Shish Tawook is probably one of the most popular chicken skewers throughout the Middle East. Juicy and tender chicken cubes in yogurt marinade threaded in wooden skewers and bursting with flavor. Serve with yellow rice or pita bread and Lebanese garlic sauce (Toum) for a traditional Middle Eastern dinner.
Next time try this delicious shish kebab recipe.
Skewered chicken always have their charm as they are loved by kids and adults. Chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon and garlic along with some warm spices. Skewered with some peppers for a better presentation and then grilled or oven baked.
Shish Tawook and grilled chicken tenders are two of the most favorable chicken recipes in my home. They show up bi-weekly if not even more.
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❓Why This Recipe Works
- Shish taouk recipe with its yogurt-based marinade is one of the most favorite recipes in the Middle Eastern cuisines.
- Looks fancy, feeds a crowd, and is always welcomed by kids and adults.
- Very easy list of ingredients, nothing you cannot easily find.
This recipe has been around for ages in the Middle East, so it is very common to find different variations of it. Mine is made with chicken breast tenderized with yogurt, lemon, and vinegar.
You will love how easy this recipe is to make. Just mix the marinade, then add the chicken and refrigerate. Grill or bake in the oven for everyone to enjoy.
📝 Ingredients
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a medium bowl, mix yogurt with all the marinade ingredients well.
- Add the chicken pieces.
- Coat the chicken well with the marinade, cover bowl, and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
- Thread the chicken into wooden or metal skewers and grill on an outdoor grill / indoor grill pan or bake in the oven. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
💡 Amira's Tips
- It is better for this recipe to use regular full fat yogurt and not Greek yogurt.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours but overnight is best.
- Adding cubed bell pepper and sometimes red onions adds beauty to the skewers, besides charred bell pepper and onions tastes very good.
- After grilling the shish taouk, it is better to place it on a plate and cover with a tented foil to keep it from drying out.
🥣 Equipment
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- If you cannot grill outside, a grilling pan is a great tool for this recipe, you can use indoor grill too.
🥫 Storage
Refrigerate - Shish taouk is best consumed on the same day, but if you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Reheat- When you are ready to use heat them up covered with foil briefly in your oven.
💬 FAQs
Shish Tawook is a Turkish phrase from (Şiş Tavuk). Shish or Şiş means skewers while Tawook or Tavuk means chicken. This recipe has spread throughout the Middle East during the Ottoman period.
Chicken shish tawook marinade is different from chicken shawarma, although both are yogurt based marinade the spices are different. Also shawarma are thinly sliced chicken that are cooked on a spit while tawook are chicken chunks threaded into skewers and grilled.
🍽 Serve with
- Serve shish tawook with white or yellow rice, homemade toum garlic sauce , tabouleh, hummus dip, or your favorite green salad. An added bonus is that almost ALL kids love it and willing to try it.
- Greek Salad, because on the next day, nothing is better than leftover kabobs combined with leftover salad and stuffed into pita bread for lunch!
- Dice leftover shish taouk and mix them into this delicious Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad.
- This recipe has been featured in the 100+ Ramadan Recipes post.
📣 Related Recipes
- Egyptian goulash is a delicious, buttery meat phyllo pie that is a stunning side dish for the holidays.
- This Chicken shawarma recipe is incredibly tasty infused with exotic Middle Eastern spices in citrusy marinade. A family and readers favorite recipe that you need to try.
- Fire up your grill and prepare for tender and juicy perfection with this mouthwatering grilled chicken tenders recipe that will satisfy your cravings.
- Try this mouthwatering Copycat Halal Chicken and Rice for your next easy weeknight chicken meal.
- There's nothing more comforting than this warm, richly flavored Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice. This recipe includes aromatic spices, vegetables and tender fall of the bone chicken.
- Flavorful Kabsa recipe coming to you from the heart of the Middle Easy. This Saudi Kabsa is a flavorful chicken and rice recipe you will never forget.
- Craving juicy, flavorful Beef Shawarma without the wait? Skip the takeout and whip up this restaurant-worthy recipe at home!
- Craving a taste of Yemen? Make this authentic Mandi dish. Flavorful tender chicken with fragrant fluffy rice all cooked in one dish. It is a complete meal in itself and perfect for a large crowd.
More Kabob Recipes
- This delicious kabob recipe is easy to prepare and tastes better than high quality restaurant. Beef steak marinated in a mixture of herbs and warm spices before being grilled on skewers. I've included oven instructions too.
- An all Beef Kafta Recipe is going to be your next crowd-pleasing secret recipe. Tender ground beef spiced to perfection and grilled, then served over a bed of fluffy rice or warm pita bread.
- Warmly spiced and deliciously bursting with Middle Eastern flavors these Chicken Kofta skewers are great for a quick weeknight dinner or an impressive dish to serve at your next cookout.
- Kofta kebabs are a delicious and popular Middle Eastern dish that is perfect for grilling or baking in the oven. A delicious combination of herbs, spices and juicy meat that you will not forget.
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Thank you.
Shish Tawook
Ingredients
- 8 garlic cloves crushed.
- ½ cup yogurt.
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard.
- 3 Tablespoons Lime juice about one and a half lime.
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil.
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar.
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder.
- 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- 1 ¼ teaspoon pink salt or to taste. you can use regular table salt.
- ½ teaspoon 7 spice blend.
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste.
- ½ teaspoon sugar.
- ½ teaspoon oregano.
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cubed.
Optional:
- Cubed Bell pepper for threading in skewers with chicken.
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine everything except for the chicken and bell pepper. Mix well.
- Add the chicken, toss to coat well, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Thread chicken and bell pepper into bamboo skewers.
- Grill or place skewers on grilling pan and bake in the middle of your oven for 20-25 minutes then move up to the upper level for 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Video
Notes
- It is better for this recipe to use regular full fat yogurt and not Greek yogurt.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours but overnight is best.
- Adding cubed bell pepper and sometimes onions adds beauty to the skewers, besides charred bell pepper and onions tastes very good.
- After grilling the tawook it is better to place it on a plate and cover with a tented foil to keep it from drying out.
- Shish Taouk is better consumed in the same day but if you have leftovers place them in a container with a tight lid. When you are ready to use heat them up covered with foil briefly in your oven.
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
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Anthony
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, I made this today a long a few more of your Egyptian Recipes that where all amazing. Beautiful flavours and both myself and my wife thoroughly enjoyed our Egyptian feast. You really have a talent for this.
Srijanee
Love your recipes. Thank You. Sree.
Amira
Thanks a lot Sree, you are so kind.
Karen
Can you use Dijon mustard in place of the yellow?
Amira
I haven't tried that Karen, but I think it all depends on what you like.
Andrea Wilmer
I made this last night and it was delicious (as are all the recipes I have tried from Amira's Pantry)! I found a recipe for the 7 spice from the website Simply Lebanese and I added Aleppo pepper for a little heat.
Amira
Thank you so much Andrea, you are so sweet. Happy you liked it, I love Iman from Simply Lebanese, she is great.
Martin
Fantastic recipe. Our family has made this recipe 30 times at least. just wanted to say thank you!
Amira
Thanks Martin for your comment, so happy you like it.
Darpal Kaur Bhalla
Hi ,
Please could you clarify what type of yellow mustard you use
Thank you
D
Amira
Darpal, I used the original/classic one. I hope this helps.
Paul
I tried this today on the charcoal grill, after marinating the chicken for 24 hours. Made the skewers with red bell peppers and purple onion pieces. Cooked covered, with applewood smoke for 18 minutes, indirect heat, then 8 minutes uncovered, over the coals, turning to char evenly, and for the meat to reach 160 degrees. Very good and easy. Since I really like spicy, next time I'm going to try using thigh meat, doubling the 7 spice amount, and serve it in a grilled pita with some tzatziki sauce!
Amira
Thanks Paul for your feedback and thanks for sharing your grilling tips it will definitely help others as well. Glad you liked it.
Samaa Zeitoun
I tried this recipe today & OMG! It was so good. The chicken is full of flavor, reminded us of the yummy shish tawouk sandwiches we used to have back in Egypt. I tried other recipes before but after all the effort they turn out bland. This one is a keeper. Thanx Amira!
Amira
Samaa, thank you so much for the feedback, I am happy it satisfied your taste buds :).
Ellen Wanser
Thank you Randa Tadros, I was about to ask the same question.
Randa Tadros
What is 7 spice? Is that available in most stores.
Amira
Randa, 7 spices blend is a well known spice that you can find in any Middle Eastern store. There are different versions of it so here is a quick one you can make now by mixing: 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper,, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. Hope this helps.
Yasmina Ramjaun
Hi Amira
I made the sheesh tawooq and they were delicious.
thank you
Amira
Hello Yasmina, so glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for your feedback.
John / Kitchen Riffs
I love skewered meat! Such a nice way to cook it. Love red met prepared this way, but I think chicken is even better. Super recipe -- thanks.
Reb
Is it green or black cardamom used?
Amira
Reb, I usually use the green one.
Easyfoodsmith
My family loves skewered chicken more than curries, especially my daughter. And I am glad I have a new recipe to try out for them. Mustard is an interesting addition and I look forward to trying it. thanks for sharing.
merryn@merrynsmenu
This is my very favourite Middle Eastern chicken dish! I have not yet recreated it as good as I had at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Parramatta, Sydney and this is after many attempts. Thank you Amira, I love your video and simple explanations along with your treasured Shish Taouk recipe. This will be made at home tonight (to cook tomorrow night). I will search your blog for a toomeya recipe, have a lovely day 😀
Henna
I loveeeee shish taouk! I used to make it all the time, and lately I've totally forgotten about it! I'm sure my son would enjoy it 🙂
I have a request for you- can you pretty please do a recipe for the garlic sauce? I would loveee to try my hand at homemade with an authentic recipe 🙂
Lail | With A Spin
Love shish Tawook. It's my daughter's favorite too, so we make it often at home.
Liz
Such terrific kebabs! I hope to try them before snow covers our grill...the spices sound like a terrific way to flavor the chicken!
Joanne T Ferguson
G'day This looks delish Amira and love the step by step; they are always inspirational to me too!
Cheers! Joanne
Coffee and Crumpets
One of my favourites! For home I usually dump everything onto sheet pan rather than skewering...because I am lazy! For parties I like to use the skewers. These look delicious!
John@Kitchen Riffs
Chicken thighs have so much more flavor than the breasts,so I'd definitely use them in this dish. I love the flavor of cardamon, and I'll bet it's wonderful in this dish. Really nice -- thanks.