Meatball shish kabobs (or any food creatively arranged on a skewer) are a kid-approved dinner and an easy fix on a busy night. In fact, now the kids want to make kabobs out of everything! That’s ok with me, since kabobs are basically meat and a whole variety of veggies in a fun presentation.
How to Make Meatball Shish Kabobs (Grill or Oven)
Food on a stick is always a kid favorite around here. You can use just about any fresh fruit or vegetable threaded onto a skewer with any protein you like. Some vegetables hold up better to cooking than others (tomatoes sometimes get too soft and fall off the stick). And some require a longer cooking time (sweet potatoes). But be creative and experiment to find your favorites!
For our shish kabobs, we like to use pineapple and apple chunks, large chopped bell peppers and onions, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, and baby bella mushrooms.
Shish kabobs are also a great way to repurpose leftovers. Any leftover meat or veggie can be reheated on a skewer to make it kid-friendly. And shish kabobs made with leftovers make a fast and easy lunch option.
My kids even love fruit salad or raw chopped veggies on a on a bamboo skewer. If you’re going with fruit and veggie kabobs with leftover meat for lunch, these dipping sauces make a great addition:
- Asian Ginger Vinaigrette
- Healthy Homemade Honey Mustard
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- French Onion Dip
- Zesty Radish Cheese Dip
Gluten and Grain Free Meatballs
Since we don’t eat many grains, I wanted to make a gluten-free meatball that still holds together well and tastes delicious. Instead of using breadcrumbs I use a little bit of coconut flour and an egg as binders.
The best meatballs use a mix of ground meat, such as a 50/50 mix of ground beef and ground pork. You can absolutely use just ground beef if you’d like, just be aware that if you’re using very lean ground beef (which it probably is if grass-fed) your meatballs may be a little drier.
There are many ways to season meatballs. The most common and popular is the traditional Italian meatball with garlic, parmesan, and Italian herbs such as basil and oregano. We also like a Mexican-flavored meatball with cumin and chili powder, or even tasty Greek-style meatballs.
Whatever kind we’re making, I like to double or triple the recipe when we’re having meatballs for dinner then freeze them after they’re cooked and cooled.
Meatball Shish Kabob Recipe
Ingredients
For Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef (or mix of beef and pork)
- 1 TBSP coconut flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup fresh pineapple (finely chopped)
- 2 tsp coconut aminos (or teriyaki sauce)
For Shish Kabobs:
- 20 meatballs (prepared above)
- 3 cups assorted fruits and vegetables
Instructions
To Make Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil and set aside.
- Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a medium-size bowl and mix by hand.
- Add extra coconut flour to thicken if needed.
- Form the mixture into 1½ inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until well browned and cooked through.
- Use immediately or cool and freeze for future use.
To Make Shish Kabobs:
- Preheat oven to 400°F or heat grill.
- Soak bamboo skewers for at least 20 minutes to prevent burning.
- While the skewers are soaking, chop the fruits and vegetables into 1½ to 2 inch chunks.
- Thread alternating pre-cooked meatballs and desired veggies onto the skewers.
- Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until well cooked, or grill until vegetables are ready and meat is heated. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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What is your favorite shish kabob variation? Let me know below!
Can these be made without egg?? Have you ever made meatballs without eggs?
My little boy has an allergy to eggs and we are trying to find a meatball he can eat!
Love your site! Question can I use chicken? What can I use instead of coconut flour? Ground almond flour?
Thank you,
Marilyn
Actually, shish means marinated meat. That being said, thank you for the inspiration to make kabobs! I like your variation suggestions. I never thought of doing an Italian style kabob. I also love, love your website. :o)
This did not work for us…the texture was way to “mealy.” I was disappointed because we have LOVED every other recipe from you!
I had the same issue. The texture was very mushy. My husband eats everything and he had a really hard time with these! I think pineapple breaks down the protein too much.
What is another alternative to coconut flour?
Almond flour works well too.
This looks delicious! But what is coconut aminos and where do you get it?
Coconut aminos are similar to soy sauce but made from fermented
coconuts. I’ve only been able to find it online, though in some
bigger cities, health food stores might carry it.