Campfire Grilled Pork & Summer Veggie Kabobs
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It's just not summertime without grilling! These summer kabobs with juicy pieces of pork and crisp summer veggies are the perfect way to celebrate the season. Marinated in the perfect blend of spices and roasted over the campfire, it's an easy recipe that's ready in minutes. Finish them off with some unique and sweet Mulberry Barbecue Sauce. If you love campfire cooking, then you will love how quickly this meal comes together for lunch or supper. It’s a great recipe to bring to your next potluck or family barbecue!
what are kabobs?
Depending on where you live, you may recognize the spelling of this easy dinner recipe as kabobs, kebabs, kebaps, or kababs. This delicious way to eat roasted meat and vegetables on a stick is made all over the world, and is one of the easiest methods of cooking a meal that you can find!
To make this dish, all you need are some wooden skewers, meat and/or chopped vegetables, oil, and a little bit of seasoning. Kabobs can be made over the grill, and open fire, and even roasted in the oven. In 15 to 20 minute, you can have a truly delicious dinner that wonderfully healthy and filling.
gathering ingredients to make pork and veggie kabobs:
To make these juicy and flavorful pork and veggie kabobs, you will need to gather a few key ingredients. Really, you can use any vegetables that you love the best for this recipe, so have fun with it! I use veggies from my garden along with some new potatoes, which were absolutely delicious.
Marinade. This recipe uses a marinade to flavor the meat and vegetables, and it helps when roasting to soften and keep everything deliciously tender. This marinade has a base of avocado or olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and spices.
Pork Shoulder. I used a pork shoulder roast for these kabobs, but any pork roast will work. Cut the roast into 3-inch (8-cm) chunks and trim off most of the fat.
Red Onion. Slice the red onion into quarters and use 2 layers at a time per skewer.
Bell Peppers. Slice the bell peppers into thick slices, about 1-inch (2.5-cm) wide.
Zucchini. Slice the zucchini about 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick so that it does not break when poking it onto the skewer.
New or Small Potatoes. Potatoes can take longer to roast over the fire this way, so try to use very small potatoes or slice them into 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks.
Cherry Tomatoes. Use cherry tomatoes that aren’t too soft, or they may scorch and fall off while roasting.
Mushrooms. Use whole button mushrooms or Crimini mushrooms for these skewers.
tips for making perfect kabobs:
Kabobs are not difficult to make at all, but there are some tips that can be helpful in making your grilled summer dinner a success!
Cut Meat & Veggies the Same Size. Try your best to cut your meat and vegetables to about the same size so that they cook evenly and for the same amount of time.
Cut the Meat & Veggies Larger than the Grill Grate. You don’t want your ingredients falling through the grate and into the flames! Make sure to keep the size of your meat and vegetables slightly wider than the grates of your grill.
Cook over Medium Heat. When you watch someone cook kabobs on film, they always show them being made over wild high flames, but it’s really better to roast your kabobs over medium flames. You want to cook them evenly so that they are slightly charred but not burnt, and so that the meat is cooked through the middle and not just on the outside.
Cooking Times Vary. The cooking times of different meats and vegetables vary. For pork, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to roast over the fire this way, and vegetables need about 10 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure nothing is burning or is left undercooked. Cook pork to an internal temperature of 145° F (63° C).
how to make pork and veggie kabobs:
Step One: Begin by preparing your marinade. This is simply made by mixing all of the ingredients together in a large bowl that can also hold all of your meat and vegetables. Whisk together the marinade ingredients and set this aside. Then, cut up your pork and vegetables to the proper sizes.
Step Two: Toss the pork and vegetables in the marinade, coating them well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least 1 hour before grilling. If you are wanting to grill the next day, you can leave the pork and veggies soaking in the marinade for about 24 hours before cooking.
Step Three: When you are ready to grill, begin building your kabobs. Pierce the pieces of pork and vegetables with wooden skewers. There is really no rhyme or reason to this, just alternate the different pieces to your liking. For grilling over the campfire, I recommend getting skewers that are at least 30-inches (76-cm) long so that you do not accidentally burn yourself. You can use smaller skewers for a standard gas grill.
Step Four: Build your fire to about 400° to 500° F (204° to 260° C). It needs to be left to burn for at least 30 minutes before grilling, so that you can have some nice hot coals and medium flames to work over.
Step Five: Once the fire has been established and is nice and hot, wait until it has started to die down and there are steady but low flames. Continue feeding the fire small sticks at this point. Place the kabobs over the grill and cook, flipping every 2 to 3 minutes to prevent heavy scorching from the flames. The flames may jump up at you from the marinade dripping. Occasionally remove the skewers and brush on more marinade away from the fire so that the flames do not jump. Cook until the veggies are softened and the pork is cooked through and tender to 145° F (63° C), about 10 to 15 minutes.
how to measure the temperature of your fire:
How do you possibly measure the temperature of a campfire? There is actually a common rule to this! You must perform the Hand Test, or placing your hand over the fire and gauging the temperature by how long you can hold your hand over the flames. Seems logical, right? Perhaps a bit dangerous…
Less than 1 second: 600° F (315° C)
1 to 2 seconds: 400 to 500° F (204° to 260° C)
3 to 4 seconds: 350 to 375° F (177° to 191° C)
5 to 7 seconds: 325 to 350° F (163° to 177° C)
how to serve pork & veggie kabobs:
These pork and vegetables kabobs are an excellent summer potluck or backyard barbecue meal! I love how delicious and smoky they are. You can eat them with just the marinade, or serve with a homemade barbecue sauce. Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve alongside these pork skewers:
final thoughts:
Are you ready to fire up the grill? These tender and juicy pork kabobs are so delicious, I could seriously eat them for dinner every single night! With a simple marinade that’s full of flavor, it’s the perfect recipe to use up all of your summer garden veggies.
xoxo Kayla
Campfire Grilled Pork & Summer Veggie Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) avocado or olive oil
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (9 g) chili powder
- 1 tbsp (9 g) cumin
- 2 tsp (6 g) ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3 lb (1.36 kg) pork shoulder or loin roast, cut into 3-inch (8-cm) chunks
- 1 medium red onion, cut into quarters
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thickly
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thickly
- 2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick rounds
- 24 small red or gold potatoes
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 24 to 36 brown and/or white mushrooms
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Use the marinade right away, or you can store this marinade in the refrigerator for about 6 days.
- When ready to use the marinade, add the pork and vegetables to the bowl and toss to combine, making sure everything is well coated. Place a lid or plastic wrap over the bowl. Then, refrigerate the pork and veggies for at least 1 hour before making the kabobs. They can also be left overnight, if you plan to grill the next day.
- When you are ready to grill, begin building your kabobs. Pierce the pieces of pork and vegetables with wooden skewers. There is really no rhyme or reason to this, just alternate the different pieces to your liking. For grilling over the campfire, I recommend getting skewers that are at least 30-inches (76-cm) long so that you do not accidentally burn yourself. You can use smaller skewers for a standard gas grill.
- You can grill the skewers immediately or place them back into the fridge covered in plastic wrap until you are ready to cook them. Save any leftover marinade in the bowl to brush the kabobs with as you cook them.
- To cook over the campfire: Build a hot fire, about 400° to 500° F (204° to 260° C) underneath a campfire grill or grate. Continue burning the fire, letting it gather some nice coals, for at least 30 to 60 minutes. You will want small flames to roast the kabobs over, but you will need the hot coals from a fire that has been burning for some time.
- Once the fire has been established and is nice and hot, wait until it has started to die down and there are steady but low flames. Continue feeding the fire small sticks at this point. Place the kabobs over the grill and cook, flipping every 2 to 3 minutes to prevent heavy scorching from the flames. The flames may jump up at you from the marinade dripping. Occasionally remove the skewers and brush on more marinade away from the fire so that the flames do not jump. Cook until the veggies are softened and the pork is cooked through and tender to 145° F (63° C), about 10 to 15 minutes.
- To cook over the grill: In a similar fashion, simply heat the grill to 400° F (204° C). When ready, place the kabobs directly onto the grate and cook, flipping every 2 to 3 minutes. Brush any extra marinade over the kabobs as you cook them to keep them moist and flavorful. Continue to cook until the veggies are softened and the pork is cooked through and tender to 145° F (204° C), about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve the skewers immediately while they are hot! If you want, you can brush the cooked skewers with barbecue sauce (like my Mulberry Barbecue Sauce) and pop them back onto the grill for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
483Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
