Spiced shish tawook chicken, first marinated, then grilled, put the magic into a pita bread.
Grilled Chicken Shish Tawook
by Sue Lau | Palatable pastime
Okay, so I have joined (yet another) blogging group that likes to cook each others recipes. I am not new to this, having done a lot of prep/review of many food enthusiasts and home cooks recipes over the years. Many have become longtime friends, and we like “playing tag” of recipes we have to see how someone else prepares it, polishing our photos,and giving each other honest comments and reviews about them. So when I see a blogger group doing just that, you know I am game (what with me blogging these last few years and all). And I still do the tag games too as I can find the time. “Culinary Quest” over at Food Friends and Fun is set to start up again soon and I am considering that. There are also various tag games going on at FF&F and also at Zazz, for those who go to those places.
Grilling deliciousness from the Blogger C.L.U.E. group!
visit all the bloggers and don’t forget to pin your favs!
- Artichoke and Green Chile Stuffed Mushrooms by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
- Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, Walnuts, and Parmesan by Kathy from Bakeaway with Me
- Bourbon Baked Beans by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
- Classic Southern Potato Salad by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
- Cornish Game Hens with Citrus, Herb and Whiskey Glaze by Kate from Kate’s Kitchen
- Crinkle Sugar Cookies by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
- Crockpot Chili Dog Sauce by Kelli from Kelli’s Kitchen
- Grilled Asian-Style Chicken by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
- Grilled Chicken Shish Tawookby Sue from A Palatable Pastime
- Grilled Salmon with Mojo de Ajo by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
- Grilled Southwestern Chicken Salad by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
- Lemintini by Anna from annaDishes
- Marinated Grilled Flank Steak by Debra from Eliot’s Eats
- Oklahoma Spicy Baked Beans by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
- Spatchcock BBQ Chicken by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Steak Kabobs by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
- White Bean Tomato and Basil Salad by Rebekah from Making Miracles
This is my first stint in the BLOGGER C.L.U.E. group, which I really just happened to notice almost by accident, reading other blogs. Each month, the member gets assigned another member and gets to pick a recipe to prepare and blog about. For this first month I was assigned Stacy at Food Lust People Love. There are a lot of recipes there to choose from, but as a group this month we are trying to stick to grilling recipes, so that narrowed things down a bit. I decided on the Lebanese chicken shish tawook from Stacy’s Middle East Meal. She does hers on stovetop which is wonderful but I decided to give this a try outdoors on the grill. All made the same way except cooking indoors vs. cooking outdoors, and with it being July, who wants to heat up the kitchen really?
The chicken is easy to cut up and mix in the simple savory marinade. The yogurt is the magic ingredient here, and you might recognize it in other chicken dishes from around the area of the Middle East eastward to India and Pakistan in things like tandoori chicken, which use a spiced yogurt marinade on bone-in chicken, which is then cooked in a tandoori oven (or around here, we just grill it), or when using the chicken breasts it becomes chicken tikka, also cooked in the tandoor, and sometimes prepared with a creamy curry sauce to make chicken tikka masala. Those dishes are often served with things like grilled onion, peppers, and lemon wedges along with grilled nan bread.
In the tawook version I will do as Stacy does and serve this on flatbread (mini naan breads in my case, which are similar to pita) and also with some extra hummus and tabbouli for extra bread or topping. I also am using a little bit of roasted garlic cloves, and “shatta” (which is a mild red pepper sauce similar to harissa but not very spicy; there is also a green version which can be a bit hotter). It’s a little interplay within closely related cuisines,but everyone likes to take their favorites and use them, right?
To me, this makes a perfect summer sandwich and I am glad I was introduced to Stacy’s blog and came across her recipe! Do give either version a try and be sure to check out her fabulous blog at:
~Sue Lau
Cincinnati Ohio
July 6, 2015
(listening to Mia Piccirella by Enrico Caruso)
Grilled Chicken Shish Tawook
Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
To accompany:
- warmed pita breads or small naan bread
- 1 cup freshly made tabbouli
- 1/2 cup creamy hummus
- 1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup shatta red pepper sauce (or may sub harissa, albeit spicier)
Method:
- Stir together first set of ingredients (except chicken) as a marinade for the chicken chunks.
- Combine those and marinate for 3-4 hours (the afternoon).
- Soak bamboo skewers for one hour minimum if not using metal skewers.
- Place chicken chunks onto skewers.
- Cook skewers over medium-hot coals or heat on a well-oiled grate, turning frequently, for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve chicken on warmed bread with toppings of your choice.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com
adapted from a recipe by Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove.com
You might also like:
Grilled Chicken Gyro Salad with Pita Croutons
Grilled Lamb Shish Kebabs on Pita
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Welcome to Blogger C.L.U.E., Sue! I look forward to getting to know you too, in the months to come. I might have mentioned that the shish tawook was my daughter’s favorite dish when we’d go out to the Lebanese restaurant, but as you’ve discovered, it’s quite easy to make at home. Yours looks gorgeous!
Thanks! I’m glad I did it justice for you! 🙂
Hokey smokes, that looks amazing! I love Middle Eastern food, especially when hummus is involved so I’m already thinking about how soon I’ll be able to make this. Good choice for your first go in CLUE this month’s theme!
Thanks!
Wow! I love how this recipe turned out. I have been to Stacy’s blog a million times and I don’t remember this………….thanks for showing it to me because I want to make it before BBQ season is over!
I hope you like it!
Using yogurt in a marinade makes chicken wonderfully delicious! This is certain to appear on our table for dinner….as soon as we return from vacation.
Thanks, hope you enjoy!
What a magnificent meal, Sue! And grilling adds another layer of flavor. So glad you’ve joined the group~
Thanks, Liz
This looks absolutely mouthwatering! Printed it…can’t wait to give it a try! Love your photos! Great choice…welcome to the group!
Thank you!
What an interesting recipe – I must try this! Perfect for our next BBQ!!
Thank you!
Welcome to CLUE Sue. I think you will like it here. Lucky you getting assigned Stacy’s blog the first month!! I love middle eastern food and your photos are perfect!! I am drooling all over my computer here.
Thank you Wendy
Loved reading about this recipe and will love making it!
Thanks Kate!
Welcome! The chicken you selected sounds great – and I actually have the ingredients!
Thanks!
Ooooh I am definitely going to have to make this on a coming Sunday for lunches for the week. Looks awesome, great choice!
Thank you!
Ooooh, this looks awesome! I will have to make this on an upcoming Sunday for lunches for the week. Great choice!
Thank you!
This is my first time making and eating Grilled Chicken Shish Tawook… very much enjoyed it! The paprika and lemon are great, and the chicken was tender. Thank you!
This was delicious! We had it with fattoush salad and baba ganoush and loved it. I’d rate it five stars if it were possible to leave stars here. Thanks for sharing! This is a keeper. Made it for The Amazing Race Checkpoint.
Thanks! You can leave star ratings by clicking stars in the recipe card.
Delicious shish tawook! The marinade and grilling were super easy and the chicken was flavorful and tender. Delish!