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Home » Cuisine » Arabic and Middle Eastern » Authentic Shish Tawook Recipe (Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers) {video}

Authentic Shish Tawook Recipe (Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers) {video}

July 5, 2021 by Faith 1 Comment

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This authentic Shish Tawook Recipe features tender, juicy chicken that’s marinated in a spiced yogurt, lemon, and garlic mixture and then grilled to perfection.

Shish Tawook Recipe

When I lived in Syria, I remember buying incredibly delicious pre-marinated Shish Tawook from a local butcher.

It wasn’t fancy. It came in a plastic bag with the open end tied into a knot. The marinade had a pretty pinkish color flecked with spices and pieces of garlic. It smelled divine.

We’d get it home and cook the chicken on the little grill on the balcony or roast it in the oven. It was amazing served on top of fresh flatbread (from the baker whose bread shop was downstairs on the bottom floor of our building!) to soak up all the flavorful juices from the grilled chicken.

Shish Tawook Sandwich

We enjoyed Shish Tawook along with grilled onions and tomatoes from the vegetable shop on the corner. That shop was owned by a man who brought fresh produce into Damascus from his family’s farm every morning. Talk about supporting local!

And we always had Shish Tawook with Toum (garlic sauce) for dipping. Toum is a pungent fluffy white dip that’s redolent with garlic. It only has four ingredients – garlic, salt, oil, and lemon juice – but it’s packed with flavor. Its creamy texture is perfect for using as a condiment or dipping sauce, and it perfectly complements the flavors in Shisk Tawook.

The beautiful thing about this recipe for Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers is how easy it is to make, and how few ingredients it calls for. You’ll be surprised at how flavorful the end result is, and how moist, tender, and juicy the chicken is!

Shish Tawook Recipe with Description

In This Article

  • The Best Shish Tawook Recipe
  • Tips for Making Authentic Shish Tawook
  • Shish Tawook FAQs
  • More Authentic Middle Eastern Recipes to Try
  • Shish Tawook Recipe (Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers)

The Best Shish Tawook Recipe

The secret ingredients in this recipe that result in juicy, tender chicken every time are so common that you probably already have them in your kitchen: yogurt and fresh lemon juice!

Tomato paste lends beautiful color to this dish. Garlic adds aromatic flavor. A few spices add depth, mainly paprika with a touch of allspice, and cayenne adds a touch of spicy heat.

If you prefer, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts; that’s actually what I had every time I had this dish in the Middle East. However, I love the rich flavor and juicy texture of dark meat chicken so I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs here.

Ingredients for Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers

Shish Tawook Ingredients
  • Plain yogurt
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Light olive oil
  • Tomato paste
  • Garlic
  • Paprika
  • Salt
  • Allspice
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Black pepper
  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs

How to Make Authentic Shish Tawook

Chicken Skewers on Grill
  1. Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade.
  2. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, toss to coat, and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 1 to 24 hours.
  3. Skewer the chicken and grill it!

How to Store Grilled Chicken Skewers

Once the chicken is grilled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Shish Tawouk

Variations on This Recipe

  • You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs.
  • The tomato paste is optional; it’s mostly used to lend color to this dish.
  • Play with the level of spicy heat. Feel free to add more or less cayenne pepper to taste.

Tips for Making Authentic Shish Tawook

  • Be sure to let the chicken marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
  • If you’re using wooden skewers to grill the chicken, soak them in water for 20 minutes before skewering the chicken.
  • If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use a grill pan inside. Alternatively, you can roast the chicken pieces at 400F for about 20 minutes.
Authentic Shish Tawook

Shish Tawook FAQs

How Do You Keep Chicken Juicy on the Grill?

There are a few ways to keep chicken from drying out on the grill.

For starters, use dark meat instead of white meat. Here we use boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Also, marinating chicken helps keep it moist and juicy when grilling. The yogurt and lemon juice in this marinade do a great job of not only tenderizing the meat, but also preventing this chicken from drying out on the grill.

Another important factor is to not over-cook it. Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

Grilled Chicken Skewers

Where Does Shish Tawook Come From?

Shish Tawook is a common dish in the Levant area of the Middle East, which includes present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine.

An old family friend told me that this particular recipe came to the Levant area from Turkey during the time of the Ottoman Empire.

This recipe is also transliterated as Sheesh Tawook, Shish Tawouk, and Shish Taouk.

What Do You Eat with Shish Tawouk?

Traditionally, Shisk Taouk is served on top of Middle Eastern flatbread to soak up the juices. Grilled onions and tomatoes are commonly served on the side. Additionally, in the Middle East, Toum, a creamy garlic spread, is frequently served with these Grilled Chicken Skewers.

Toum with Shish Tawook Sandwich

More Authentic Middle Eastern Recipes to Try

  • Red Lentil Soup
  • Arabic Breakfast
  • Ma’amoul (Middle Eastern Date Filled Cookies)
  • Tangy Arugula Salad with Sumac (Salatat Jarjeer)
  • Foul Mudammas
Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers

Let’s Connect

I love hearing from you!
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment.
You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
xoxo, Faith

grilled shish tawook featured image

Shish Tawook Recipe (Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers)

By: Faith Gorsky
This Shish Tawook Recipe features tender, juicy chicken that’s marinated in a spiced yogurt, lemon, and garlic mixture and then grilled to perfection.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 12 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Time for the Chicken to Marinate 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 6 servings
Calories 221 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 5 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 5 large cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Optional Additions:

  • Chopped or sliced tomato
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Sliced onion
  • Fresh parsley
  • Flatbread
  • Toum Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, oil, tomato paste, garlic, paprika, salt, allspice, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours).
  • Thread the chicken onto skewers. I like to divide the chicken onto 6 skewers so each serving gets 1 skewer.
  • Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken until fully cooked, flipping occasionally, about 12 minutes. Chicken is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F in the thickest part, and the juices run clear.
    grilling chicken skewers
  • Remove the chicken from the grill. Serve.

Video

Faith’s Tips

  • Net Carbs: 3g per serving
  • Nutritional Information: The information this recipe was calculated for the marinated chicken only (not the optional additions).
  • Soak Wooden Skewers: If you’re using wooden skewers to grill the chicken, soak them in water for 20 minutes before skewering the chicken.
  • Other Ways to Cook This Chicken: If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use a grill pan inside. Alternatively, you can roast the chicken pieces at 400F for about 20 minutes.
  • Recipe Inspiration: Recipe adapted slightly from the recipe in my cookbook An Edible Mosaic, published by Tuttle Publishing.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Shish Tawook Recipe (Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers)
Amount Per Serving (1 skewer)
Calories 221 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 128mg43%
Sodium 556mg24%
Potassium 441mg13%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 27g54%
Vitamin A 494IU10%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 42mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers, Shish Tawook
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
shish tawook grilled chicken pin

Filed Under: Arabic and Middle Eastern, Chicken, Gluten Free, Grilling, Low Carb and Keto Tagged: Middle Eastern Grilled Chicken Skewers, Shish Taouk, Shish Tawook

Comments

  1. Dean says

    March 2, 2022 at 9:28 am

    5 stars
    Tender and juicy with great flavor!

    Reply

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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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