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Shish tawook, also known as shish taouk, is a beloved authentic Lebanese kebab dish of grilled chicken skewers in a yogurt marinade with lemon, garlic, and spices. Easy to make, these Middle Eastern chicken skewers are so tender and huge in flavor!
What is Shish Tawook?
“Shish tawook,” pronounced TAH-wook, means chicken skewers or chicken kebabs. A Middle Eastern recipe, the chicken originated as part of Ottoman Cuisine during the Ottoman Empire. However, since then, tawook has become a popular dish throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean, existing in many variations.
My shish tawook kebabs recipe is the Lebanese version I grew up eating, alongside other kebabs like beef shish kebabs and lamb shish kebabs. I consider this one of the most delicious ways to cook skinless, boneless chicken breasts that are just as juicy as you find from the pros in Middle Eastern restaurants. Lean, healthy chicken gets the royal treatment in a simple but lush marinade.
My shish tawook recipe comes together easily, too: dice the chicken, whisk the marinade, combine, and let those chill and marinate. Skewer the marinated chicken, grill for about 15 minutes, and you’ve arrived!
Notes about the Ingredients
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and instructions!
The list of ingredients for chicken shish tawook may seem long, but these are mostly spices that give the marinade, and in turn the chicken, its incredibly wonderful flavor.
- Yogurt: This functions as a tenderizer for the chicken because of the lactic acid in yogurt. Unlike highly acidic marinades that can make chicken mushy if left too long, yogurt gently tenderizes the meat while helping it retain moisture during grilling. Use plain, whole milk, unsweetened yogurt. Labneh or plain Greek Yogurt is thicker, so if you use either of these, just add more fresh lemon juice and olive oil to the marinade to loosen it.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Paired with the yogurt, this adds a bright taste that is key to shish tawook’s classic flavor.
- Garlic: Lots of it imparts tons of savory flavor here.
- Tomato Paste: For a hit of color and more of the acidic flavors like lemon and yogurt. Paste from a tube rather than a can is a great way to use just a couple of tablespoons. Powdered tomato paste is also very handy.
- Spices: A combination of spices, including paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, allspice, oregano, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and pepper, gives shish tawook the warm flavor it is known for. Together, these form the Middle Eastern flavors we love so much.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: These aren’t always known for staying moist and tender, but the marinade here makes them exceptionally juicy. You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs. However, because they are thinner and vary in size and thickness, the kebabs may not be quite as uniform-looking as with breast meat.
- Neutral Oil: Use a little neutral oil (such as canola or avocado oil) to coat the grill grates. Don’t skip this as it makes such a difference to prevent the chicken from sticking when turning the skewers.
How to Make Shish Tawook Kebabs
Lebanese shish tawook packs a punch of bold, lemony, garlicky flavor, but it’s incredibly simple to make!
- Marinate the chicken. Whisk all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Then, add the cubed chicken, mixing to coat each piece completely, cover, and chill the chicken in the fridge. I recommend marinating overnight for the best taste and texture, but you can get away with 2 hours.
- Grill the chicken. Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers, and cook it on a hot grill over medium-high heat, turning once midway through. You’ll know your shish tawook is done cooking when it’s golden brown with some light charring and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Serve. Let the skewers rest at room temperature. This allows the natural juices to redistribute, keeping the chicken tender and juicy. Then, remove the shish tawook pieces from the skewers, and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- When cutting the chicken, make sure the cubes are similar in size to ensure even cooking. You don’t want them too small or too large, but do adjust cooking time based on the size of the pieces.
- Use a thermometer to monitor the internal temp and avoid overcooking.
- Thread the marinated pieces of chicken on the skewers just before grilling. The marinade will coat the chicken cubes rather heavily. Wipe away some of that marinade as you pull the chicken from the bowl to skewer it.
- Don’t crowd the chicken! Be sure each cube rests next to the last one, but don’t push them tightly together. This ensures the chicken can cook all the way through.
- No outdoor grill? No problem! Use an indoor grill pan, heating it over medium heat on the stovetop, and grill the skewers in batches.
- Prevent burning. If using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Otherwise, they’re likely to go up in flames and take your chicken with them. This isn’t a concern if using metal skewers.
How to Serve Shish Tawook
Anything that is cooked on a skewer is much easier to serve and eat when it is already removed from the cooking instrument, the skewer. So, I always remove shish tawook pieces, transferring them to a platter, before serving. A great way to remove the chicken from the skewer is with a piece of pita, flatbread, or other piece of sturdy bread. Then: eat the bread!
This is a popular dish in restaurants that often includes a side of French fries. I don’t say no to that! However, shish tawook is also excellent with Lebanese Vermicelli Rice or Greek orzo pasta salad.
You can also make my homemade pita bread recipe and serve this lusciousness with pocket bread, a favorite! I like to add red onion, tomato, or cucumber for a bit of crunch, too, similar to how I serve chicken shawarma.
And as long as the grill is fired up, I get a slew of veggies and make a grilled vegetable platter, too. Or, for a different veggie option, a crunchy, bright fattoush salad or a tabbouleh salad pairs great with anything grilled.
No matter how you serve your shish tawook, don’t forget to add condiments like toum Lebanese garlic sauce or tahini sauce!
Lebanese Shish Tawook Kebabs (Grilled Lebanese Chicken)
Equipment
- 1 Medium Bowl
- 1 Grill
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plain whole milk yogurt or laban
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 2 lemons
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Several grinds black pepper
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- Neutral oil, such as canola or safflower, or oil spray, to coat the grill grates
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk all of the ingredients except the chicken and neutral oil.
- Add the cubed chicken to the marinade, mixing well to coat the pieces fully. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to one day.
- Thread the marinated chicken on metal or soaked bamboo skewers.
- Heat the grill to medium high. Coat the grates generously with oil just before adding the chicken.
- Place the skewered chicken on the grill and cook for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken cubes) or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Turn the skewers once midway through cooking. Look for a golden brown color with some charring.
- Remove the skewers and allow them to rest for a few minutes. Push the chicken from the skewers using a piece of pita bread or a large fork. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is there a new printing of your cookbook? I love your recipes. I belong to St. Maron’s Church in Youngstown and now I can make these recipes easily at home.
Hi Barbara! I have two cookbooks out now, Rose Water & Orange Blossoms as well as Lebanese Baking!
Fabulous chicken !!
Great spices and very tender!
Thank you Lynn! Delicious!
Great recipe, however too salty. Especially if most of the marinate is left on the meat when cooked
At a minimum halve the salt used, as there is also lot of salt in the tomato paste
Note: adding acid (like lemon juice, yogurt etc) this brings out salty flavours on your tongue making them more pronounced.
Oh shoot Ben, sorry about that and noting that less salt can work well here!!! We like it this way but certainly not necessary. Thanks for the comment and rating!
Hello Maureen,
Thank you for a great recipe. You are a star and we appreciate all your recipes always.
Regards,
Fadia
Fadia!! Thank you so very much for your kindness! I’m so happy you are here.
This recipe is absolutely fantastic. My husband, raved and raved and raved about it and how juicy the chicken was. Very easy and delicious. We made it last summer and now it’s a keeper for forever. In fact, making it again for this memorial Day weekend.
What a great review Gloria!! Thanks so much! I’ll make this weekend too.
Making for Sunday family brunch with rice, tabouli, kifta and spanakopita. I’m so excited! Love your recipes and family stories. Thank you! Margie
Wow Margie, what a meal!!! Thanks so much for sharing and your great review too!! Enjoy it all with your gang.
Absolutely awesome. Shukran jazilan, ya ukhti.
Shukran!!! So much!
Dear Maureen, Wow! This was fantastic! I make my own Shwarma spices (which I used) and I used chicken thighs. I marinated overnight! I used your mother’s rice recipe which is different than ours due to the the cinnamon sticks and green onions (I did not add the mushrooms). OMG!! So good I lost my mind. The most fun I have had on your website was reading your family description on meat pies. It is the same in my family! I laughed and cried reading the story of your father spitting the cooked lamb pies. I can tell the difference as well. Your site is a joy! Thank you for all of your work and your joyful presentations. From one Lebanese Maureen to another Lebanese Maureen, Thank You! Sincerely Yours, Maureen
Maureen!! This is just wonderful. Thanks so much for your note and sharing (and great review!!)!
This is possibly the best marinated chicken recipe ever!! I cannot get over the flavors and how moist the chicken is. Have made it with both breasts and boneless thighs and it never disappoints. Served it with the mom’s special Lebanese rice and a fattoush salad for the perfect meal.
What a great review Jennifer, and a delicious menu!!! Thank you!
This is perfect
Thanks so much Dee, we love it too!
Made this tonight , big hit. Flavor was great. Thanks for sharing your recipe
Pat
So glad to hear it Pat, thank you!! We made Shish Tawook this weekend and it was just delectable!
I don’t have an outside grill. Can you recommend another method to cook the chicken?
Hi Beth, oh yes thank you for asking–you can bake the chicken at 375 degrees to 160°F, then broil briefly to get a little char going on the edges.
Only had time for a 2 hours of marinating and it still came out amazing. Did this with chicken thighs. Juicy, tender and flavorful. Can’t wait to try again with a longer marinating time.
SO so good, this dish and it’s amazing how little time it takes to get all of that flavor. Thank you Mike!
looks great, will try this & grape leaves recipe
Oh good, both so delicious and fun to make!
Your recipe has the best flavor and tenderness I’ve ever made and I’ve made many over the past decades. Because there were only two of us, we had leftovers which were divine but the recipe, as written, is terrific for a party. Thanks so much.
Thank you for the high compliment! very delicious!
Maureen,
I love your recipes and cookbook.My mother-in-law was a great Lebanese cook, and I always used her cookbook for the last 55 years we have been married. Now I use your recipes and love the taste, spices and techniques on your site and love your cookbook. I made your spinach fataya and with a little practice they are great. Love your web site and directions.
Thank you,
Parrt
Pat this is so wonderful, thank you for your note. I bet your fatayer are just so good, one of my all-time favorites. I’m honored you’re using my recipes! Thank you!
Can you broil them in the oven?
Sure Kathleen, use medium heat and keep an eye on them to cook through but not overcook, and to char a little!
Making tawook for our memorial day annual picnic..7 lbs of chx. Marinade smells and tastes wonderful..and I found and cleaned up uncle George (Shalhoup’s) homemade metal skewers ..with wooden..tree branch handles…wonderful memories..tom abbott
Wow, that’s a lot of chicken and sounds just like we do here! And those skewers! Thanks Tom.
Could I use already mixed Lebanese spices or schwarma spices instead of mixing all from separate?
Absolutely can use any premade Lebanese spices you like!