Shish Tawook

Photo from Chelsea's
Messy Apron

I've made shish tawook recipes before. My favorite one is slightly different in that it includes cumin. I'm not a fan of cumin so this one is spot on for me. It was delicious. And that "delicious" should be in all caps. 

I grilled my chicken kebab style. That's how I roll and this was the right choice for these cubes of goodness. I marinated the chicken for 5 hours. That seems to be the sweet spot for me with marinades. 

I served the chicken cubes in a pita with tzatziki. Store bought. While this recipe includes a recipe for tzatziki, I decided I needed to just buy it. 

Make this recipe. You won't be disappointed.

Shish Tawook

Recipe from Chelseasmessyapron.com

Serves 4

Chicken

1 large juicy lemon (1/4 cup juice)

1/4 c olive oil (or vegetable oil)

3/4 c plain full fat yogurt

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 T tomato paste

1/2 T red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground paprika

1/4 tsp ground allspice

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even 2 inch pieces

Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

MARINATE CHICKEN: Prepare the chicken breasts by patting dry with paper towel, cutting into even 2-inch pieces and placing in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3/4 cup yogurt, 5 cloves of finely minced garlic, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, salt and pepper (to taste; about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Whisk until combined and then pour over the chicken. Stir to generously coat the chicken, cover, and chill. Marinate for 2-24 hours.

TZATZIKI: After making the chicken marinade, make this sauce so it can chill and flavors can develop before serving. Grate a cucumber with the large holes of a cheese grater. Line a small bowl with a few paper towels (or clean kitchen towel) and place the grated cucumber on top. Squeeze as much extra moisture from the cucumber as you can (to keep the sauce from being watery). Once it's drained, place in a medium-sized bowl. Add in the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper). Place in the fridge until ready to serve. Whisk with a fork right before serving.

COOK CHICKEN: Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill for medium-high heat (400-450 degrees F on an outdoor grill) and generously oil the grates. Thread the chicken onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers). Cook on preheated grill until the chicken is golden and no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side.

PITA CHIPS AND TOMATO/CUCUMBER: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking pan with Silpat liner or parchment paper. Cut each pita into 8 triangles and arrange evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the triangles and then use a pastry brush to spread the oil evenly onto the pita bread. Flip the bread and repeat. Sprinkle with salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). Bake for 10 minutes, flipping the pita bread on the other side halfway through bake time. Serve warm with the chicken. For the tomato/cucumber salad, add the halved tomatoes and thinly sliced cucumbers halves to a bowl. Drizzle on a little olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper (to taste).

ASSEMBLE: With the back of a spoon, spread hummus on the base of 4 large plates. Divide the cooked quinoa evenly among the plates. Divide chicken skewers evenly among the plates. Top with tomato/cucumber, and finally drizzle even parts of tzatiki sauce (or serve on the side) over plates. Divide up the pita chips. Season individual plates with salt, pepper and lemon juice as needed. Serve immediately.