After a long day of carrying around camera gear, we crowded into a bustling restaurant off the square in Cusco and I dug into my first lomo saltado. The flavors I tasted while traveling through Peru are what inspired these steak and potato kabobs, a perfect meal for camping with global flavors!

beef and potato kabobs on platter with grilled onions and tomatoes with hands grabbing skewer

This recipe was originally created for the Idaho Potato Council. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lomo saltado is a Peruvian dish of thin-sliced beef and french fries, tomatoes, and onions all stirfried together and served with rice. Spotted on almost every menu in Peru while I was there, its popularity had me trying more than a few samples.

A quick and flavorful camping recipe

Lomo saltado is a quick dish that when cooked traditionally, is a stir fry. For this camping version of the recipe, I went with a simplified kabob version for easy clean up while elevating the hearty beef and potato combo with aji and huacatay, signature Peruvian flavors.

ingredients for steak and potato kabobs

What you need for these easy campfire kabobs

These are super easy bbq beef kabobs. However, finding the aji amarillo and huacatay may be a bit tricky (see my recipe notes for tips). Once you have those you just need a lean cut of beef, a couple of Idaho potatoes, and a few staples like soy sauce, red onion, and tomatoes.

Everything’s punched up with a little lime juice for a pop of brightness and some cilantro for serving.

beef and potato kabobs on platter with grilled onions and tomatoes with hand grabbing skewer

Quick tips for making this Peruvian inspired kabob recipe

Marinate the beef ahead of time to let it soak in the flavors. I will make this before hitting camp, allowing the flavors to marinate in a resealable bag in the cooler while I head to camp. It’s a perfect easy grilled dinner.

Don’t want to slice potatoes at camp? No problem! You can use frozen potato wedges for this or steak cut fries as well! Just don’t let the frozen potatoes thaw while getting to camp or they get soggy.

Psst, you could also use frozen fries for this campfire chili fries and I totally use frozen potato tots for this make-ahead burrito recipe I always make!

steak cubed for kabobs

When cubing the steak and slicing the potatoes, even cuts is going to be the trick to making sure everything cooks evenly. As best you can, try to make sure all the beef is cubed to the same size and the potatoes are sliced to even wedges.

above shot of aji sauce in a food processor

I pair this with a quick green sauce – aka aji verde – a cilantro-based crema that is perfect for these kabobs and a variety of other things (try it on eggs too). You can store the sauce in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

GirlCarnivore Pro Tip: Spruce up your campfire eats by making sauces ahead of time and storing in resealable jars. Chimichurri and this quick aji verde are two of my favorites!

beef and potato kabobs on platter with grilled onions and tomatoes

Want more global recipe inspiration? Try some of my favorite recipes

If you’ve tried these Peruvian-inspired steak and potato kabobs or any other recipe on GirlCarnivore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below. I get inspired by your feedback and comments!
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Peruvian Inspired Steak and Potato Kabobs

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Servings: 10
beef and potato kabobs on platter with grilled onions and tomatoes with hand grabbing skewer
This campfire kabob recipe was heavily inspired by the flavors from lomo saltado, a Peruvian stir-fry dish. With a quick marinade and easy grill, it's a fun way to serve 'steak and potatoes' while camping – or over any grill!

Recommended Equipment

  • Grilling Skewers

Ingredients  

Cilantro Sauce:

  • ½ cup Mayo
  • 1 bunch fresh Cilantro
  • ¼ cup Queso Fresco
  • 1 Serrano or jalapeno seeded, stemmed and minced
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 4 Scallions
  • Lime juice from one lime
  • Salt

Marinade:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Aji Amarillo Sauce
  • 1 tsp huacatay paste
  • Lime juice

For the Kabobs

  • 2 lbs top sirloin steak
  • 3 evenly sized Idaho Potatos washed, peeled and sliced into wedges
  • 1 Red Onion sliced into disks
  • 1/2 lbs Tomatoes

Instructions 

Make the Cilantro Sauce (aka aji verde)

  • In a food processor, combine the mayo, cilantro, queso fresco, jalapeno, garlic cloves, scallions, and lime juice.
  • Pulse until smooth.
  • Season with salt to taste.
  • Cover and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Prep and Marinate the Beef

  • Remove any excess fat from the steak and cut into 1” cubes. Place in a large resealable bag.
  • Whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, aji sauce, huacatay paste and lime juice together in a bowl.
  • Pour over the steak cubes.
  • Marinate for 2 to 6 hours.
    showing steak cut into cubes and marinating in resealable bag

Per-cook the Potatoes

  • When ready to grill, preheat your campfire or grill for indirect heat.
  • Par-cook the fries by grill at high heat, around 450, in foil tray or cast iron pan until golden brown with a tiny bit of oil to prevent soggy potatoes, stirring as needed to crisp evenly, about 25 minutes.
    potatoes in foil pan to show how to cook on grill or over campfire
  • Season with salt and set side until you make the kabobs.

Assemble the kabobs

  • Assemble the kabobs with the marinated beef cubes alternating with the cooked potatoes.
    steak and potato kabobs assembled ready for grill

Grill the kabobs

  • Place on the hot side of the grill, and rotate, making sure to cook the beef evenly to desired doneness or 135 for medium-rare.
  • Remove from the grill and set aside to rest.
  • Meanwhile, grill the onions and tomatoes.
  • Serve the kabobs on a platter with the grilled onions and tomatoes with the cilantro sauce for dipping.

Notes

I find my aji amarillo sauce and huacatay at international markets or Latin markets. Occasionally you can spot aji in the Latin aisle at generic markets, check for the Goya label. They come in small glass jars. Or you can order the aji amarillo paste and huacatay off of Amazon.
This recipe was designed for camping but would work on any grill – gas or charcoal. 
If you cant find top sirloin, any lean cut will work for this recipe. I avoid fatty cuts, like ribeye for kabobs because when cubbed, even and equal size pieces of meat will cook better. Try NY strip, Denver, or any even lean cut. 
Slicing the potatoes into equal wedges portions will help them cook evenly. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2g | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 697mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Camping, Fusion, Peruvian
Author: Kita Roberts

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Well, Hey, Y’all.

Kita is a multi-talented individual, boasting numerous accomplishments such as being an award-winning recipe developer, world-traveled professional photographer, and journalist. As the lead creative force behind Girl Carnivore®, she is widely recognized as an authority on all things meat. Kita’s impressive expertise has been honed through extensive education with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Certified Angus Beef, as well as through attending butchery demos and visiting ranchers and farmers from coast to coast, allowing her to better learn and understand American foodways.

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