shish taouk

Shish taouk

It is the end of the holy month of Ramadan and it is Eid! So, why don’t we all take a trip to the Middle East people?! Yep, a delicious chicken recipe – our ever favorite, right? Shish Taouk is a very popular Lebanese dish that is made by marinating the chicken and then grilling using skewers.

I so badly wanted to post many recipes during the Ramadan month. But unfortunately, due to time constraints and everything else, I was unable to do so. So, I thought maybe I could post this recipe atleast on Eid. Anyways, everyday is a special day to enjoy food, right?!

So, shish taouk is one recipe which has been lying in my archives for a very long time now. I have so many recipes left to share with you all. Will do everything one by one. Back to our shish taouk, this recipe is all about the marinade. Boneless chicken pieces are marinated in yogurt along with other spices.

A while back, I posted a story in Instagram about a Lebanese spread that I prepared. This shish taouk is a part of that Lebanese spread. You would have noticed if you have been following me on Instagram. Okay, if not, then head over to Instagram straight away and click the follow button in my page. All my social media handles are visible in this website and also at the end of each post.

So anyways, there are many other recipes too from that Lebanese spread. Probably, the next in line would be mutton kebab. Everything else apart, this shish taouk comes together so easily. You just have to marinate the chicken pieces overnight and then skewer the chicken pieces and grill. That’s it! Simple right?!

Make sure you cut the chicken into large cubes. Big pieces when grilled will give a more juicy result. Anyways, the yogurt we add will also help in tenderizing the chicken which in turn will result in juicy pieces.

So, I didn’t use an indoor grill nor did I use a grill pan. I simple grilled (or rather cooked) the chicken in a tawa. Now, this is available in each and every household and is also simpler for most of the population (including me). But, traditionally, shish taouk is grilled outdoors. So, if you have outdoor grill units set up then go ahead and use them. Else, any other indoor grilling is okay.

shish taouk

This shish taouk goes really well with toum (again a Lebanese garlic dip). It is a match made in heaven. I will share the recipe of toum very soon. It is really easy and comes together in no time. You can serve it along with hummus or even tzatziki. You can even go desi by serving it along with some mint chutney. In all ways the shish touk will always tasts awesome.

You can also have shish taouk along with pita bread as a wrap. All you have to do is slather some of the dip on the pita bread and the place some grilled chicken on top and add some veggies and even lettuce for that crunch and then wrap it up. You  meal is ready to serve. It is healthy as well as tasty. Not to forget the ease with which it is made.

So, enjoy this shish taouk in any way you want with your loved ones for this Eid! Stay safe; stay healthy! Happy cooking and eating! Have a blessed Eid-ul-Fitr!

While you are here, do checkout my Arabian rice recipes to prepare for this Eid! Also, do try my other non-veg recipes from our own cuisine along with chicken recipes from other cuisine too! To keep the celebration simple, try my egg recipes along with egg biryani or chicken biryani!

Has meal planning been a little bit difficult during this lockdown? Look through my No Veggies, 21-Day Lockdown Series for ideas on what to cook during this lockdown.

If you have tried any of my recipes, then tag @the_busy_apron and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thebusyapron. Also tag @TheBusyApron and share it on Twitter with the hashtag #thebusyapron

shish taouk

Shish Taouk

Abhipriya Raghav
Shish taouk is a very popular Lebanese recipe made by marinating boneless chicken in yogurt, lemon and other spices and then grilling it using skewers.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Lebanese
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • boneless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup hung curd
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper powder
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • salt, as per taste
  • cubed capsicums and onions, optional

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients except for the chicken and combine everything well.
    shish taouk
  • To the marinade, add the boneless chicken pieces that are cut. Mix everything until well combined.
    shish taouk
  • Add cubed capsicum and onions to the marinade along with the chicken and mix well. (This is optional). Let everything marinate well for atleast 4 hours or overnight.
    shish taouk
  • Thread the chicken on skewers before grilling. You can alternate the pieces of chicken with capsicum or onion.
    shish taouk
  • Add oil on a heated tawa and grill on medium heat for 5-10 minutes per side.
    shish taouk
  • Serve hot shish taouk with toum or tzatziki.
    shish taouk

Notes

  • Make sure to cut the chicken into large chunks.
  • Use boneless and skinless chicken pieces. 
  • Chicken breast works very fine with this recipe.
  • Make sure to marinate the chicken for atleast 4 hours in the refrigerator before grilling. (overnight is always preferred)
  • Adding capsicum and onions is completely optional. I added it for an extra crunch.
  • You can grill the chicken on a tawa, in a outside grill unit, or even in the oven. (whichever is comfortable with you)
  • Grill it on medium flame to make sure the chicken does not burn.
  • Grill the chicken for 5-10 minutes on one side.
  • If you are using bamboo skewers like me, then soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling to make sure they do not burn. 
 
Keyword chicken, chicken shish taouk, grilled chicken, kebab, lebanese, middle eastern, shish taouk