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Sous vide steak kebabs are always tender and never chewy. The sous vide then grilled beef method allows you to craft this dish to careful precision—bringing the meat to within a few minutes of being done in the sous vide bath, then adding a bit of smoke and crispness in your outdoor grill. Let’s sous vide and then grill kebabs!
This is one of my favorite sous vide beef recipes.
Tender, juicy, and cooked to a T—they come together so effortlessly, I feel that I’ve hardly cooked, but I still get to serve an all-star meal. Kebabs cooked sous vide style are the way to go!
Did you know? You can cook sous vide beef from frozen.
How are sous vide kebabs different from grilled kebabs?
There’s no issue with overcooking beef sous vide style because they never go over the temperature set for the sous vide bath.
During sous vide cooking, the beef is cooked to a specific degree – and never over the temperature. Compare to grilling beef kebabs – which makes it easier to overcook them and get dry, chewy kebabs.
I used my Anova sous vide machine for this recipe, which made it possible to cook sous vide kebabs at a perfect medium / medium-rare temperature. They cook to the desired temperature throughout – so the outside is just as perfectly medium as the center.
The possibly confusing part, is that the sous vide beef kebabs are grilled after sous vide cooking for a short time.
fThis produced the desired charred texture on the outside of the kebabs, while keeping the inside perfectly tender.
At the end of the day, sous vide beef kebabs are going to be more tender, less chewy, and more predictable to cook perfectly – every single time.
Ingredients for sous vide beef kebabs
The beef used in this recipe is sirloin, cut into 3-inch cubes. The beef is seasoned with garlic, fresh dill, salt and pepper.
You can also use garlic salt, which I love!
How to sous vide beef kebabs – step by step
Set the sous vide machine to 140ºF.
Season the sirloin cubes with the spices with the garlic, salt and pepper.
Vacuum-seal sirloin topped with dill in a flat layer.
Time and temp for sous vide beef kebabs
Sous vide at 140ºF for 1 1/2 hours for medium. See the chart at the end of this post for different sous vide steak times and temps.
Once done in the sous vide bath, remove cooked sous vide beef kebab meat from the bag and pat dry.
Help! My sous vide beef looks funny…
At this point, the meat has been thoroughly cooked to the desired temperature, but lacks the finish on the outside that locks in the flavor and presents the way you’d expect meat to look.
So it’s time to skewer the meat on kebab sticks and finish them on the grill!
How to finish sous vide kebabs on the grill
Grill kebabs on high heat just enough to char the outside – about 1-2 minutes on each side.
How to finish sous vide kebabs without a grill (on the stove)
If you don’t have a grill to finish the kebabs, a cast iron pan on medium-high heat with a little olive oil will work just as well.
Plate and serve over rice or a salad.
What to put on sous vide beef kebabs
This versatile recipe lends itself well to a variety of sauces. Dijon mustard is one tried-and true option, and any sort of Greek yogurt sauce will taste great. If you change up the seasonings, or just use salt and pepper, adding teriyaki sauce can give these beef kebabs a completely different flavor. If you like spicy foods, play generous with the hot sauce and spices. Or do you want something different for a change? Pair it with peanut sauce, and no one will know they’re eating the same meal.
For a seafood version, try these sous vide shrimp kebabs.
What to serve with kebabs
It’s hard to find something that doesn’t go well with these sous vide beef kebabs. They can be served with almost everything, and that includes:
- Roasted vegetables like these garlic dill carrots
- Sous vide brussels sprouts
- Simple green salad
- Brown rice with mushrooms
- Pita bread (try it grilled!)
- Greek salad
- Rice
What are the best sous vide beef kebabs like?
You—and the lucky people you cook these for—will find your sous vide beef kebabs to be tender, juicy, and rich. After searing, your kebabs should be deliciously browned and ever so slightly chewy.
Wine to serve with beef kebabs
Red should be your go-to wine for steak. You can never go wrong with a smooth Argentine Malbec (we love Alamos) for your simplest kebabs. Or try a bold California Cabernet Sauvignon (like this one by Francis Coppola) for a spicier flavor.
If you’re making these for a crowd, see my guide to sous vide entertaining ideas.
What should sous vide beef kebabs look like?
How much to cook beef varies significantly based on individual preference, but in general, kebabs tend to be more cooked than a steak, and cooking them Sous Vide should make for steak that has a hint of pink on the inside, but is mostly brown.
Sous vide steak time and temperature chart
All sous vide steaks can be cooked between 45 minutes – 4 hours. In this recipe, I cooked the steak 2.5 hours, but I’ve cooked steak for as low as 45 minutes with delicious results.
Don’t forget to add 60 minutes when cooking sous vide steak from frozen.
- Rare steak – sous vide at 120-128°F
- Medium rare steak – sous vide at 129-134°F
- Medium steak – sous vide at 135-144°F
- Medium well steak – sous vide at 145-155°F
- Well done steak – sous vide at 156-162°F
What if my beef kebabs overcook?
Since you’ve already made sure that your beef is thoroughly cooked while cooking it sous vide, searing it on the highest heat for just a minute, rather than truly cooking for an extended period of time is the best way to ensure you capture the seared flavor without overcooking your meat.
How to refrigerate sous vide beef kebabs
Steak is one of the best meats for storing in the refrigerator, and these sous vide beef kebabs will keep for up to 5 days in a covered container.
If you like to meal prep on the weekend, that’ll almost take you through the week.
Tasty tips for sous vide beef kebabs
- For a small dinner, I usually prefer to use metal kebab sticks.
- For a large crowd, it’s easier to cleanup if you serve these sous vide kebabs on wooden kebab sticks. Soak them in water ahead of time so they don’t burn on the grill.
- Meal prep tips. Pre-cook the kebabs in advance, skewer them, then store in the fridge until it’s time to finish them on the grill.
- Kebab and wine pairing suggestions. Try these kebabs with an Argentine Malbec or an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.
Readers also love these sous vide recipes
- Sous Vide T Bone Steak
- Sous Vide Wings
- Sous Vide Spare Ribs
- Sous Vide Turkey Legs
- Sous Vide Turkey Breast
- Sous Vide Pulled Pork
- Sous Vide Short Ribs
- Sous Vide Pork Chops
- Sous Vide Brussels Sprouts
Let me know when you make your sous vide beef kebabs. Be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe. It means so much to hear from Sip Bite Go readers and I love seeing photos of your food! Don’t forget to tag me @sipbitego on Instagram so I can see how the recipe turned out. And sign up for the Sip Bite Go newsletter.
Sous Vide Beef Kebabs
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb sirloin cut into 3-inch cubes
- 2 tsp garlic diced
- 1 tbsp dill fresh, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
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Preheat sous vide machine to 140ºF.
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While the sous vide bath preheats, season the sirloin with paprika, cumin, garlic salt, and pepper.
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Vacuum-seal sirloin in a flat layer and drop the bag in the sous vide bath at 140ºF for 1 1/2 hours. When done, remove beef kebab meat from the bag and pat dry. Skewer the meat on kebab sticks.
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Grill kebabs on high heat just enough to char the outside 1-2 minutes each side. If you don’t have a grill to finish the kebabs, a cast iron pan on medium-high heat with a little olive oil will work just as well. Sear until browned.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- For a small dinner, I usually prefer to use metal kebab sticks.Â
- For a large crowd, it’s easier to cleanup if you serve these sous vide kebabs on wooden kebab sticks. Soak them in water ahead of time so they don’t burn on the grill.Â
- Meal prep tips. Pre-cook the kebabs in advance, skewer them, then store in the fridge until it's time to finish them on the grill.
- Kebab and wine pairing suggestions. Try these kebabs with an Argentine Malbec or an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.
Everyone liked your recipe. I made these for a retirement party for my mom at a park. I had to cut the sirloin myself because I couldn’t find precut sirloin. Sous vided the kebab meat the day before and the flavor was superb the next day when I grilled them at the park. I served them with tazikki I bought at the store and other people brought sides.