better to use metal skewers.
Can you put wooden skewers in an air fryer?
Yes, you can put wooden or bamboo skewers in an air fryer, but as mentioned above, soaking them in water prevents them from burning and ensures good kabobs every time.
I recommend soaking them while you are preparing the vegetables and the meat. When done with preparation, drain the water before threading the skewers.
How long does it take to cook chicken skewers in the air fryer?
7–10 minutes is the cooking time duration for the skewers in the air fryer. Spray some cooking oil on the skewers before single layering them in the air fryer base so that they don’t stick to it.
Cook them for 7–10 minutes, turning the skewers halfway through the cooking time; once the internal temperature reaches 165–170 degrees Celsius, they are ready to be served hot.
Can you use nonstick pans in an air fryer?
Yes, you can use nonstick pans in an air fryer but the temperatures and times will need to be adjusted, prepare the pans by spraying some non-stick cooking spray.
But never use non-stick spray on the air fryer basket directly; it’ll damage the non-stick coating of the air fryer. Instead, if you are not using non-stick pans, then spray the oil directly on the food before putting it in the fryer.
Here is what can go wrong with your air fryer if you don’t use it according to the guidelines:
Can I use an air fryer instead of the grill?
Definitely yes. You can use an air fryer if you want to grill, fry, roast, or even bake anything; an air fryer can do it all.
The air fryer also has advantages for health; for example, cholesterol and fat content are decreased in the food because the air fryer doesn’t use oil for cooking the food; rather it has to rush hot air into the base, which cooks food evenly and scrumptiously.
How do you grill with an air fryer?
To achieve the grill look here are some tips:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 Fahrenheit before you put the food in.
- Prep food so it’s evenly sized and cooked at the medium-high temperature.
- Use a plate of grill attachments for grill marks.
- Use oil on foods with high smoke points.
- Pre-soak the skewers to avoid burning them.
How Can I Tell If My Air Fryer Steak Is Done?
The internal temperature of the steak should be a minimum of 145 degrees.
The temperature of the chicken should be at least 165 degrees, and I highly recommend using a meat thermometer if you are unsure how to tell by cutting into the meat.
What Size Kabob Skewers Will Work In An Air Fryer?
Before you begin, double-check that the skewers you’re using will fit inside your air fryer.
I discovered that Skewers work best in most air fryers. To be cautious, I recommend measuring the air fryer before purchase, although the 6-inch models are perfect because they are so small. If they don’t fit, no worries; simply put the meat and vegetables in the air fryer instead.
SUMMARY:
- Kabobs or kebabs are deliciously middle eastern cuisine parts that can be eaten as a main course for lunch or dinner. Served hot, they are irresistibly juicy and moist, which could make your mouth drool over them.
- The fact they are packed with essential vitamins and proteins because they contain a combination of colorful vegetables and tender meat makes them an eye-pleasing meal that you won’t get tired of eating again and again.
- You can add so much flavor and healthy ingredients without getting any direct heat if cooked in the air fryer for under 15-minutes with no mess and no hassle work.
- Try it in the air fryer and it will satisfy your taste buds like no other food.