Best BBQ Skewers For Grilling

When you want to grill kabobs, you’re going to have to ensure you have the right skewers on hand that are up for the job.

Not all of the ones on the market are strong or durable enough, which can cause them to bend or not grill your food evenly, and you don’t want that.

Are metal or wood skewers better?

Stainless steel skewers are the best to buy because they are strong enough to prevent your food from turning during grilling and they’re reusable, whereas wood isn’t.

With that in mind, you might be uncertain about what skewers you should use, so here’s our guide to the best BBQ skewers for grilling.

We’ve also featured four alternatives so you can grill delicious meat and veggies every time.

Best Overall: Lanney Skewers Flat Metal BBQ Barbecue Skewer

These top-quality skewers have features you never knew you needed in grill skewers. Let’s check them out.

Pros

• These skewers are constructed out of stainless steel which is rust-proof, heat-resistant, and of food-grade quality. This makes them safe to use while ensuring that they will last a long time.
• Their edges are polished so that the skewers are safe to use.
• Since these skewers are thick, you can put more food on them without them bending or losing their shape.
• These skewers have blades that are both flat and wide. This prevents food from moving around on them, such as when you need to flip them over during grilling to ensure they cook your food evenly.
• They have angled tips, which make it easier to put food on them without causing the pieces of food to splinter. And, since they’re 16.8 inches in length, you’ll be able to put lots of food on them.
• The increased length of these skewers has another benefit: it keeps your hands safe from the heat.
• They have ergonomic handles for increased comfort during use.
• They can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher.

Cons

• Some people who have purchased these skewers have stated that their width makes them a bit difficult to use for smaller pieces of food, such as vegetables.

Runner Up: Blue Donuts 24 Pack Kabob Skewers for Grilling

These skewers have a design feature to make them easier to handle. Let’s see what it is and what else you should know about them.

Pros

• These skewers have been made with a ring-top handle that makes it easy for you to adjust them during the grilling process. This also enables you to hang your skewers for storage in a more convenient way.
• They’re made with stainless steel and are of a food-grade quality. These features make them safe and sturdy.
• You can put them in the dishwasher when they need to be cleaned, which makes cleaning up after cooking a breeze.
• These are strong enough that they won’t flex and bend during use, which makes them much more user-friendly than some other skewers on the market.
• The center of these skewers is thick and they have thinner edges. This is beneficial in various ways. The center thickness gives greater strength to the skewers so they can handle a larger load of food, while the thinner edges mean that you can penetrate food pieces without a problem.

Cons

• Some people who have purchased these skewers have reported that they tend to get rust spots.
• With their 12-inch length, these skewers are quite a bit shorter than the previous product we featured. This might be too short for some people, such as if you want to grill marshmallows.

Alternative: Killer’s Instinct Outdoors Flat Metal Grilling Skewers

These skewers cover all the basic features you need for grilling success, plus a few extras to make the whole process better. Here’s what to know about them.

Pros

• These stainless steel grilling skewers don’t rust and this increases their lifespan.
• They have ergonomic handles to make them more comfortable to use.
• They have a flat and wide blade, which helps you to prevent your food from moving around during the grilling process. This seems to be a standard for high-quality metal skewers on the market.
• Unlike other metal skewers, though, these skewers have screws in their design which give you greater control over their position. This means you can grill your food evenly on all sides.
• They have very sharp points, which makes it easy to pierce food to grill.
• They come in a case that makes storing them more convenient.

Cons

• These skewers are about 13 inches in length, which might be a bit short.
• Some people who have ordered these skewers have reported quality control issues, such as receiving damaged goods.

Alternative: CMYK Barbecue Skewers

If you want to find skewers that make it easier to slide food onto them, then you’ll want these CMYK skewers that have some interesting features to offer. Let’s check them out.

Pros

• These are double-pronged sturdy skewers. The benefit of this design is that it works well to prevent food from spinning when you turn the skewers during the grilling process.
• The skewers’ design also ensures you can heat your food evenly.
• These skewers have a slider that enables you to slide the food off them when they’re done in an easier way. This is especially useful for small veggie pieces when you’re making vegetarian BBQ skewers.
• When you want to wash these skewers, you can simply pop them into the dishwasher. No mess, no fuss!
• These skewers are made with high-quality Grade 430 stainless steel. This type of steel is renowned for being resistant to corrosion.
• They have a two-inch long handle to make using these skewers comfortable and convenient.
• Their dual-prong design means you can put much more food on each skewer, so although only six skewers come in a pack you’re really getting 12 in total!

Cons

• Although they’re easy to clean, water can get trapped under the slide of these skewers, so you will have to move it up and down to dry it properly.
• Some people who have purchased these skewers have reported that they can be a bit cumbersome to use, especially if you’re using skewers for grilling for the first time.

Alternative 3: Jomverl Kabob Skewers

These kabob skewers make it easier than ever to make your grilling a success, and they offer convenience when storing them after use. Let’s see why they make our list of the best BBQ skewers.

Pros

• These stainless steel skewers are resistant to heat, rust, and corrosion.
• They have polished edges, which makes them safer to use because they reduce injuries.
• They are thick enough to handle having a lot of food on them.
• Their blades are flat and wide so that your food won’t turn when you grill them. This also ensures that you can grill food evenly on all sides.
• They have angled tips. This makes it easier to put food on them and it prevents the food pieces from splintering.
• They have ergonomic handles to make them easier to handle.
• They are dishwasher-friendly.
• As a nice bonus, these skewers have tip covers included with their purchase. This protects them and keeps them in good condition when they’re not in use.
• They also come with a storage pouch.

Cons

• Some people who have purchased these skewers have reported that they are a bit flimsy. This makes them inadequate for grilling large pieces of food.
• They’re extremely sharp, so you have to be very careful when using these, especially if kids are around.

BBQ Skewers For Grilling FAQ

Now that you know what the best skewers are on the market, you might want to know more about skewers in general and how to use them so that you get the best results.

So, let’s check out some commonly-asked questions about skewers.

Are wood or metal skewers better?

At the start of this article, we touched on why stainless steel skewers are better than those made out of wood.

But, let’s explore this in more detail.

• Wooden skewers can split easily, and this is especially the case with bamboo, which is naturally fibrous. You have to ensure you use a gentle hand when putting food on these skewers. Splitting wood can result in hand cuts and splinters, which you don’t want to have to deal with when cooking!
• Wooden skewers can’t tolerate high temperatures. You might have heard that you should soak your wooden skewers in water before grilling with them, but this doesn’t prevent their tips from burning off during cooking.
• Wooden skewers can’t be reused. This is not the case with metal BBQ skewers. Stainless steel skewers are the best in this regard because they are resistant to rust, corrosion, and heat, which increases their lifespan.
• Wooden skewers aren’t environmentally friendly. As a result of how they can’t be reused, wooden skewers aren’t good for the planet because they’re not sustainable. Chances are they’ll end up in the trash after use, which is obviously not the case with stainless steel skewers.

What are the best kebab skewers?

When you want to make delicious kebabs, you’ll have to ensure you look for quality skewers. They should have the following features.

• They should be strong enough to handle food load. If you want to load lots of food pieces on your skewers, you will need to use skewers that are strong and don’t flex under the weight.
• They should be flat and wide, as this prevents the food from moving around during the grilling process. This will also allow you to turn the skewers around so that you can heat up your food pieces evenly. This is especially important if you’re making veggie and meat kebabs.
• They should be made of stainless steel. This is stronger than metal and wood alternatives, and will be durable enough for regular use.
• They should be long. Ideally, your skewers should be about 12 or 13 inches in length, so that you can pack lots of food pieces onto them and so that you won’t burn your hands from the heat during the cooking process.
• They should have angled tips. This is especially beneficial for smaller pieces of food, or if you want to make vegetable kebabs because it will make it easier for you to pile food onto the skewers.
• They should be easy to clean. No one wants to have to battle to clean skewers after use, so dishwasher-friendly options are always the best to look for. Luckily, stainless steel skewers usually can be put in the dishwasher, as we’ve seen in our reviews.

How do I make BBQ skewers?

There are many ways in which you can make delicious BBQ skewers.

With a bit of creativity and durable skewers on hand, the options are endless! Here are some tips to help you.

• Choose cuts of meat that have a decent amount of fat on them, such as chicken thighs or lamb shoulder. This is because it will ensure the meat remains moist and tender, preventing it from becoming tough.
• When putting the meat on the skewers, you should leave some space between them to increase their crispness and ensure that they cook all the way around.
• The vegetables you choose for the skewers should be those that cook quickly. Otherwise, your meat will cook faster than your veggies and you’ll end up with unevenly-cooked skewers. Cut up hard produce, such as peppers and onions, into thin wedges to help them cook faster.
• If you want softer pieces of veggies, you should weave them onto the skewer. This will ensure that they don’t move around during the grilling process.
• Prepare the skewers before you start grilling. You should brush the skewers with oil and season them with spices to ensure that your BBQ skewers are full of flavor.
• Remember to turn the skewers often during the grilling process so that you spread the heat evenly across all the food pieces.

How do you grill kabobs without burning vegetables?

If you’ve ever made kabobs with vegetables that ended up burnt, you’ll know how disappointing it can be, especially if you’re entertaining guests.

To prevent this from happening in future, here are some tips you should follow for BBQ vegetarian skewers.

• If you’re using wooden skewers, of which bamboo are the most popular, you should always soak them in water for about half an hour before use. This will ensure that they don’t burn during the cooking process.
• Make sure you cut the vegetable pieces so that they’re all the same size. This will ensure they grill evenly. This will also help the veggie pieces to cook at the same rate as the pieces of meat if you’re grilling both types of food on the same kebob, such as if you’re making BBQ chicken skewers for your meat-loving friends.
• However, avoid cutting the veggies too thinly, as this can cause them to fall off the skewer or burn.
• Note that if you want to grill tender veggies, such as summer squash, you can cut these pieces thicker because they won’t need a lot of time to cook.
• Add oil to the veggies. Before grilling veggies, drizzle a bit of olive oil over them. Use your fingers to spread the oil over them. Note that it’s always more effective to put oil on the food instead of the grill.
• Avoid grilling on very high heat. Instead, you should grill the veggies and meat consistently over medium heat. This will prevent the food from burning.
• You should pack the veggies tightly on the skewer as during the cooking process vegetables will become smaller in size. However, try to leave a bit of space around the individual veggie pieces so that they will cook on all sides.

Conclusion

If you’ve been battling with wooden skewers that always seem to splinter during the grilling process, you will want to invest in stainless steel skewers instead.

In this article, we’ve featured some of the best BBQ skewers for grilling, as well as looked at some important information you need to know about skewers and how to use them for the best results.