Shish Tawook: Welcome to Kabob Heaven with this Mouth-watering Recipe!

It should come as no surprise that I love Middle Eastern food and this Shish Tawook recipe is no exception. Shish Tawook is traditional Chicken kabob recipe that is marinated in yogurt, lemon, and spices. This version that I make is more Syrian style, which includes some tomato paste and pepper paste which gives it that red color.

While this recipe is my take on a Syrian recipe, this shish tawook is not the version that my family made. Instead, my family made something called mishwe or mishwi which was a very simple kabob made with lamb and marinated in just salt, pepper, bharat or Syrian pepper as my dad calls it, lemon juice, and olive oil. But you know me, I gotta mix it up a little!

My version of shish tawook has a lot more flavor but still gives my familial mishwe a nod. I just add a lot more stuff, but it is still the traditional Syrian style. And do not be fooled by the color, this recipe is not spicy. It’s just plain old delicious. So give it a try and let me know your thoughts!

Serves 4

Suggested Wine Pairing:

To make this the Syrian way, you must have a martini in hand (that’s probably just my family). But to pair, I would suggest an ice cold glass of Pinot Grigio.

Ingredients:

1 lb, or about 3 chicken breasts cut into cubes

8 cloves of garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons of Harissa paste (pepper paste)

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

1/2 cup of plain yogurt

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of white vinegar

2 teaspoons of salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons of white pepper

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 tablespoon of bharat

1/2 red onion, cut for skewers

2 bell peppers – multi color would be nice, cut for skewers

8 wooden or metal skewers (make sure to soak your wooden skewers for 10 -15 minutes before using!)

Parsley for the pretty, of course

Instructions:

1. Combine garlic, lemon, harissa, tomato paste, yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, salt, white pepper, paprika, oregano, and bharat in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken cubes and allow to marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Skewer with peppers and onions.
3. Using a grill, indoor grill, or grill pan, grill for 8 – 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Serve two shish tawook skewers per person and garnish with parsley. Serve with Syrian bread and mujadara for a complete meal.

If you like this, be sure to check out my habibi chicken skewers or my harissa grilled chicken! Also be sure to try my grilled chicken kofta recipe for something a little different!