Do you have to use skewers?

Nope! Just place the beef onto a parchment lined baking sheet and broil near the top of the oven for 6 minutes.

Can I make these in the air fryer?

Yes! Place beef strips in a parchment-lined air fryer at 450 (or a high broil setting) for 6 minutes. More info in the notes of the recipe.

Can you cook these on the grill?

Yes! Grilling the skewers would be delicious. Be sure to get your grill really hot so you can get that nice quick sear.

Would this work with another type of meat, like chicken or pork?

I don't think you can go wrong with these flavors - garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and curry powder plus some sugar and salt? This combination just never tastes bad. The main thing to keep in mind, besides the flavor, is that the goal is a bit of caramelization on the meat! So I would be sure to use high heat with whatever protein you're doing.

What veggies do you serve this with?

We always do these with rice, but my three favorite veggies to throw on the plate are: 1) just some nice green broccoli (steamed, pan fried, whatever suits you), 2) a bagged grocery store Asian-style salad (just did it tonight for dinner!), or 3) a little cucumber and shallot salad which is outlined in the notes section of the recipe.

What sauce would go well with these?

The fish sauce, lime juice, and pan drippings are enough for me! But since we're talking about it, they would be absolutely BOMB with some gochujang sauce or yum yum sauce .

Can I use pre-sliced beef from the grocery store?

I tried and it wasn't nearly as good. The grocery store cut wasn't thin enough for me and they didn't have as many options for the actual cut of meat - I think the only option was sliced sirloin. In this recipe, I think it's worth it to cut your own strips to ensure you can really get them nice and thin.

What's another cut of beef I could use instead of skirt steak?

I would go to flank steak or flat iron steak as my second choice. As long as you cut your steak into very thin strips, as shown, you can make it work.

What do you mean by garlic paste and ginger paste?

You can usually find these in the refrigerated produce section at most grocery stores! Here's the garlic paste and the ginger paste so you know what to look for.

Garlic and Black Pepper Beef Skewers Recipe

Description

These beef skewers are bringing all the flavor! Thinly sliced strips of steak browned and caramelized to juicy, sweet perfection.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Beef:

1.5 lbs. skirt steak, cut against the grain into very thin strips (see photos and video)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
freshly cracked black pepper

For Serving:

fish sauce, lime juice, chili crisp, and cilantro for topping
rice
broccoli, bagged salad, or a quick cucumber salad, see notes!

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Instructions

Prep (optional): Soak your skewers – 15 minutes minimum for wood skewers.
Beef: Mix the beef strips with the other beef ingredients. If you have time to marinate, go for it. A 30-45 minute marinating session is delicious! But I promise that if all you have is 5-10 minutes, they’ll still be great.
Skewer: Thread the beef onto skewers – just scrunch it on there (see video). Place skewers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with freshly cracked black pepper.
Broil: Arrange an oven rack 4-6 inches below the heating element. Preheat the broiler on high heat for a few minutes. Broil the beef for 6 minutes – we’re going for caramelization on that top surface. (Alternative cooking methods in notes below)
Serve: Let the beef stand for a few minutes; brush the golden tops with the pan juices, and drizzle with a bit of lime juice and fish sauce. MAGIC WILL HAPPEN. Top with cilantro or chili crisp and serve with a cucumber salad (recipe in notes). Holy smokes! You can eat them plain, drizzled, or in a rice bowl. They are finger licking good. I have been known to eat them standing right over the stove.

Notes

Other cooking methods, without skewers:

Air fry at 450 (or a high broil setting) for 5-6 minutes. For best results I like to preheat the air fryer. Keep the beef pieces in a single layer for optimal browning – this may require that you do it in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. I line the basket with parchment for this method.
Broil on high on a parchment lined baking sheet for 6 minutes! Works just fine without skewers, too.
Pan sear in a very hot cast iron skillet for just 3-4 minutes, mostly undisturbed, until you see some golden browning. Yum.

If you’re using fresh garlic and ginger: grate 3 large cloves garlic and a 1-inch knob of ginger.

To make a little cucumber salad: thinly slice half of a cucumber and a shallot, toss in a small bowl with a teaspoon or two of lime juice or vinegar, plus some salt, pepper, and sugar. Voila! Magic.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Oven
Cuisine: Vietnamese-Inspired

Keywords: steak skewers, steak skewers, easy dinner recipe, beef recipe, skirt steak recipe