Spicy Marinated Tri-Tip Beef Kabobs

Try these delicious tri-tip beef kabobs at your next cookout... Chunks of marinated tri-tip steak, with colorful red onions and bell peppers, will have your guests lining up for more!

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When we're grilling out for a crowd in the summertime, I have a tendency toward classic, simple fare: burgers, hot dogs, maybe some brats, potato salad, baked beans, veggies and dip, and fresh fruit. Occasionally, we'll try something new, like this bacon wrapped corn on the cob, but for the most part EASY wins the day.

Now, I don't typically think of kabobs as "easy" -- there's some time involved in marinating the protein, chopping the veggies, threading it all onto skewers, and cooking them. But there's no denying the way guests' eyes light up when they see a platter full of them. And honestly, when you start viewing them as both an entree and side dish wrapped into one, the extra time starts to seem less significant.

Plus, I have a few simple tricks for cutting down on the prep time, so I'm pretty sure our guests will be ogling these amazing tri-tip beef kabobs more often... And I hope I can inspire you to try them, too!

Trick #1: Start With Pre-seasoned Tri-Tip Steak

Cutting out the time-consuming marinade step really speeds up the process of making kebabs, so I picked up this wonderfully flavorful Member's Mark pre-seasoned tri-tip steak at Sam's Club. This baby is loaded with black peppercorns and rosemary, packing enough oomph so that your veggies need minimal seasoning.

I know that tri-tip isn't typically the first choice for kabobs, but I really hope you'll consider it. Tri-tip is known for its considerable marbled fat, which is awesome because it keeps kebabs nice and juicy. But overall, it's actually very lean and cooks quickly. It's much more affordable than other cuts of meat, and you'll save even more by cutting it into chunks yourself.

Speaking of saving money, Sam's Club is a great place to shop when you're cooking for a crowd. You can't beat their prices on produce, so I grabbed a package of multi-colored bell peppers, a package of green bell peppers, and a bag of gorgeous red onions to round out the kebabs.

Trick #2: Prep Veggies While Soaking Skewers

Though it might sound a bit Type A, I have a specific order I like to follow when prepping my kabobs. However, it truly pays off with some time savings. So here it is: 1) start soaking the bamboo skewers (more on this in just a second), 2) cut the peppers and onions into 1.5" chunks and toss them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, 3) cut the pre-seasoned tri-tip steak into 1.5" chunks.

As appealing as those metal skewers might be, I highly recommend using bamboo with steak. Metal skewers heat up and can actually start cooking your meat from the inside -- a good thing if you're cooking chicken, but not ideal for a tender and juicy chunk of steak. On the flip side, bamboo requires a little extra prep in the way of a good 30-minute soak in water so they don't scorch on the grill. Which is why I start with soaking them and then prep everything else.

Trick #3: Don't Be Afraid To Be Random

I feel like kind of a hypocrite saying this, but real life is rarely Pinterest perfect. It's my job to make food pretty for photographs, so I made up several skewers all with the same rainbow assortment of colors... And then I finished the batch in totally random fashion -- and those 15 or so skewers took a fraction of the time it took me to make the first seven.

So go ahead and just thread the meat and veggies onto the skewer randomly. Try to get some of each color on there, but honestly, no one is going to care if you forget a chunk of green pepper on one. The main thing to remember is to try to leave just a little space between each piece to allow air flow for even cooking.

Grilling Kabobs

Grilling the kabobs is the easy part... Well, maybe that's just because I pass them off to my hubby at this point, but HE tells me they're easy! I asked him to tell me his secrets, and here's what he said:

Grill them over medium heat for 15 - 18 minutes, until cooked to your desired doneness. Be sure to turn them frequently to ensure even cooking and get that great char on all sides.

Keep in mind that the meat and veggies will continue to cook slightly after removing them from the grill, and let them rest for about five minutes before serving. Sure sounds easy enough!

Don't these colorful tri-tip beef kabobs just scream summer?! And they taste every bit as good as they look...

Everyone absolutely adored them, and the family that we're going on vacation with asked if I can make them again while we're at the beach. I'm more than happy to oblige!