Chef-tested recipe
Charcoal-grilled chicken skewers marinated in yogurt, lemon, garlic, tomato, and warm Levantine spices
Shish tawook, also spelled shish taouk, is a chicken-skewer tradition found across Lebanon and the wider Levant. The name reflects Ottoman Turkish influence, while the familiar Lebanese preparation marinates chicken with yogurt, lemon, garlic, tomato paste, and warm spices before grilling it over charcoal. The marinade should stain the chicken a gentle red-gold, tenderise its surface, and protect it from drying without becoming a heavy coating. Toum, pickled turnips, cucumber pickles, tomatoes, and flatbread are classic partners. Chicken breast keeps the skewers lean and protein-rich, provided the cubes are even and removed as soon as they reach a safe temperature.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 30 mins
- Cook Time
- 18 mins
- Marinating Time
- 4 hours
- Total Time
- 4 hours 48 mins
- Cuisine
- Lebanese
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Yogurt marination and charcoal grilling
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with toum, Lebanese flatbread, pickled turnips, cucumber pickles, tomatoes, parsley, fattoush, or tabbouleh.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Charcoal grillpaid link
- Metal skewerspaid link
- Large non-reactive bowlpaid link
- Balloon whiskpaid link
- Tongspaid link
- Serving platterpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
- Instant-read thermometerpaid link
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade
- Boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3 cm cubes: 1500 g
- Full-fat plain yogurt: 300 g
- Fresh lemon juice: 120 ml
- Garlic, finely grated: 45 g
- Tomato paste: 70 g
- Extra-virgin olive oilpaid link: 50 ml
- White wine vinegar: 30 ml
- Sweet paprika: 10 g
- Ground allspicepaid link: 5 g
- Ground cumin: 4 g
- Ground coriander: 4 g
- Ground cinnamon: 2 g
- Ground turmeric: 2 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 16 g
- Freshly ground black pepper: 4 g
For serving
- Lebanese toum garlic sauce: 240 g
- Lebanese flatbreads: 6 large
- Pickled turnips and cucumbers: 450 g
- Ripe tomatoes, quartered: 450 g
- Fresh parsley sprigs: 30 g
Preparation Overview
Cut the chicken into equal cubes and keep it cold. Whisk the yogurt marinade until completely smooth, then coat every surface of the chicken. If using bamboo skewers, soak them while the chicken marinates. Prepare a two-zone charcoal fire and remove excess marinade before threading.
Method
Mix the marinade. Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, allspice, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken cubes, turn thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Prepare the grill. Light natural charcoal and let it ash over, arranging a hot direct zone and a cooler holding zone.
Thread evenly. Remove excess marinade and divide the chicken among 12 skewers without compressing the cubes tightly together.
Begin grilling. Place the skewers over direct heat and cook for 3 minutes without moving so the first side develops colour.
Turn in stages. Rotate and grill the remaining sides for 8 to 10 minutes, moving skewers to the cooler zone if the marinade darkens too quickly.
Check doneness. Test the largest cube; remove each skewer as soon as its centre reaches 74°C.
Rest briefly. Place the skewers on a warm platter and rest for 5 minutes without tightly covering their charred surface.
Serve. Add parsley and tomatoes and serve with toum, pickled turnips, cucumbers, and warm Lebanese flatbread.
Beginner Technique Notes
Equal cubes are essential because one under-sized piece can dry out while a large piece remains raw.
Do not marinate much longer than overnight; lemon and yogurt can eventually make the surface pasty.
Leave small gaps between pieces so heat reaches the sides and the skewers grill rather than steam.
Tomato paste and dairy brown quickly, so keep a cooler grill zone available.
Measure temperature through the side of the largest central cube without touching the skewer.
Tips and Variations
Chicken thigh is a juicier Lebanese grill variation and may need several additional minutes.
Some family marinades use more paprika or a small amount of dried oregano; keep the yogurt, lemon, garlic, and tomato foundation.
A ridged grill pan or hot oven grill works when outdoor charcoal is unavailable.
Toum is an egg-free emulsion of garlic, oil, lemon, and salt when prepared traditionally.
Thread vegetables on separate skewers because onions and peppers cook at a different rate from chicken breast.
Serving Ideas
- Stack two skewers per person on a warm platter, scatter parsley around them, and keep the toum and vivid pink pickled turnips in separate bowls. Diners can slide the chicken into flatbread or eat it directly from the skewer.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked chicken for up to 3 days and reheat covered to 74°C before a brief hot-grill finish. Store toum and pickles separately. Freeze cooked chicken off the skewers for up to 2 months.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains milk and wheat gluten. Traditional toum is egg-free, but commercial garlic sauce may contain egg; verify the label. Check yogurt, flatbread, pickles, and spices for sesame, sulphites, and cross-contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does shish tawook mean?
The words entered Levantine cooking through Turkish: shish refers to a skewer and tavuk means chicken.
Why is tomato paste in the marinade?
It contributes the characteristic red-gold colour, mild acidity, and savoury depth.
Can I use Greek yogurt?
Yes. Thin a very thick yogurt with a little of the measured lemon juice so it coats evenly.
Why did my chicken burn?
Excess marinade, sugar-rich tomato paste, or flames directly under the skewers can darken before the centre cooks.
Can I prepare the skewers one day ahead?
Marinate overnight at most, then thread shortly before grilling for the cleanest handling.
