Simple Teriyaki-Glazed Steak Skewers Recipe

Food on a stick is always fun to eat. Not only is it reminiscent of summertime fairs and festivals, but it also makes a great snack for indoor game day watch parties when the weather gets cooler. Recipe developer Patterson Watkins' simple teriyaki-glazed steak skewers recipe is something you'll want to have in your year-round repertoire, since the skewers can make for a quick and easy dinner and a party food that's sure to please.

One thing we love about these skewers is the well-balanced flavor. As Watkins tells us, "I was more inspired by the yakitori/kushiyaki style of skewer for this recipe than the super sweet, sticky American-teriyaki approach." Not only does too much sweetness mask the taste of the meat, but Watkins also points out that "sweet sticky can be a bit of a pain, especially on a grill. It can burn easily, it can cause your skewered goodies to stick, it can make a mess." Her skewers present no such problems, and they also strike the perfect balance between sweet and savory with plenty of flavor coming from the garlic and ginger.

The skewers are made up of steak cubes, scallions, and pineapple and are garnished with crushed red pepper and white sesame seeds. The ingredients you need for the homemade teriyaki sauce include fresh ginger, garlic, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce.

Place the garlic, ginger, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, broth, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

Divide the marinade in half.

Place the steak and half of the marinade in a medium bowl or plastic bag. Coat, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the steak is marinating, preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Thread the marinated steak, scallions, and pineapple onto skewers.

Pour the reserved marinade into a small skillet or saucepan (if you're using an outdoor grill, make sure your pan is oven-proof).

Once preheated, place the skewers and the skillet on the grill. If you're using a smaller grill pan, place the skillet on an open burner.

Grill the skewers for 2 minutes per side, or until charred and tender. Simultaneously, bring the marinade to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly syrupy.

Remove the skewers and the marinade from the grill and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Once rested, brush the skewers with the marinade.

Before serving, sprinkle the skewers with crushed red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.

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The best kind of steaks to use for these skewers are ones that have a lot of marbling. Among the better varieties to look for are ribeye, sirloin, strip, and tri tip. You could also use a filet if you're feeling fancy, but you might want to save such a pricey steak for a different occasion. As long as your steak is well-marbled, it should cook up tender and juicy and will also be able to stand up to acidic ingredients, such as the vinegary marinade and the pineapple chunks used in this recipe.

The steaks that won't work well here are leaner, tougher cuts, such as brisket, flank steak, skirt steak, eye round, or top round. They'll likely grill up tough and dry. While such steaks are sometimes said to be fixable with an extra-long marinade, that isn't recommended for this recipe. Patterson Watkins emphasizes that under no circumstances are you to marinate the steak for more than an hour, since it will get too soft if you leave it in longer. Also, do not add the pineapple chunks to the marinade — this acidic fruit will accelerate the breakdown of the proteins and leave your steak a mushy mess.

Teriyaki sauce is crucial in this recipe — it's not only used as a marinade but also as a sauce to brush over the cooked skewers. For that reason, using a homemade sauce is highly recommended. It's super-simple to make (all you do is combine a few ingredients in the blender), contains no preservatives or other mystery ingredients, and has the perfect flavor balance. If you absolutely must sub in a bottled condiment, though, here are our favorite store-bought teriyaki sauces.

With a pre-made sauce, you may need to make a few tweaks to the texture or flavor. If the sauce is too thick to be used as a marinade, you can dilute that portion with some soy sauce and rice vinegar. If it's too sweet, a little bit of vinegar or a splash of pineapple juice can help to balance the flavor with some much-needed acidity. Should you opt for pineapple juice, though, you might want to save this for the portion of the marinade that's used to glaze the cooked skewers. A too-sweet sauce that doesn't need thinning can be improved by a little beef broth concentrate. If your teriyaki sauce isn't as sweet as you'd wish, you can fix that with the addition of honey or mirin. No matter how you tweak your sauce, ensure that most of the marinade drips off the meat before you insert the skewers.

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