These beef skewers for toddlers are built for little ones—but they don’t taste like toddler food. Marinated in a mix of fruit, onion, garlic, and yogurt, then quickly broiled until tender and juicy, they’re the kind of meal that makes you feel like you’ve cooked something real—without spending all day doing it.
Inspired by South Asian flavors but adapted with a kid-friendly marinade and boneless short ribs for softness, this is a dish that hits the sweet spot between grown-up taste and toddler accessibility. If you’re a parent looking to add iron-rich, flavorful meat to your kid’s plate without wrestling with tough cuts or complicated prep, this recipe delivers.
Serve them on (or off) little skewers for easy grip, pair them with rice, yogurt, or even just a veggie side, and watch them disappear. It’s simple, satisfying, and totally doable—even on a weeknight.
Check out our other toddler steak recipes!
🧾 Ingredients Overview
You’ll need just a handful of everyday ingredients to make these beef skewers for toddlers:
- Onion and garlic for savory depth
- Yogurt to tenderize and mellow the flavor
- Mango (or papaya) to tenderize the meat and add sweetness
- A little bit of salt and heat (easily adjustable)
- Thin-sliced boneless short ribs, which soak up all that marinade and turn buttery soft under the broiler
🔥 Steps Summary
- Blend the marinade smooth and toss in your beef slices.
- Let everything hang out in the fridge for at least a few hours (if not overnight) for max flavor and tenderness.
- Thread onto short skewers (or leave as is), then roast and broil briefly until cooked through and lightly charred.
Cleanup is minimal, the cook time is fast, and the result is big flavor in small bites.
❓FAQ
What cut of beef works best?
Boneless short ribs are ideal because they’re naturally tender and flavorful when sliced thin. Flank steak or sirloin tip can be used as a backup—just marinate thoroughly.
Is this spicy?
Nope—the chili powder and garam masala you might see in a South Asian version of this are not included here. The flavor won’t suffer.
Do I have to use skewers?
Not at all. Skewers are optional and mostly for fun or self-feeding. You can simply broil the strips and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes! You can marinate the beef up to 24 hours in advance. Cooked skewers also reheat well in a skillet or toaster oven.
Can I freeze it?
Absolutely. Freeze the marinated (uncooked) beef flat in a bag, and you’ve got a toddler-friendly protein ready whenever you need it.
Easy Beef Skewers For Toddlers – Tender, Flavorful, and Dad-Approved
Description
Marinated in fruit and yogurt, then roasted and broiled until ultra tender, these short rib kebabs are beefy delight that are as easy for your toddler to eat as they are for you to enjoy.
Ingredients
Sauce
Instructions
Prep
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Salt the short ribs. Cut meat into small cubes.
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Peel mango and cut fruit off its pit; set aside skin and pit for later use. (See below.) Place fruit in your blender, add a splash of water and blend until a smooth puree, roughly 15-20 seconds.
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Coat beef cubes in the mango sauce; let marinade in the refrigerator for one hour.
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In a large bowl, mix yogurt, oil, lemon juice, garlic and ginger paste, garam masala (or equivalent, paprika, turmeric, and two pinches of salt. Toss mango-marinated beef cubes into bowl and stir until coated in yogurt marinade. Return to fridge and allow to marinate for at least three hours, up to 24 hours.
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Roughly 30-60 minutes before cooking the meat, remove them from fridge and thread beef pieces onto a skewer. Allow to come to room temperature.
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To make the accompanying sauce, squeeze into a small bowl the remaining juice from mango pit and skins; mix in the mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, couple of shakes of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Store in fridge until ready to serve.
Cook
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Two options:
- Oven: Cover kebabs with foil and cook 25min at 400; turn oven to 'Broil' setting and move an oven rack to the closet rung to the broiler. Broil for one minute
- Grill: Place skewers on grate and cook for approximately 7-9 minutes, rotating the skewers halfway.
Serve
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Unless your child is keen to eat straight from the stick, slide the meat pieces off and serve them on your child’s plate. If pieces of meat and a sauce/condiment is not enough, the beef eats well over our perfect rice, or in a thin wrap (i.e., chapati, tortilla); feel free to make a slide or sandwich from it, too.
Adapt
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Papaya works well as a fruit marinade, too; you can also baste the meat with fruit paste or barbecue sauce before broiling or grilling. If looking to use a meat other than short ribs, be sure and replace with a cut that is tender and does not require much cooking–i.e., filet mignon, flank steak, etc. Check out our chicken version of this recipe, too!
Nutrition Facts
Servings 5
Serving Size 1 skewer
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 50kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 4g7%
- Cholesterol 20mg7%
- Sodium 15mg1%
- Protein 6g12%
- Iron 0.6 mg
- Niacin 2.5 mg
- Vitamin B12 0.5 mcg
- Zinc 1.6 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Made these short rib skewers but used sirloin tip instead–came out really nice. Great marinade!