Pork Shashlik is the perfect summer BBQ food! Cubes of pork are marinated in simple spices with lots of sliced onions and mineral water to make the meat tender then threaded on skewers for grilling! Make-ahead or marinade for at least 6 hours before serving.
Shashlik makes the perfect camping food, served with tortillas, Homemade Mayonnaise, raw onions, Homemade Ketchup, lettuce, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes! I just pack everything into a cooler and thread the meat on skewers at the campground when cooking. It smells amazing and gets people wondering what it is we’re grilling!
What is Shashlik?
Shashlik is the Russian word for Shish Kebabs. There are so many variations to marinating the pieces of meat, but onions are one of the main ingredients in a traditional shashlik recipe. Originally, its made with lamb, but some use beef, chicken, or venison.
Best Meat for Shashlik?
Pork picnic shoulder or Boston Butt is a popular choice of meat for shashlik. It is slightly-marbled and tender when cooked. Another cut you can use is pork tenderloin, which is lean so you’ll need to add extra oil for cooking or in the marinade. Cut against the grain into 1.5-inch cubes, bigger meat cubes won’t dry out as quickly and stay juicier. I like to cut them the same size so they cook evenly.
Shashlik Ingredients:
My favourite shashlik is made of pork! I like to thread the meat only onto skewers and reserve a few skewers for vegetables such as sweet bell peppers, mushrooms, and cubed onions. Cooking them separate is best because meat takes longer to cook than the veggies.
- Pork Shoulder- I used boneless pork shoulder picnic roast from Walmart, (the Smithfield brand). It’s best to cut it into large chunks for juicer kebabs.
- Onions- 4 whole onions, cut in half and then thinly sliced for massaging into the meat. Adding raw onions to meat adds flavor and tenderizes the meat.
- Spices and Herbs- like salt, black pepper, coriander, and a Shashlik seasoning packet adds amazing Eastern European flavor. The Shashlik seasoning packet has a mixture of coriander, hot red pepper, paprika, basil, marjoram, parsley, garlic, fenugreek, turmeric, bay leaf, mint, and salt. You can buy it on Amazon and it adds great flavor.
- Mineral water- sparkling water or club soda tenderize tough meat and works great for shish kebab recipes.
How To Make Shashlik at Home:
This is one of the easiest pork Shashlik recipes! It a simple dish that can be prepared ahead and cooked outside, making it perfect for BBQ cookouts and camping trips! You can roast these on skewers in the oven, grill, or mangal with coals.
- In a large bowl combine the pork, sliced onions, and spices, massage it all well into the meat for a couple of minutes using gloves.
- Add the mineral water and mix thoroughly. The mineral water will dilute some of the spices, balancing out the flavors.
- Marinate the meat for 6 hours or it can sit up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Thread meat on skewers and cook on a preheated 400°F grill for 15-20 minutes total (rotating every few minutes). If using coals cook over red charcoals. Pork is done when the internal temp of the meat reads 160°F.
Tip: If using wooden sticks, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes before threading.
What To Serve with Shashlik?
Not familiar with a shish kebab recipe? You may be wondering what is served with shashlik? Well you can eat the kebabs with shashlik sauce and a slice of bread for a complete meal. However, there are many ways to eat it.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces like ketchup or mayonnaise.
- Make a side of rice and a fresh tomato and onion salad (shared in the recipe notes for Plov).
- Mashed potatoes make a great hot side dish!
- Serve in Gyros or tortillas topped with fresh veggies. We like to grill some bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions separately to make delicious summer sandwiches or wraps with shashlik!
Tips:
- Don’t be hesitant to add the amount of spices called for in this marinade for shashlik, it gets diluted with mineral water and balances out well.
- Cook kebabs in batches if you run out of skewers or space on the grill.
- Shashlik is a national food of Russia and Ukraine. It’s mainly eaten in the summer during BBQ season.
- The shashlik seasoning packet has a blend of Eastern European herbs with curry undertones, it gives the meat amazing flavor once cooked over the fire and isn’t too strong. There are different brands with some that have cumin, nutmeg, caraway seeds, or mustard seeds. Make your own blend with any of the spices, listed.
- One packet of the seasoning packet is equivalent to 1 3/4 Tablespoons (15 grams). Use your favourite grilling spice or completely omit it, the Shish kebabs will still be tasty with the salt, pepper, and coriander.
- Season the meat generously with the seasonings, that is key to flavourful and juicy meat.
- If you can’t read the shashlik seasoning packet it says 1 packet per 2 kg of meat (about 4.5 pounds of meat).
- You’ll need meat that is slightly marbled for tender shashlik.
More Meat Recipes:
BBQ season is here! Here are more grilled meat recipes and more!
Pork Shashlik (Shish Kebab Recipe)
Equipment
- set of metal skewers (or soak wooden sticks for 20 minutes)
- 1 large mixing bowl
- grill or mangal
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 6 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt (trimmed from fat)
- 4 onions (halved and thinly sliced)
- 1 Tbsp coriander
- 1 Tbsp black pepper
- 3 Tbsp salt
- 500 ml sparkling water
Instructions
Directions:
Cut the pork into large 1.5-inch cubes.- In a large bowl combine the pork, sliced onions, coriander, seasoning packet, salt, and black pepper. Massage the onions into the meat for 3 minutes (use gloves for easier cleanup).
- Add the mineral water and mix everything well. Let it marinate for at least 6 hours before serving or refrigerate for up to 4 days in the marinade.
- Thread the meat onto skewers and discard marinade with onions.
- Arrange skewers onto a preheated 400°F grill and cook for 15-20 minutes, rotating every 3-4 minutes so that the meat cooks evenly.
Notes
- Shish kebabs are done when the internal temp reads 160-165°F.
- A shashlik seasoning packet has a mixture of coriander, hot red pepper, paprika, basil, marjoram, parsley, garlic, fenugreek, turmeric, bay leaf, mint, and salt.
- If you don't have the seasoning packet, simply use 2 1/2 Tbsp of coriander and omit the packet.
- Make sure to grill shashlik at least 6-inches over direct heat for a good sear, the key is to rotate them every 3-4 minutes.
