Tying & Fastening

Skewers

Thread meat and vegetables for kebabs and grilling

Long metal or bamboo sticks that thread meat, vegetables, and shrimp for even grilling and tidy kebabs. Soak bamboo skewers in water first so they don't scorch over the flame. Two skewers per kebab keep the pieces from spinning when you turn them.

Skewers are long, thin sticks — metal or bamboo — that thread chunks of meat, vegetables, or shrimp into kebabs so they cook evenly and turn as one. They're what turn a grill into a kebab station: pieces sit close together for fast, even cooking, and you flip a whole row in one motion. Beyond grilling they hold rolled or stuffed food together, lift items for dipping, and test cakes. Cheap, simple, and indispensable for anything skewered over fire.

Types & varieties

Bamboo / wooden

Cheap and disposable; soak before grilling to prevent burning.

Flat metal skewers

The flat profile grips food so it doesn't spin when you turn it.

Round metal skewers

Reusable and sturdy, but food can rotate freely on them.

Double-pronged skewers

Two tines hold pieces locked in place for clean turning.

Threading for even cooking

Cut pieces a uniform size so they finish together, and don't crowd them — leave small gaps so heat reaches all sides. Group like with like (or use separate skewers) since vegetables and meat cook at different rates. For tender turning, run two skewers through each kebab so pieces can't pivot.

Uniform pieces cook evenly
Small gaps let heat circulate
Two skewers per kebab stop spinning

Bamboo vs. metal

Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes before grilling so the exposed ends don't catch fire over the coals. Metal skewers never burn and conduct heat into the food's center, cooking from within — but they get blazing hot, so handle the ends with a towel or mitt.

Common uses

Grilling meat, vegetable, and shrimp kebabsMaking satay and yakitoriHolding rolled or stuffed foods closedSpearing appetizers and fruitTesting cake donenessLifting items for dipping in chocolate or batterSecuring stuffed peppers or roulades

Tips & pitfalls

Soak bamboo skewers at least 20 minutes so the ends don't burn over flame.
Use two skewers per kebab so pieces don't spin when you flip them.
Group meat and vegetables on separate skewers — they cook at different rates.
Leave gaps between pieces so heat circulates and they cook through.
Metal skewers get scorching hot; grab the ends with a towel or mitt.
Cut meat into even, modest chunks and check that the center reaches a safe temperature — charred outsides can hide raw centers on a kebab; discard wooden skewers after raw-meat use rather than reusing them.