Shish Tawook (Middle Eastern chicken skewers)
These Middle Eastern Shish Tawook are tender & tasty. Best of all, you may already have most of the ingredients needed in your pantry!
Ingredients
- 1 kg boneless or skinless chicken thighs or breasts (chopped into bite-sized pieces) (NOTE 1)
- light or mild olive oil (for grilling)
For the marinade
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (or just plain yogurt, but not low-fat) (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp light or mild olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 5 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (or sweet/ regular paprika)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks, then place it in a large bowl with all the marinade ingredients. Mix well to combine, then cover and marinate in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight. If preferred thread the chicken onto the skewers, cover it, and then fridge it. This way we can start grilling immediately once the marinating time is done.
- If using bamboo or wooden skewers, let them soak in water for 1 or 2 hours to prevent them from burning when grilling. If you haven't done so, thread the chicken onto the skewers. Then grill the skewers using one method below:Using a griddle - lightly spray or brush the griddle with oil. Grill the chicken for 6 to 7 minutes over medium heat on each side or until the chicken has cooked through.Grill or broil - Heat the grill over high heat, then grill each side for 7 to 8 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through.Barbeque - BBQ on each side for 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until the chicken has cooked through.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Boneless and skinless chicken thighs - I prefer chicken thighs over breasts because it's juicier and less likely to dry out during grilling. However, for this recipe, I don't mind using breast meat as the yogurt and lemon marinade helps tenderise the chicken. Chicken breasts are also easier to chop into cubes and thread onto the skewers.
(NOTE 2) Plain Greek yogurt - I used Greek yogurt. Any plain thick yogurt will work, just as long as it's not skim or low-fat.
Leftovers - Allow the chicken skewers to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer them into a sealed container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 SkewerCalories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 21gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 455mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 153IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg