Grilled Chicken Skewers (Shish Taouk)
Chicken thigh cubes marinated in yogurt, garlic and lemon until silky and tender, then threaded onto skewers with peppers and onion and grilled over charcoal until smoky, charred at the edges and juicy inside.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the marinade
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, grated onion juice, paprika, allspice, salt and pepper until smooth and well blended.
- 150 g yogurt
- 60 ml olive oil
- 60 ml lemon juice
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion (juice)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
✅ Done when: the marinade looks smooth with no streaks of yogurt or oil
Marinate the chicken
Add the chicken cubes to the marinade and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours — the yogurt's gentle acidity tenderizes the meat slowly without turning it mushy the way straight lemon juice alone can.
- 900 g chicken thigh cubes
✅ Done when: the chicken has marinated for at least 4 hours and looks pale and glossy with marinade
Thread the skewers
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they don't scorch on the grill. Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, alternating with chunks of onion and both bell peppers; leave tiny gaps between pieces so heat reaches all sides evenly, but don't pack them loosely either.
- 1 large onion chunks
- 1 red bell pepper chunks
- 1 green bell pepper chunks
- 8 skewers
✅ Done when: all the skewers are filled snugly with chicken and vegetables
Grill over charcoal
Light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to medium-high heat (about 200–230°C/400–450°F), then brush the grates with a little oil. Grill the skewers, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the chicken is charred in spots and cooked through, 10–12 minutes total; an instant-read thermometer should read 74°C (165°F) at the thickest piece.
✅ Done when: the chicken is nicely charred outside, the juices run clear and a thermometer reads 74°C (165°F)
Rest and serve
Let the skewers rest for 2–3 minutes off the heat so the juices settle. Serve hot with , lemon wedges and warm pita bread for wrapping.
- to serve
- to serve lemon wedges
- to serve pita bread
Make the marinade
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, grated onion juice, paprika, allspice, salt and pepper until smooth and well blended.
- 150 g yogurt
- 60 ml olive oil
- 60 ml lemon juice
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion (juice)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
✅ Done when: the marinade looks smooth with no streaks of yogurt or oil
Marinate the chicken
Add the chicken cubes to the marinade and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours — the yogurt's gentle acidity tenderizes the meat slowly without turning it mushy the way straight lemon juice alone can.
- 900 g chicken thigh cubes
✅ Done when: the chicken has marinated for at least 4 hours and looks pale and glossy with marinade
Thread the skewers
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they don't scorch on the grill. Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, alternating with chunks of onion and both bell peppers; leave tiny gaps between pieces so heat reaches all sides evenly, but don't pack them loosely either.
- 1 large onion chunks
- 1 red bell pepper chunks
- 1 green bell pepper chunks
- 8 skewers
✅ Done when: all the skewers are filled snugly with chicken and vegetables
Grill over charcoal
Light a charcoal grill and let it burn down to medium-high heat (about 200–230°C/400–450°F), then brush the grates with a little oil. Grill the skewers, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the chicken is charred in spots and cooked through, 10–12 minutes total; an instant-read thermometer should read 74°C (165°F) at the thickest piece.
✅ Done when: the chicken is nicely charred outside, the juices run clear and a thermometer reads 74°C (165°F)
Rest and serve
Let the skewers rest for 2–3 minutes off the heat so the juices settle. Serve hot with , lemon wedges and warm pita bread for wrapping.
- to serve
- to serve lemon wedges
- to serve pita bread
The Story Behind the Dish
Shish taouk belongs to the wider family of skewered, grilled meats that spread through the Levant and beyond during Ottoman times, when charcoal grilling over open fires was already a common way to cook meat quickly for travelers, soldiers and city dwellers. In Lebanon, cooks adapted the technique to chicken, developing a yogurt-and-lemon marinade that made even lean breast or thigh meat tender and flavorful on the grill.
Today it's a mainstay of Lebanese grill houses and family gatherings alike, often cooked outdoors over charcoal, and almost always served with toum, pickles and warm flatbread.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's loved for how simple ingredients — chicken, garlic, lemon and yogurt — turn into something smoky, juicy and deeply flavorful with the right marinating time and a hot charcoal fire.
💡 Fun Fact
The name comes from Turkish: 'şiş' means skewer and 'tavuk' means chicken, a reminder of the dish's Ottoman roots even though it's now considered a Lebanese classic.
Lebanon, popular across the Levant
33.89°N, 35.50°E
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