Korean Beef Skewers are super tender with tons of classic Korean bbq flavor. They are perfect for grilling on a Summer night with a cold glass of Sauv Blanc.
These delicious skewers are first marinated in a concoction of soy sauce, honey, spices and other yummy ingredients that make these skewers irrisistible. The key is to marinate them for several hours to help tenderize the beef. The meat is really melt-in-your-mouth tender once it comes off the grill.
Soak the skewers!
If you are using wood skewers, it is important to soak them in water so they do not catch on fire. I use a baking dish, fill it with an inch of water, place the skewers in the dish and let them soak for 30 minutes or longer.
Enhancing the flavors
Grilling the beef and giving it a nice char, brings out the Korean flavors! I think grilling and charring anything is the way to go. We grill so much during the Summer it is ridiculous. We have to keep spare propane tanks on hand so I don’t panic when we run out!
Tips for tender beef:
There are a few tricks to achieving that melt-in-your-mouth beef;
- The right cut of meat
- Properly cut meat
- Marinading to tenderize
For this recipe, I used beef tenderloin since it is leaner and is easy to cube. Try to cut the beef into cubes that are no more than 2 bite-sized.
After marinating the meat, it is now ready to be skewered!
Place a cube of meat on the skewer, followed by a chunk of pepper and a chunk of red onion, alternating on all of them.
Cooking the steak on high heat and quickly is the way to keep the beef from drying out and getting a nice char.
Once the skewers are, done sprinkle them with green onions or chives and sesame seeds. These Korean Beef Skewers are an absolute crowd pleaser and go very well with cocktails and good company!

Ingredients
- 4 top sirloin steaks
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or 2 teaspoons powdered ginger)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha (or less, if serving to children)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- salt and pepper (if desired)
- red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions/chives for garnish (optional)
- 2 orange peppers
- 2 red peppers
- 1 red onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- *6-8 wood or metal skewers
Instructions
- If using wood skewers, soak in water and set aside (this will prevent them from burning on the grill)
- Cube the beef and set aside
- In medium sized bowl combine the onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sriracha, honey, and salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined
- Pour marinade in a plastic ziplock bag and add the beef cubes making sure all of the beef is coated
- Let marinate for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator
- Chop the peppers and onions into chunks (about same size as beef chunks)
- Add beef and veggies to the skewers, alternating
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
- Place the beef skewers on a hot grill for no more than 5 minutes per side (it usually takes 5 minutes for the first side and then 3-4 minutes for the second side.
- Remove from the grill and let rest under foil for 5 minutes before serving.
Copycat Uchi’s Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Vietnamese Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Yes! Sign me up!

Subscribe to get our latest and greatest by email.
Leave a Reply