This Chicken Shish Tawook is ane of my favorite Middle Eastern recipes! Chicken pieces are marinated inward a warmly spiced, brightly flavorful lemon in addition to yogurt sauce and then grilled to tender, juicy perfection. It’second slow to brand as well as pairs wonderfully amongst a diverseness of sides.
What Is Shish Tawook?
In the Turkish language, “shish” way skewer, and “tawook,” also sometimes spelled tauk, way chicken. Put together, the two translate to hateful chicken skewer or chicken kebab.
Believed to take starting time been served during the Ottoman Empire, shish tawook apace became pop throughout the entire Middle East, spreading into Arab Republic of Egypt in addition to Levant during the Ottoman’sec rule.
It features pieces of chicken that are soaked inward a yogurt marinade infused amongst garlic, lemon juice, in addition to lots of warm spices. It is then grilled or baked until the chicken is fully cooked together with tender.
Thanks to the marinade, chicken shish tawook ever turns out juicy together with is well-nigh fail proof. It’s ane of my all-time favorite recipes too is always what I gild when we dine at Middle Eastern restaurants. Luckily, it’sec unproblematic to make at habitation, too!
What’sec the departure betwixt chicken shish tawook in addition to chicken shawarma?
Both dishes are made amongst boneless skinless chicken in addition to Middle Eastern spices, just they are not the same. There are central differences in how the two recipes are created as well as prepared.
- Shish tawook is created amongst a creamy, yogurt-based marinade that features garlic, warm seasonings, in addition to tomato plant paste. As a outcome, it has a rich, bold flavor together with a distinct hue.
- Alternatively, shawarma does not function yogurt or love apple glue. Instead, an olive crude oil-based marinade creates a stronger citrus flavour alongside warmer seasonings in addition to a slightly spicier season.
- Traditionally, shish tawook is grilled on skewers, and shawarma roasts long too tiresome on a spit. Although, yous tin can besides brand oven baked chicken shawarma at dwelling house.
Chicken Shish Tawook Ingredients
- Yogurt: Low-fat or whole will work swell. Just brand sure whatsoever you lot use is manifestly.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best.
- Olive crude: I recommend using extra virgin olive rock oil for the strongest taste.
- Tomato paste: Make certain it’sec a thick paste together with not tomato sauce.
- Garlic: Whole, fresh cloves are best.
- Ginger: Use fresh ginger that has been peeled together with chopped.
- Herbs in addition to spices: Paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, allspice, earth cinnamon, ground nutmeg, earth cardamom, cayenne pepper, common salt, in addition to black pepper are included inwards the marinade.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Chicken breasts can be substituted.
How to Make This Shish Tawook Recipe
- Soak the skewers: If using wooden skewers, soak them in H2O to forbid them from burning on the grill.
- Create the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the marinade until shine.
- Marinade the chicken: Cut the chicken into strips, and place them inward a gallon-size resealable handbag or large bowl. Pour the marinade on peak, as well as coat the chicken completely. Transfer the ingredients to the refrigerator for ii-iii hours.
- Grill: Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers, too home them on a heated grill. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 425 degrees, rotating the skewers twice.
- Serve: Plate the shish tawook, together with serve the chicken warm drizzled amongst olive oil or alongside hummus for dipping.
Helpful Tips
- Even chicken pieces: For fifty-fifty cooking, cut the chicken into equal-sized two-inch by ane-inch strips.
- Don’t rush the marinading procedure: In improver to adding flavour to the chicken, the yogurt sauce besides helps tenderize the gist. For the best results, allow it marinate for 2-eight hours. However, if y'all’re inwards a hurry, allow for at to the lowest degree thirty minutes.
- Use metallic skewers: This helps prevent splintering too ensures they don’t burn down on the grill. Plus, they’re reusable, saving you lot coin in the long work as well as preventing waste!
- Oil the grill: Brush the grill grates lightly amongst rock oil before adding the shish tawook skewers to forbid them from sticking.
- Bake: If grilling isn’t an option, try baking the chicken at 450 degrees for 18-25 minutes, flipping the skewers in one case or twice instead.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken shish tawook works peachy stuffed into pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, too veggies. Or, serve it over a bed of Jasmine rice, tabbouleh, or fattoush. No thing how y'all serve it, don’t forget to add a sauce! Hummus, tzatziki, baba ganoush, too toum are around of my favorites.
Storage as well as Reheating
- Transfer the chicken to an airtight container.
- Store inward the refrigerator for upwards to four days.
- Reheat one time on the grill.
- Or, savour common cold inwards a salad or twine.
More Chicken Recipes To Try
- Grilled Moroccan Chicken
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Honey Lime Chicken Skewers
- Chicken Satay
- Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken
- Gyros with Greek Chicken
Shish Tawook
Ingredients
- ane/2 loving cup plain yogurt (low-fatty or whole)
- ane/iii cup fresh lemon juice
- i/four loving cup olive fossil oil, addition more for grill, and optionally more than for drizzling over grilled chicken
- ii Tbsp love apple glue
- ii Tbsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp peeled as well as chopped fresh ginger
- i 1/two tsp paprika
- one 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- one tsp dried oregano
- one tsp earth allspice
- i/iv tsp earth cinnamon
- ane/4 tsp earth nutmeg
- 1/iv tsp earth cardamom
- i/four tsp cayenne pepper
- i 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 one/2 tsp dark pepper
- two 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
Instructions
- If y'all are using wooden skewers soak them inwards water while the chicken marinades and then they don't fire up on the grill. You'll call for nearly viii (ten-inch) skewers for this recipe.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, olive crude oil, Lycopersicon esculentum paste, garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, oregano, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cayenne pepper, table salt and dark pepper.
- Cut chicken into ii-inch by i-inch strips. Place chicken pieces into a gallon size resealable pocketbook or a large bowl.
- Pour marinade over chicken, seal purse too rub marinade over chicken (if using bowl only toss and so cover).
- Let marinate inwards refrigerator two to iii hours.
- Thread chicken pieces onto skewers folding in half equally you thread.
- Preheat a gas grill over medium-high oestrus to 425 degrees. Clean too brush grill grates lightly alongside crude.
- Grill chicken pieces, rotating 1/three of the fashion twice during grilling, for nigh xvi to 20 minutes full until heart of thickest constituent registers 165 degrees.
- Plate chicken together with if desired serve drizzled alongside olive crude or amongst hummus for dipping.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 239
Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*