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Shish tawook skewers on a platter with a salad
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4.90 from 47 votes

Grilled Shish Tawook

The best AUTHENTIC Shish Tawook (Middle Eastern chicken skewers) recipe you'll find. You'll love the amazing yogurt-based marinade that's loaded with garlic, spices and amazing flavors! If you can, budget some time to allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for a few hours
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Marinating time4 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Lebanese
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Suzy Karadsheh

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into large chunks)
  • Kosher salt

For the marinade

  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (plus zest of 1 lemon)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Prepare the marinade. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, zest, EVOO, Tomato paste, garlic, and spices.
  • Pat the chicken dry and season with kosher salt on both sides.
  • Add the chicken to the marinade, and using a pair of tongs, toss to combine, making sure all the chicken pieces are well covered in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.
  • Heat a gas grill to medium and lightly oil the grates.
  • Thread the chicken pieces through skewers (you can fold larger pieces so that they would fit better through the skewers, they also look better this way and are more manageable on the grill).
  • Arrange the chicken skewers on the heated grill in one single layer. Cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 to 7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • For best flavor, do allow a few hours of marinating time in the fridge. If you don't have the time, let your chicken marinate for 30 minutes or so while you prepare the grill. 
  • Serve tawook with any number of Mediterranean salads and dips from this site. I shared a few ideas in the post including my 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad and sauces like tzatziki and hummus. 
  • Visit Our Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and spices used in this recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 298.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.2g | Protein: 32.6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Cholesterol: 145.3mg | Sodium: 189.9mg | Potassium: 472.2mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 2.2g | Vitamin A: 375.3IU | Vitamin C: 6.6mg | Calcium: 65.9mg | Iron: 1.7mg

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