Air fryer beef kebabs
Lemon and cumin marinated beef with charred peppers, onion and zucchini, served over couscous with cool garlic yogurt.
- 50 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $5.65 a serving
- 560 calories
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1¼ lb sirloin steak
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 red onion
- 1 zucchini
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup couscous
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1¼ cups water
Each serving has about 560 calories, 42 g protein, 47 g carbs and 23 g fat, and costs about $5.65 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No sirloin steak? New York strip steak or ribeye steak works.
- No red bell peppers? Yellow bell peppers work.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No zucchini? Yellow squash works.
- No plain Greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
2 tbsp of the oil with the lemon , half the lemon juice, 2 cloves of the garlic, the cumin, paprika, oregano, 1 tsp of the salt and the pepper in a large bowl.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Cut the steak into 1-inch , them in the bowl, cover, and in the fridge for 20 minutes, or up to a day.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Timer: 20 min
Cut the pepper, onion and zucchini into 1-inch pieces and them with the last 1 tbsp of oil and of salt.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Stir the yogurt with the rest of the garlic and lemon juice and of salt.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
the air fryer to 400°F. Thread the beef and vegetables onto short skewers that fit your basket, or leave them loose.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Air fry in one layer, in batches if needed, 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway, until the vegetables are at the edges and the beef reads 145°F.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Timer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: Cut the vegetables and beef the same size so they finish together.Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
Meanwhile, heat the water until boiling in the microwave or a kettle, pour it over the couscous with of salt, cover, and let it sit 5 minutes.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Timer: 5 min
Fluff the couscous with a fork and serve the kebabs over it with the garlic yogurt and parsley.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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