An unexpected rain shower can put a damper on your mood if you are planning to serve up grilled kabobs at your next family gathering or weekend dinner. But don't despair — you can still prepare colorful kabobs in the oven.
Tip
Cooking kebabs in the oven starts with soaked skewers so they don't burn. Cut the meat into evenly sized pieces. Marinate if desired. Cook kebabs in a 375 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
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Although it takes slightly longer than grilling, roasting your meat and vegetable kabobs in an oven is an effective — and equally as delicious — method for cooking your kabobs.
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Read more: How to Cook Shish Kabobs in the Oven
Step 1: Soak the Skewers
Soak your wooden kabob skewers in water overnight. This prevents the sticks from drying out and burning in the oven, which can seriously affect the taste of your meat and vegetables.
Step 2: Prep Your Veggies
Chop your desired vegetables into bite-size pieces that can be easily threaded onto a wooden skewer. Choose vegetables based on your personal preferences.
Common kabob vegetables include button mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, squash and zucchini. Small vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes or button mushrooms, can be left whole. Set the vegetables aside for later use.
Step 3: Cube the Meat
Cut your desired meat into bite-size cubes. To ensure thorough cooking, the meat cubes should be roughly the same size. Popular meats for kabobs include beef sirloin, boneless chicken, pork tenderloin, lamb and shrimp.
Step 4: Marinate the Meat
Marinate the meat for at least 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. While some people choose to use a prepackaged marinade, you might also make your own with olive oil, garlic and a variety of herbs and spices.
Keep the meat in the refrigerator while it marinates. If desired, add the vegetables to the marinade for a flavor boost.
Step 5: Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 6: Thread the Kabobs
Thread the marinated meat and vegetables onto your soaked wooden skewers. Feel free to arrange the kabobs as you please; there is no rule or etiquette for assembling kabobs.
However, leave at least 1/2 inch between each piece to allow for proper cooking.
Step 7: Place on Baking Sheet
Arrange the assembled kabobs onto a baking sheet that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Leave at least 1 inch between kabobs on the baking sheet.
Step 8: Cook the Kabobs
Cook the kabobs in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning every five to 10 minutes. Brush on extra marinade during the last five minutes of cooking the kabob skewers in the oven.
Be sure to use fresh marinade to avoid contamination from the raw meat, as instructed by the USDA.
Save leftover kabobs for a second tasty meal. Refrigerate your leftovers as soon as possible. Discard any food that has been at room temperature for more than two hours, as advised by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
If you are making baked chicken kebabs, bake the chicken until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Read more: How to Roast Spinach
Things You'll Need
Wooden skewers
Water
Vegetables
Meat
Knife
Marinade, for marinating
Baking sheet
Cooking spray
Marinade, for basting
Basting brush
Warning
Although your vegetables will almost certainly cook thoroughly in the 20- to 30-minute time frame, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your meats. If you have a meat thermometer, this will help ensure your meat is cooked to a safe internal temperature. According to the USDA, steak should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees, pork to 160 degrees, chicken to 165 degrees and seafood to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.