Sweet Garlic Beef Kabobs

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Sweet and spicy beef kabobs are a bold twist on a classic, bursting with flavor in every bite. Tender cubes of beef are marinated in a rich blend of apple butter, soy sauce, garlic, and a hint of cayenne for the perfect balance of sweetness and heat.

One thing I love about summer is grilling.   I love the way food tastes on the grill, I love that I don’t have to heat up the kitchen, and I really like that my husband does the grilling so I can relax.

One of our favorite things to grill or kabobs.   It’s such an easy and healthy dinner entree.  It’s also a great way to use leftover vegetables that I have in the refrigerator.

I’ve made a lot of kabobs over the years with a variety of different marinades. One of our favorites are Greek Pork Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce. We also make Pineapple Chicken Kabobs quite often and serve it over rice or slaw. I’ve also been known to make a dessert Fruit Kabob.

I’m always looking for new marinades to use on the kabobs.   Whenever I’m in a hurry I simply use a pre-made marinade and throw everything in the refrigerator for a few hours.   However, whenever I have time I like to experiment with different flavors.

Can I use a pre-made Marinade on these Kabobs?

You can certainly use a pre-made marinade but it isn’t going to taste the same.   If using a pre-made one try to find one that is both sweet and spicy.

My newest marinade contains apple butter in it.  I know what you are thinking, apple butter?   Isn’t that going to be weird with garlic and beef?

I actually thought the same thing until I tried it. The apple butter adds a bit of sweetness to the marinade but it doesn’t have a huge apple flavor.  There’s also cayenne pepper and black pepper in the mix to add a bit of spiciness.

What can I use instead of apple butter?

If you don’t have apple butter or don’t want to use it you can add apple juice in place of it.  However, I would then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to the marinade to help thicken it a bit.

I mixed up the marinade with the apple butter, garlic, vinegar, tomato juice, and some seasonings.   It smelled delicious.   I mixed it with the beef and left it in the refrigerator for 3 hours.   When I took it out I stacked the beef between slices of pineapple, yellow squash, mushrooms, and peppers.

When the kabobs came off the grill the smell was amazing.   The marinade had made a thin, crisp layer on the beef.   It tasted delicious!  The flavors were slightly sweet with a pinch of cinnamon and a ton of garlic.   I was surprised by how much both my husband and I enjoyed these kabobs.