Sausage Kabobs are simple to make, nutritious, and loaded with flavor! We combine smoked sausage with bell peppers, red onion, baby bella mushrooms, and a satisfying seasoning blend.
The more we can throw on the grill in the summer, the better! Try our practically famous grilled chicken marinade, this show-stopping burger recipe, or these fan-favorite Hobo foil packets next!
Sausage Kabobs
My boys think dinner on a stick is maybe the greatest thing I’ve ever served for dinner. While it seems they end up playing with the food more than eating the food (sword fighting seems more obvious than eating apparently), these sausage kabobs have been the hands down favorite for playing AND eating!
After making a few kabob meals over the last couple of weeks, the boys have been begging to eat everything on a skewer so be prepared for a few more recipes to come your way
Quick Tip
Love dinner on a stick? Add these recipes to your grilling repertoire: Chicken Kabobs, Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, Shish Tawook, or Steak Kebabs with a Basil Sauce!
Sausage Kabobs Ingredients
- Sausage. We recommend using smoked sausage for this recipe. home cooks enjoy using hardwood smoked turkey sausage (to keep this recipe on the healthier side), but any smoked sausage will work. Smoked sausage grills up quickly and you don’t have to worry about it coming to a certain temperature — it’s actually completely safe to eat right out of the package. We grill it to add flavor (browning and charring = flavor), but aren’t worried about testing for a certain temperature which makes this recipe that much easier!
- Veggies. We like a combination of sweet bell peppers, a green pepper, baby bella mushrooms, and red onion best in these kabobs.
- Olive Oil. Not only insurance against the veggies burning, it also adds wonderful flavor and good-for-you fats making the veggies and sausage so tasty!
- Seasonings. A quick seasoning blend of dried oregano, dried parsley, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper — yum!
Sausage Kabobs Tips
- Cut veggies and sausage into same-sized pieces. To ensure everything is cooking evenly it is important veggies and sausage are all cut to the sizing indicated in the recipe card.
- Seasoning. We include a salting recommendation for these sausage kabobs, but keep in mind, not all salts are the same. I use fine sea salt in this recipe; if using table salt, you’ll want to use less.
- Generously oil your grill grates. We do this by rolling up a few paper towels, drenching them in oil (canola or vegetable), and with tongs, rub the drenched paper towels along the grill grates. This will contribute to a beautiful sear and char (which also means more flavor). Additionally, it ensures the kabobs don’t stick to the grates (it’s always a pain when you lose some of the veggies or meat on the grill!).
- Wait for the grill to be fully heated before adding the loaded skewers. Again, it’s all about getting some good char so we can have plenty of flavor. If the kabobs are added too early, they’ll miss that charring and cook unevenly.
- Soak wooden skewers. Wooden skewers can burn easily over a hot grill. Soaking them in warm water for 10 to 30 minutes before threading will keep the skewers from burning. More details about soaking skewers? Read this. Metal skewers are a great alternative option.
Quick Tip
If the sausage kabobs are sticking at all, use a large metal spatula instead of tongs to flip.
Sausage Kabobs Variation Ideas
- Change up veggies. Use your favorite veggies making sure to cut them into similar sizes so they will grill at the same rate as everything else. Some ideas for veggies that will cook at similar rates: thin coins of corn on the cob, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced zucchini, thinly sliced yellow squash, cubed eggplants.
- Switch out the sausage. If you don’t want to use smoked turkey sausage, try a different variety of smoked sausage — beef, pork, chicken, or a combination of several different kinds of meats. If you want this recipe to be Whole-30 compliant, here is a listing of sausages that fit the requirements.
- Swap seasonings. We’re obsessed with this seasoning blend, but feel free to play around with the seasonings added. Some ideas: add some red pepper flakes for a touch of heat, some onion powder for a deeper savory flavor, and some dried basil and/or dried thyme for more Italian-flavored sausage kabobs.
Serving Suggestions
home cooks enjoy Sausage Kabobs hot off the grill, but they go really well with a nice creamy sauce, too! Just note that the sauces are not on the Whole-30 list.
- My kids are obsessed with pairing these with good (Heinz®) ketchup. (I’ll admit, It is satisfying to it too!)
- A tangy Dijonnaise is also a nice complement to the sausage. To make a quick Dijonnaise, whisk together 1/3 cup good Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons mayo, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
- A honey mustard sauce is also a fun pairing with the sausage and veggies. a reliable quick honey mustard sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons mayo, 1-1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard, 3/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1-1/2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon honey BBQ sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.
Beyond the sauce, these Sausage Kabobs pair nicely with a quick garden salad; home cooks enjoy this crunchy Cucumber Salad, this Italian salad, or this Olive Garden salad best on the side!
