Pesto Steak Kabobs are made with pesto marinated chunks of steak, bell peppers, red onion and a tasty basil pesto drizzled over top.
‘Tis the season to fire up that grill as much as possible! Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, veggies and of course steak kabobs are all on the menu this summer season. These Pesto Steak Kabobs are so easy to make, vibrant in color and full of freshness.
Pesto Steak Kabobs
Pesto Steak Kabobs are a delicious mix of some great flavors! There are sweet bell peppers, mild red onion, tender rich steak chunks and the fresh pesto with the nutty pine nuts and peppery basil. This meal is a huge hit and a favorite on the grilling meal rotation during the summer.
Basil Pesto
This recipe uses a classic basil pesto. Pesto is made with loads of freshly chopped basil, toasted pine nuts, minced garlic, shredded Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Just toss the ingredients into a food processor and done! The pesto is great for marinating and as to either dip the kabobs in or drizzle over the top for an extra kick of flavor. This pesto isn’t just for kabobs! Try it on a pizza, mixed with pasta, on bread or in a dip for snacking.
Also try this recipe for Shrimp Pesto Linguine with a kale pesto.
Tips & Tricks
Toast the pin nuts! Before tossing the pine nuts into a food processor, make sure to toast them real quick on the stove top. Put the pine nuts on a medium heat in a saucepan for about 3 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Make sure to stir often. This brings out the nutty flavor in the pine nuts to make a great pesto.

Pesto Steak Kabobs
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 skewers 1x
Description
Pesto Steak Kabobs are made with pesto marinated chunks of steak, bell peppers, red onion and a tasty basil pesto drizzled over top.
Ingredients
Basil Pesto
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- Salt
- Pepper
Pesto Steak Kabobs
- 1–1 1/2 pounds steak (thick sirloin cuts work well)
- basil pesto
- 3 bell peppers (assorted colors)
- 1 red onion
Instructions
Basil Pesto
- Toast the pine nuts. Place them in a saucepan on a medium heat on stove top for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn often.
- Place the pine nuts and all other ingredients but the olive oil into food processor and pulse a a few times. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Slowly add in olive oil and blend until you have a nice consistency.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Pesto Steak Kabobs
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
- Place steak and half the batch of pesto into a ziploc bag, seal and let marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Chop steaks into equal sized chunks.
- Wash and chop bell peppers and red onion into equal sized chunks as the steak.
- Assemble skewers with the steak marinated steak chunks, red onion and bell pepper.
- Grill on a medium heat for 12-15 minutes turning often.
- Drizzle the remainder of the pesto on top of skewers and serve.
Notes
I prefer to cook these kabobs in a lower heat than typical kabobs so the pesto on the steak keeps its delicious flavor.
- Category: dinner
We make steak kabobs with bell peppers and onions, but never pesto. I’m eager to try the flavor because I’ve never eaten pesto in my life.
Pesto is amazing! You should try and make a batch- goes with so much and puts so much flavor on kabobs.
Wow these look absolutely delightful!
Enjoy!