Herb Marinated Pork Kabobs with Vegetables
Homemade kabobs are always a popular option during the summer months because you can get creative when making them, choosing how to flavor the meat and what kind of vegetables, if any, to add on to the skewers.
Pork is a popular option because it cooks quite fast on the barbecue, and the following recipe pairs the meat with onions and bell peppers to introduce some crunch and color to the kabobs.
We suggest you use metal skewers to make this recipe but if you only have bamboo ones soak them in water for half an hour before putting them on the barbecue.
This recipe makes 8 kabobs but the recipe is easy enough to double if you are cooking for a crowd. You could even make triple the amount if you have a lot of people coming over. This dish does not take long at all for a home cook to prepare.
We are using pork tenderloin to make these kabobs. Just cut it into chunks. You also need to chop your bell peppers and onion into chunks to thread them on to the skewers. Get the pieces similar in size for a neater appearance and even cooking time.
The kabobs are colorful if you use both red and green bell pepper but use whichever you prefer, or even add some yellow or orange bell pepper if you want a sweeter taste.
The pork is marinated in a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, steak seasoning, rosemary, and sage. This combination of flavors works very nicely, giving the pork plenty of depth of flavor without overwhelming its own distinct taste.
You can use fresh or dried herbs here, depending what you have, but if you have both then use fresh for a fresher-tasting and more aromatic result. The dried herbs are fine at a pinch though.
Feel free to leave out the garlic if you do not want to use it, or swap the steak seasoning for some salt and black pepper. Any of these tweaks is fine, and the marinade will still yield a delicious result.
Herb Marinated Pork Kabobs with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 lb pork tenderloin cut into cubes
- ½ chopped red bell pepper
- ½ chopped green bell pepper
- 1 chopped small yellow onion or 2 chopped shallots
- 8 cherry tomatoes optional
Instructions
- Stir together the balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a non-reactive bowl.
- Add the garlic, steak seasoning, sage and rosemary.
- Add the pork and stir it well to coat it.
- Let it marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the barbeque to medium-hot.
- Alternate the marinated pork with the onion and bell pepper pieces on 8 metal skewers.
- If you want to include cherry tomatoes, thread those on too.
- Cook the kabobs for 5 minutes.
- Flip and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.
Tips for Perfect Pork Kabobs
If you have cut your ingredients into even sized pieces you are already halfway there in your quest to make delicious kabobs. You will see the following recipe suggests a 20 minute marinating time which might seem short but that is all you need for the flavors to infuse right into the pork, so you can literally start marinating when you light the barbecue grill and by the time it is hot enough for cooking, the pork will be done.
This is certainly faster than having to marinate for hours or overnight, although the pork will be fine if you do marinate for longer.
Have the barbeque medium-hot for this recipe and flip the pork halfway through the cooking time so it cooks evenly. You might want to flip it 1/4-turn each time for even browning. When it is done, the pork will be cooked through and the vegetables will be perfectly tender.