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Syrian Shish Tawook (Garlic-Lemon Chicken Skewers)

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Syrian shish tawook, irregular pieces of grilled chicken on skewers with charred peppers, lemon, parsley, and garlic sauce on a simple platter, soft natural daylight.
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Shish tawook is a popular Syrian chicken dish made with tender pieces marinated in yogurt, garlic, lemon, and warm spices before grilling until lightly charred.

Cut the chicken into even pieces, marinate it long enough for the flavours to reach the centre, and cook over high heat without crowding the skewers.

Soak wooden skewers before grilling and leave a little space between pieces so the chicken browns rather than steams.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with toum or garlic yogurt, warm flatbread, grilled vegetables, pickles, and a chopped salad.

A close serving view of Syrian shish tawook being lifted from a grill pan, showing yogurt-marinated chicken, browned edges, lemon, garlic sauce, and flatbread nearby.

Recipe Notes

Marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours. Cooked leftovers keep refrigerated for 3 days.

Syrian shish tawook, irregular pieces of grilled chicken on skewers with charred peppers, lemon, parsley, and garlic sauce on a simple platter, soft natural daylight.

Syrian Shish Tawook (Garlic-Lemon Chicken Skewers)

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Tender Syrian chicken skewers marinated with yogurt, garlic, lemon, and warm spices.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Syrian
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

Chicken marinade
  • 2 lb boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 6 cloves garlic finely grated
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
For serving
  • 2 medium red bell peppers cut into large pieces
  • 1 large lemon cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 6 small flatbreads to serve

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Metal or soaked wooden skewers
  • Grill or grill pan
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Tongs

Method
 

Marinate the chicken:
  1. Whisk the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, oil, paprika, cumin, coriander, allspice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
  3. Thread the chicken and pepper pieces onto skewers, leaving a little space between each piece.
Grill and serve:
  1. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Oil the grates lightly.
  2. Grill the skewers for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every few minutes, until browned and the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest piece.
  3. Rest for 5 minutes. Scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges, flatbread, and garlic sauce or yogurt.

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 43gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 1080mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8g

Notes

  • Chicken thighs stay juicier than breast meat on a hot grill.
  • If using a grill pan, cook in batches so the marinade can brown instead of releasing too much liquid.

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