Grilled Pork Skewers with Balsamic Marinade
Fire up the grill for tasty Grilled Pork Skewers! Pork tenderloin gets its flavor from a Balsamic Marinade with soy sauce, garlic, and spicy seasonings! It cooks in minutes – and the leftovers are just as delicious!
Fire up the grill for tasty Grilled Pork Skewers! Pork tenderloin gets its flavor from a Balsamic Marinade with soy sauce, garlic, and spicy seasonings! This post is brought to you in paid partnership with the National Pork Board.
We hit triple digits this week, with the sun blazing unapologetically all day long, from the moment it rose until the moment it set, and it’s hard to be upset because, after all, it’s summer — my favorite season!
It’s the season of sweet summer fruits and veggies, ice cream, flip flops and, perhaps best of all, firing up the grill! This is the time of year I avoid cooking in my kitchen and turn to keeping the heat outdoors, and if you know me by now, it’s secretly my excuse to hand off some of the cooking responsibility to my husband.
Come summer, we have a routine. I marinate, he grills. And with the kids, I give them a little more responsibility, too (salad prep!). It gives me a break, and dinner tastes even better when we can eat it outdoors!
To spice up our summer grilling routine, I grilled pork tenderloin, one of my favorite cuts! This recipe for pork skewers makes both marinating and grilling time faster – a huge time saver that leaves us more time to enjoy the best part of summer: some good ole’ R&R.
How to Make Grilled Pork Skewers
To make these skewers, I turn to pork tenderloin. This cut is my hands down favorite, especially for summer grilling because not only is it affordable, it is such a forgiving cut of meat. It doesn’t dry out, even if I accidentally leave the meat on the grill for a bit! The meat stays flavorful and succulent and is especially wonderful to soaking in the flavor from the marinade.
To make the marinade, I bring in my flavor workhorses — balsamic vinegar and soy sauce gives it that one-two punch of flavor, garlic and creole seasoning adds some kick, and a touch of honey and tomato paste balances the flavors out.
Since the meat is cut in cubes, it soaks in the marinade in less time, and it cooks up in just 10 minutes!
If you’re using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent scorching on the grill. Metal skewers also work if you have them!
I also like to skewer the pork with red onion — they add so much flavor to the meal!
The pork takes about 10 minutes to cook on the grill — just be certain to cook it to an internal temperature of 145°F.
To serve the skewers, I like to keep things simple — a salad is great, or some simply sliced up vegetables and tzatziki sauce.
Leftover Pork Tenderloin
If you have leftover pork tenderloin, put it in a wrap! This gyro-inspired wrap is our favorite way to eat leftovers! Simply warm up some naan, spread on some tzatziki, and load it with leftover pork and fresh veggies!
More Delicious Pork Recipes
Filipino Pork Adobo
Quinoa Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Roast Pork Loin with Balsamic, Dijon & Thyme
Filipino Pork Barbecue Bowl and Spicy Korean-Style Meatball Bowl
Pork Belly Buns
Slow Cooker Bánh Mì Vietnamese Sandwich
Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with the National Pork Board. Thank you for supporting brands that matter to me; sponsored posts such as this help behind the scenes at Kitchen Confidante. All opinions in this post are, as always, my own.
Grilled Pork Skewers with Balsamic Marinade
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce shoyu style
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red onion
- olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- Slice the pork tenderloin into 1-inch cubes.
- In a glass (or non-reactive) bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, Creole seasoning, tomato paste and pepper. Add the pork, stirring well to coat the meat on all sides with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours to marinate.
- Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes prior to cooking to prevent them from burning.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Peel the red onion and slice lengthwise in half. Cut into wedges about 1 1/2 inches in size.
- Thread the pork and red onion onto the skewers. Lightly brush on all sides with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Grill the pork skewers for about 10 minutes, rotating once or twice until fully cooked, with an internal temperature of 145°F.
Notes
- The pork takes about 10 minutes to cook on the grill — just be certain to cook it to an internal temperature of 145°F.
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
Made this last night, it was a hit! Very flavorful. I didn’t have Creole seasoning so subbed Cajun. It definitely covered the bases of tart, sweet, and heat. Will be making this again and again!
Loren,
What a beautiful name. This recipe raises grilled pork to another level. I was impressed by the ease of preparation and simplistic, but wonderful presentation your Grilled Pork Kebabs make. I am a bonafide foodie who has been in the Foodservice and private restaurant business for over 35 years – not including growing up in a restaurant family. I am always searching for simplistic recipes that meat the wood fired pit experience, you hit the mark. I did add a pinch of crushed ginger lot to the marinade, however, it really did not need it. Thank you for your contribution!
Sorry for the typo Liren!
Hi Arthur, thank you so much for your comment! I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe!
Fantastic flavor. Made my own Creole using fresh oregano basil thyme and various dried peppers. Leftovers will make great fried rice and looking forward to them already.
Thank you, Robert! So glad you enjoyed this recipe as much as we did!
great choice of protein, more flavor than chicken skewers, and love the suggestion of wraps for leftovers, thank you!
Thanks, Sabrina! I just love how the leftovers are as good, if not better!