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Campfire Kabobs: Chicken, Beef and Veggie Skewers

Prep-at-home skewers that cook fast over charcoal, with marinades, timing and a no-foil cleanup.

Kabobs are the perfect camp food. You prep everything at home, they cook in minutes, and everyone can build their own. They also cook beautifully over the steady heat of a compact charcoal grill.

Ingredients (serves 3 to 4)

• 1.5 lb chicken thighs or sirloin, cut into 1.25-inch cubes
• 2 bell peppers, cut into squares
• 1 red onion, cut into chunks
• 1 zucchini, thick half-moons
• Cherry tomatoes or mushrooms
• Metal skewers

Marinade

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp each salt, smoked paprika and cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

At home

Mix the marinade, divide between two bags, and add meat to one and vegetables to the other. Freeze the meat bag flat; it doubles as ice and thaws by dinner on day one or two.

Feeding the whole camp

Cooking for the family? Go Full Size.

10-gauge carbon steel, a 20.5" × 11.25" cooking area (231 sq in) and a 3⅝" air gap for truck beds, tables and boat decks. Plenty of space for thick steaks, a skillet, and supper for the whole crew.

Shop the Full Size

At camp

1. Light a medium-hot fire and set up two zones.
2. Thread meat and vegetables on separate skewers so each cooks for the right time.
3. Grill meat over the hot side, turning every few minutes, about 10 to 12 minutes for chicken thighs or 6 to 8 for medium beef.
4. Grill veggie skewers on the cooler side until tender with char.
5. Check chicken reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer.

Fit on a small grill

The Slot Grill Compact's 16.25-inch length fits standard metal skewers across the grate. Cook in batches for more than three people, or use the Full Size.

Serving ideas

• Wrap in warm pita with yogurt sauce.
• Serve over rice cooked on the grill.
• Add a salad from the cooler.

Cleanup

Metal skewers wipe clean and pack flat. No foil to throw away, and nothing tossed in the fire ring.

Portable camping grill

Love camping? Check out the Slot Grill Compact.

12-gauge carbon steel, about 14 lb, a 16.25" × 9" cooking area for one to three campers, and it packs down to roughly an inch thick for a trunk, kayak, RV or camp box. Made in Texas, free shipping in the lower 48.

Shop the Compact

Choosing skewers

• Flat metal skewers keep food from spinning when you turn them. Reusable and easy to clean.
• Double-pronged skewers hold food even more securely.
• Wooden skewers are cheap but must be soaked first and can burn.

Make sure skewers fit across your grill. The Slot Grill Compact's cooking area is 16.25 inches long, and the Full Size's is 20.5 inches.

Cutting for even cooking

Cut everything on a skewer to about the same size so it cooks at the same rate. Group ingredients by cooking time:

• Fast: shrimp, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini
• Medium: chicken, beef, peppers, onions
• Slow: potatoes (par-cook first), dense root vegetables

More marinade ideas

Teriyaki

Soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and a splash of rice vinegar.

Greek

Olive oil, lemon, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

Fajita

Lime juice, oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic and salt.

Honey mustard

Honey, mustard, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Shrimp skewers

Shrimp cook in just a few minutes over hot coals. Thread on two parallel skewers to keep them flat. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side until pink and opaque.

Kabob night for kids

Set out bowls of pre-cut ingredients and let kids build their own skewers (with adult supervision near the grill). It turns dinner into an activity and kids are more likely to eat what they built.

Serving

• Over rice cooked in a pot on the grill
• In pita with tzatziki
• With grilled corn
• On a big platter for sharing

Troubleshooting

• Food spinning on skewer: use flat or double skewers.
• Chicken dry: use thighs instead of breasts, or pull right at 165°F.
• Vegetables raw: cut smaller or par-cook at home.
• Burnt: move to the cooler side.

Cleanup

Soak metal skewers in a pot of warm water while you eat, then wipe clean.

Prep-at-home workflow

Kabobs are a make-ahead meal, and the more you do at home the faster supper goes at camp.

1. Cut all meat and vegetables to matching sizes.
2. Bag meat in its marinade and freeze flat.
3. Bag vegetables with a little oil and seasoning, refrigerated not frozen.
4. Pack metal skewers in a towel so they do not poke holes in the cooler bags.
5. Pack a small bottle of extra marinade or sauce for basting, kept separate from anything that touched raw meat.

Skewer layout on a compact grill

Lay skewers across the short direction of the grate so you can fit more. On a small grill, arrange them in two rows: meat skewers over the hot zone and vegetable skewers over the cool zone. Turn all skewers a quarter turn every couple of minutes so every face browns.

Kabob combinations

• Steak and mushroom: sirloin cubes with whole mushrooms and red onion.
• Chicken and pineapple: thigh pieces with pineapple chunks and bell pepper, brushed with teriyaki.
• Sausage and potato: smoked sausage coins with par-cooked baby potatoes.
• Shrimp and zucchini: large shrimp with zucchini half-moons and lemon.
• Halloumi and vegetable: grilling cheese with cherry tomatoes and peppers.
• Pork tenderloin and apple: pork cubes with apple chunks and a honey mustard glaze.

Doneness targets

• Chicken: 165°F.
• Pork: 145°F with a short rest.
• Beef: 130 to 135°F for medium rare.
• Shrimp: pink and opaque.

Check the largest piece with an instant-read thermometer. Kabobs cook quickly, so check early.

Dipping sauces to bring

• Garlic yogurt sauce
• Peanut sauce
• Chimichurri
• Barbecue sauce
• Sweet chili sauce

Rice on the grill

Simple pot rice makes kabobs a full meal.

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot on the hot side.
2. Add rice and salt, cover.
3. Move the pot to the cool side to simmer gently.
4. Rest it off the heat, covered, for several minutes before fluffing.

Kabobs for kids and picky eaters

Set out a build-your-own station with bowls of cut ingredients. Kids build, an adult grills. Use flat metal skewers and teach kids to hold them by the cool end and keep the pointy ends down.

Troubleshooting

• Meat stuck to skewer: oil skewers lightly and let meat rest a minute before sliding it off.
• Uneven doneness: pieces cut at different sizes; trim to match next time.
• Vegetables charred, meat raw: you mixed them on one skewer; separate them.
• Marinade burning: sugary marinades burn over high heat; finish over medium or brush on late.

Clean grate, better kabobs

Kabobs sit right on the bars as you turn them. A clean, hot grate releases them easily; a crusty public grate grabs them and tears the food. Your own seasoned grill makes turning smooth.

Soaking wooden skewers

If you use wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before threading. Do it at home and pack them wet in a bag. Metal skewers don't need soaking and are reusable, but they get hot, so use gloves.

Double skewering

Thread food onto two parallel skewers to keep pieces from spinning when you turn them. This works especially well for shrimp, cherry tomatoes and small chunks.

Marinade timing

• Chicken: a few hours to overnight.
• Beef: a few hours to overnight.
• Pork: a few hours.
• Shrimp and fish: 15 to 30 minutes; acid breaks them down quickly.
• Vegetables: 15 minutes to an hour.

Serving kabobs

Slide everything off the skewers onto a platter with rice or flatbread, and let people take what they want.

Kabob night for a group

For a big group, set up an assembly line on a folding table: bowls of meat, vegetables and fruit, a stack of skewers, and a tray for finished kabobs. Label skewers with a twist of foil on the end so people can find theirs on the grill. A Full Size grill holds plenty of skewers at once, and the griddle on one side can cook rice, flatbreads or a side vegetable at the same time.

Leftover kabob ideas

Leftover grilled meat and vegetables from kabob night make an easy lunch the next day. Chop them and fold into tortillas with cheese for quesadillas on the griddle, toss with rice and a splash of soy sauce for fried rice, or pile into pita with a spoon of yogurt sauce. Keep leftovers cold in a sealed container and eat them within a day.

Kabob spice blends

Mix spice blends at home in small jars: lemon pepper and garlic for chicken, smoked paprika and cumin for beef, and a sweet chili blend for pork and shrimp.

Questions campers ask

Should I soak wooden skewers?

If you use wooden skewers, soaking helps keep them from burning. Metal skewers are reusable and avoid the issue.

How long do chicken kabobs take to cook?

About 10 to 12 minutes over medium-hot coals, to 165°F.

Can I freeze marinated meat for camping?

Yes. Freeze it flat; it acts as ice and thaws in the cooler.

Done means done

No guessing in the dark

The Slot Grill Instant-Read Digital Meat Thermometer reads in about 3 seconds, has a backlit display for night cooks and a fold-away probe. Or grab it bundled with Seasoning Balm.

Thermometer · $19.97

Compact · $89.97 $99.97
About 14 lb, 146 sq in, 1 to 3 people, packs about 1" thick.Full Size · $149.97 $159.97
About 27.6 lb, 231 sq in, family-size, packs about 1.25" thick.