Iskender Chicken: How to Make this Turkish Delight

I’m about to make someone’s Turkish grandmother really angry with my version of Iskender chicken with halep sauce. I didn’t make this into a typical vertical skewer and instead, did a home made version in the oven which I shredded and tossed in the sauce and I replaced the bread cubes with potatoes. I know, gasp! But trust me this is so good, maybe even your Turkish grandma will give me a pass.

If you are not familiar with Iskender chicken it is a Turkish recipe that is typically cooked on a vertical rotisserie in a donner style. Turkish donner, which is very thinly sliced meat, is similar to the style of cooking shawarma or gyro. One of the things that makes Iskender chicken stand out from it’s shawarma or gyro friends is the absolutely addictive halep sauce. For me, this is the star of this recipe. The halep sauce is this peppery, tomato-ey, herby, spicy sauce which is so good that it could be a soup on its own.

My version, which is not authentic, is a copy cat version from a local Turkish restaurant, Bosporus. I did make some of my own tweaks and guesses, but I think I got pretty close. Either way, iskender chicken or just chicken with this amazing sauce, is sooo good. You have to try it today!

Serves 4

Tools:

You will need a food processor or blender to make the halep sauce.

Suggested Wine Pairing:

A malbec or a tempranillo would be a great choice

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, pounded thin

4 yellow potatoes, diced into cubes

For the halep sauce:

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 Thai red chilis, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon of oregano

2 tablespoon of paprika

4 tablespoons of tomato paste

1/2 cup water

For the yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup yogurt

1 teaspoon of water

salt to taste

For the parsley salad:

1 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Over low heat in a sauce pan, add olive oil, garlic, red chili, red pepper, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper, tomato paste and water. Stir and allow flavors to combine while you prepare everything else.
2. Preheat oven to 400F. Add salt, pepper, and little olive oil to the pounded thin chicken breasts and stack them vertically. Thread a wooden skewer or two through the meat to ensure that it sticks together. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes depending on how thick the chicken is.
3. To an oiled baking dish, add potatoes, salt, and pepper and roast for about 20 -25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, remove the halep sauce from the heat. Add the contents to a blender or food processor and pulse to combine.
5. Add the yogurt to a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and water to thin. Stir to combine.
6. Make the parsley salad by combing the parsley with the onion, lemon, salt, and pepper.
7. Cut the chicken from your faux vertical spit in thin slices and toss it in some of the halep sauce to coat.
8. To assemble, layer the sauce over the potatoes, layer yogurt over the sauce, and then add the chicken in the sauce on top. Serve the parsley salad on the side and make sure to combine it with a bit of the chicken for a taste explosion! Also, be sure to sop up that extra sauce with some pita or flat bread!

Just writing this iskender chicken recipe made me crave it, so I am going to go whip up a batch of my own ASAP!

If you like my iskender chicken then check out my other chicken recipes like Habibi Chicken, Harissa Chicken, or even my Chicken Tagine.