Cut everything the same size

Yes, that’s basically it.

Uneven cooking on kebabs comes down to one thing: different pieces take different times to cook. A chunk of bell pepper that’s twice as thick as the adjacent onion will either be raw or burnt. Same goes for meat — uneven cubes mean some are overdone and some are under.

So step one: cut every ingredient to roughly the same size. I aim for 1-inch cubes for most things. That gives you a consistent cook time across the skewer.

Step two: don’t crowd the skewer. Leave a tiny gap between pieces so heat circulates. If everything is smashed together, the middle stays raw while the edges char.

Step three: consider skewering meat and veggies separately. They cook at different rates — chicken takes longer than zucchini. Put meat on one set of skewers, veggies on another, and pull the veggies off when they’re done. This is the pro move.

If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes first. Otherwise they’ll burn before the food is cooked.

Bottom line: consistency in size and spacing solves 90% of kebab problems.