Warmly spiced, with predominant flavors of lemon-garlic, wrapped in a creamy yogurt-based marinade Shish Tawook is my new favorite kebab.
Originated in Turkey by the Ottomans it is now hugely popular all over the Levant region. In Turkey it features on every restaurant menu, served along with a grilled mild green chili, tomato-onion salad, pita bread, bulgur rice and some kinda a sauce. In Turkish, the word “shish” means skewer, and “tawook,” or taouk, means chicken.
The key to delicious Tawook chicken kebabs is in the marinade. It starts with creamy Greek yogurt (some people prefer milk to cut back one the acid, I found both work well, but prefer yogurt for its richness and ability to stick to the meat. The yogurt is combined with lemon juice, garlic + ginger paste, herbs and spices like– dried oregano, paprika, cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg–and a couple tablespoons of tomato paste gives the grilled chicken a beautiful red hue. We then allow the chicken pieces to marinate for at least one hour or preferably overnight. When you’re ready to eat you simply thread the pieces on skewers and grill it to its juicy, smoky and tender perfection.
Serve it at your next BBQ party (summer is right around the corner) with all your favorite Mediterranean sides, dips, salads and get ready for tons of compliments. It is also fabulous for weeknight dinners with rice and salads, the recipe is very versatile that way.
Ingredient Highlights
- Plain Greek yogurt or Milk
- Tomato Paste
- Lemon juice
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Allspice
- Dried Oregano
- Paprika
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cayenne pepper
How to serve Shish Tawook?
I like to serve Shish Tawook a few of different ways.
Option 1 For weeknight dinners its lovely with a dip (hummus/ babaganoush/Toum/garicky tahini/feta sauce), a simple fresh salad of tomato-cucumber-onion/ Fattoush/Shirazi salad/ or for an extra heft a chickpea salad will be delicious. If you like to add a grain component Bulgur Pilaf or Cumin Scented Basmati will be amazing.
Option 2 would be served Mezze style with a few Mediterranean classics like Tzatziki, hummus, Tahini sauce, babaganoush, tomato salad, marinated artichokes, pita, olives, grilled peppers.
Option 3 Add your grilled chicken tawook into a pita pocket along with a drizzle of tahini and some fresh /grilled chopped veggies for a delicious sandwich to go…
Turkish Shish Tawook
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breast or thighs cubed
- ½ cup Greek yogurt or milk whisked
- 2 tbsp e. v olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp mild paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground all spice
- ½-1 tsp cayenne or chili flakes
- salt and pepper as needed
Veggies to Grill
- 2-3 medium bell peppers, any color
- 1 medium red onion
Simple Tomato Salad
- 2-3 tomatoes, I like Campari, cut into wedges
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 2-3 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 tsp sumac or 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley+ mint
- salt and pepper as needed
Serving Suggestions
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into chunky cubes size.
- Place the olive oil, Greek yogurt or milk, tomato paste, garlic and ginger mince, oregano, all the spices, chili flakes, paprika, freshly ground black pepper, and salt in a bowl and whisk until combined. Add the chicken pieces into the bowl and toss until all the chicken pieces are covered with the marinade.
- Cover the bowl, place in the fridge, and let the chicken marinate for a minimum of one hour or preferably overnight.
- Cut the bell peppers into chunky cubes similar size to chicken. Thread the chicken and vegetables onto metal or soaked bamboo kebab skewers. If you prefer the peppers can be thread on a separate skewer. I know lot of people like to grill veggies separately.
- Cook the kebabs on a BBQ for 12-14 minutes or in the 375°F preheated oven grill for 15 minutes**, until the core temperature reaches (165 °F). Serve with the tomato salad and any other fixings recommended.Â
Simple Tomato Salad
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Dice the cucumber and thinly slice the onion. Place the veggies in a bowl, sprinkle sumac or lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Garnish with chopped herbs. Serve with kebabs.
Notes
- To use bamboo skewers, soak them in the water for 30 minutes beforehand so they don’t burn.
- The best way to cook shish tawook is to grill them on the BBQ. Alternatively an indoor oven works just as well.
- Many traditional  recipes use milk instead of yogurt because the acid in the yogurt may toughen the meat. I prefer yogurt for its richness and ability to stick to the chicken pieces. As long as you have some fat the meat should be okay, don’t marinate over 24 hours if you’re worried. I tried both methods and both work well.
- Marinating the chicken pieces prevents the meat from drying. It also helps to tenderize the chicken, injecting all the aromatic flavors and reduces the time of cooking.
- If you prefer the peppers can be thread on a separate skewer. I know a lot of people are afraid the chicken may not cook through with veggies blocking them if done on the same skewer. I tried both ways and both ways work perfectly fine.Â
- The cooking time may vary on the size of the chicken pieces and the heat of your BBQ/oven.
What a gorgeous healthy meal.