Veggie and Meat Skewers with Spicy Honey
A bright, aromatic and versatile grill dish that's easy to adapt to any taste. Juicy meat, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers and red onion cook together on skewers, soaking up garlic, olive oil, fresh herbs and rosemary. A final drizzle of spicy honey adds sweetness, piquant warmth and beautifully unites the meat and vegetables into one BBQ composition.
Preparation
- 1
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes so they don't burn or splinter.
- 2
Cut the chicken or other meat into ~2.5 cm cubes of roughly equal size.
- 3
Prep the vegetables: cut the onion into large quarters, the peppers into large seeded pieces, the zucchini into thick half-rounds, and leave small mushrooms whole or halved.
- 4
Make the marinade: mix olive oil, garlic, parsley, cilantro, rosemary and spicy honey, season with salt and pepper.
- 5
Add the meat cubes to the marinade, toss, cover and chill for 20–30 minutes (longer is fine). Don't use marinade that touched raw meat for serving without cooking it.
- 6
Thread meat and vegetables onto the skewers, alternating, without packing too tightly (for precision you can skewer meat and vegetables separately).
- 7
Heat the grill to medium-high, clean and oil the grate.
- 8
Grill the skewers ~5–10 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and lightly charred and the meat is cooked through.
- 9
In the final minutes, brush the skewers with a clean portion of marinade or a mix of oil and spicy honey (don't add honey too early — it burns).
- 10
Transfer to a platter, rest 3–5 minutes, drizzle generously with spicy honey and, if you like, sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Chef's tips
- —Choose firm vegetables — zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, eggplant and onion hold their shape on the grill.
- —Cut ingredients to a similar size for even cooking.
- —Don't crowd the skewers — leave small gaps between pieces.
- —Preheat the grill well for nice marks and caramelisation, and oil the grate.
- —Watch the honey — add it near the end, as it burns quickly.
- —Don't use delicate leafy greens as the main vegetable; pre-boil potatoes and sweet potato.
- —For more heat, add chilli flakes or a little more spicy honey.
- —For a vegetarian version, swap the meat for tofu, halloumi or an extra portion of mushrooms.
