Shish Tawook is a very popular skewered chicken dish. It’s a favourite in our house especially in the summer months or grilling season. For those of you all year around grillers, this is perfect and healthy to try.  It’s perfectly tender and juicy chicken  ( which isn’t always easy with chicken because of the low fat content ) so marinating in earthy spices, yogurt, lemon juice and garlic is the secret to its juicy flavour. That’s exactly  Even though its roots are Middle Eastern, you’d be surprised how approachable the ingredients are.

The secret to this recipe is the marinade and the longer it marinates the taster it is. My mom likes to marinate mine overnight, but sometimes all I have is 4 hours which is enough to capture its flavour.  

Essentially the three most important ingredients in the marinade are yogurt, lemon juice and garlic (6 whole garlic cloves!). But I also add tomato paste to give it that rich red color, and some other spices including paprika, cinnamon, oregano and ginger. Mix it all together and you’ll get this orangey creamy color ready for you to coat the chicken with.

Add the large cubes of chicken breast to the marinade and make sure that everything is well coated. While the yogurt and lemon are crucial parts of the flavor of this dish, they also act as a tenderizer for the chicken. That’s what makes the chicken come out so juicy and tender. Let it marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Skewer the chicken right before you’re ready to cook it. I like adding chunks of white onions or red and green peppers on each skewer to eat with the sandwich. Traditionally, these chicken skewers are meant to be grilled outdoors. You can also use an indoor grill pan or regular pan if you don’t have a grill pan. The shish tawook cooks quickly, for be aware, this is because of the yogurt and lemon juice in the base that helped tenderize the chicken.

TIPS FOR MAKING SHISH TAWOOK

  1. Marinade the chicken for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight in the fridge to allow the chicken to tenderize. Trust me, it’ll make the chicken more juicy and flavorful!
  2. Cover the chicken immediately with pita bread after grilling. The pita bread helps trap the vapors and moisture to make the chicken even more juicy! It’s often served this way as well. For those of you who are watching your carbs like i usually do you can opt to eat it as is accompanied with Fattoush Salad
  3. Use plain full fat yogurt, and not Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is fine, but it’s best to use regular yogurt because the water content from the regular yogurt helps to keep the chicken moist.
  4. Soak the bamboo sticks for 30-45 minutes if you’re not using metal skewers.  This will prevent them from burning and possibly getting burnt wood chips inside the shish tawook.

INGREDIENTS – serves 4 

  • 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
  • 0.5 cup lemon juice
  • 0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoon organic paprika
  • 1.5 teaspoon organic cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon oregano oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a large bowl, add the ingredients for the marinade (yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, all the seasoning and salt/pepper) and whisk to combine.
  • Place the chicken cubes in the same bowl and coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover, and let rest/marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
  • Thread the chicken on skewers right before grilling. Add one wedge of onions to each skewer, if desired.
  • Grill on medium heat for 5-8 minutes per side.
  • Serve with pita bread, lettuce and garlic sauce, if desired. Or it can be served with salad and grilled veggies.
  • Enjoy!

 

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