Chicken Tawook

Chicken Tawook, also known as Shish Tawook is a popular Middle Eastern dish that is simple and delicious. Tender chicken chunks are marinated in a perfectly spiced and tangy sauce, then cooked to perfection!

Chicken Tawook- Shish Tawook

Traditionally, chicken tawook is threaded on skewers and cooked on the grill, and that’s where the name “Shish Tawook” or “Shish Taouk” comes from. Where shish translates to skewer and tawook is chicken. However, these skewers are pretty versatile and can be cooked on an outdoor or indoor grill or cooked on stovetop, especially in winter time when grilling is not an option. Below are the instructions for both ways of cooking.  

How to Make Chicken Shish Tawook

This recipe is all about the marinade since it brings the majority of the flavor to these chicken tawook, with yogurt being the basic ingredient. Yogurt is what helps tenderize the chicken and reduces the cooking time. The rest of the ingredients include: apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, paprika, oregano, salt and black pepper. Whisk together your ingredients for the marinade, you’ll get this light orange creamy sauce to toss in your chicken chunks. Soak for a minimum of two hours or up to overnight. Thread the deliciously marinated chicken onto your skewers or simply cook the chicken chunks on stovetop. 

How Long is the Best Time to Marinade Shish Tawook?

If you marinate chicken for at least two hours, you will get a good taste of the flavors. However, the longer you leave it in the marinade, the stronger the flavors will become as they will soak into the chicken. If you can swing it, up to 8 hours of marinating is suggested for optimal soak time.

How to Cook Chicken Tawook: 

Stove Top: Using a stove top grilling pan or a regular pan, heat some olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken tawook chunks, one piece at a time in a single layer (make sure not to overcrowd the pan). Cook on one side for about 3-5 minutes, using a pair of tongs flip each chicken and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until they are fully cooked. 

Grill: Pre heat the grill to 350 F. Thread the chicken tawook chucks onto pre soaked wooden skewers and grill for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. 

Complete your Meal with these Amazing Lebanese Recipes: 

Chicken Tawook  can be served in so many ways, as a plate, on a salad or sandwich. Here are a few suggestions:

Salads: fattoush salad, tabouli salad or red lentil tabouli salad.  Dips: Homemade hummus, baba ganoush or avocado hummus. Other sides: Lebanese Vermicelli Rice, or Air-Fried French Fries, Air-Fried Asparagus.

And if you’re looking for more chicken Lebanese recipes, here are some!

Lebanese Chicken Shawarma

Lebanese Lemon Garlic Chicken

Lebanese Chicken and Rice

Moghrabieh

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How to Make Shish Tawook