The Lemon Bowl®

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Shish Tawook Chicken

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Shish Tawook, a traditional Lebanese dish, becomes juicy and tender from a simple marinade of fresh lemon juice and garlic.


If I could eat one food every single day for the rest of my life, it would be Lebanese food.

People often ask how I came up with “The Lemon Bowl” and ultimately it all goes back to my Middle Eastern roots. Lemon is the star ingredient in almost every Lebanese recipe and I have been watching my mom and aunts use lemons to flavor food since I could reach the counter.

I could go on for days about my love of lemons but today I’m going to talk specifically about using lemon as a meat tenderizer. Similar to yogurt or vinegar, the acid in lemon juice helps break down the muscle fibers in meat. This is especially important when you’re working with lean cuts of meat like boneless chicken breasts. 

Chicken Souvlaki with Wild and Brown Rice - The Lemon Bowl

Lemon juice plays the star role in everything from Indian Spiced Grilled Chicken to Beef Shawarma to Chicken Souvalaki and much, much, more.


Chicken Tawook, a native dish of Lebanon and Syria, is marinated chicken cubes that are typically grilled on skewers. Since we live in Michigan where the grill is covered in snow 75% of the year, we most commonly sauté the chicken in a pan with a little olive oil. I’ve also broiled the chicken in the oven which works well too.

Spelt Tabbouleh by The Lemon Bowl

Leftovers taste delicious wrapped in a pita with cucumber laban and hummus or served on top of my Spelt Tabbouleh with Jalapeño Vinaigrette.

Your fork is waiting.

4.69 from 16 votes
Print
Shish Tawook Chicken
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
7 mins
Total Time
17 mins
 

Shish tawook, a traditional Lebanese dish, becomes juicy and tender from a simple marinade of fresh lemon juice and garlic.

Course: Entree
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 4
Calories: 160 kcal
Author: Liz DellaCroce
Ingredients
  • 20 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut in cubes
  • 1 juice and zest of lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • fresh parsley to serve
US Measurements - Convert to Metric
Instructions
  1. Place chicken breasts cubes in a glass bowl or large resealable plastic bag.
  2. Add lemon juice, zest, grated garlic, salt and pepper to the chicken toss until chicken is evenly coated with marinade. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or up to overnight.
  3. Heat pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add chicken to the pan along with all of the marinade. Sauté chicken, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
  4. Serve with fresh minced parsley on top.
Nutrition Facts
Shish Tawook Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160 Calories from Fat 48
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5.3g 8%
Saturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.9g
Cholesterol 75mg 25%
Sodium 869mg 36%
Total Carbohydrates 1.5g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugars 0.4g
Protein 28.8g 58%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Check out more Lebanese recipes on my Pinterest board!


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Slow Cooked Lebanese Green Beans and Beef
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. This was delicious…my family really enjoyed it. It was easy to prepare too. I did sauté and I placed all of the marinade in the pan, but I drained it later so the chicken could brown. Thank you!

    Reply

  4. We will make this again! I liked the marinade a lot. I’ve learned it’s important to salt meat well, I find many don’t do this and it leaves it tasting rather deflated.
    We grilled it on skewers with chunks of bell pepper and red onion, served over a garlic rice pilaf from Annie’s Eats, and really enjoyed this!!
    Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  5. I hardly ever post comments on recipes but this one deserved it! I absolutely avoid making chicken because it usually comes out plain, overcooked, and bland. This recipe was perfect. I adore lebanese cooking, order it all the time and this shish tawook is on par with what I’ve had in lebanese restaurants and also made by my Lebanese friends’ Moms. SO EASY, SO DELICIOUS. thank you :)

    Reply

  6. Made the chicken tawook tonight. The favors are fabulous… I overcooked though to get it the light brown color, will know better next time. Great recipe, thank you!

    Reply

  7. Fantastic recipe! Made it twice so far, with the second a double batch so I could have lots of leftovers for salads and sandwiches. :-)

    If I prepare it on skewers in the oven, what temperature and cooking time do you recommend?

    Reply

  8. Hey Liz:
    Sabrina’s sister in-law here…she recommended your site and I’m blown away by your awesome recipes!!! Cooked up Chicken Tawook for the family last night and they were practically licking their plates…a real winner! Keep up the great work!!

    Reply

    • Hey Leann,
      Thank you so much for writing!! Such a small world. I’m so glad you like the chicken tawook -it’s a family favorite and a staple in our house!! Hope to see you at Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah!

      Reply

  9. Do you know how to make that amazing garlicky paste/dip that comes with Shish Tawook? I would love a recipe for it! Just tried this recipe and it is delicious. Thanks!

    Reply

  10. I really love this recipe. Wanted to let you know that I featured it in my monthly round-up of 25 Deliciously Healthy Low-Carb Recipes. I hope a lot of my readers will come over here and try it!

    Reply

  11. Absolutely love love love this recipe and just shared it on my blog in a post called Friday Foodie Faves where I share my favorite foodie finds from around the web.

    Reply

  13. Made this last night because I had everything on hand. It was super easy and really tasty! Adding it to my list of go-tos! I have no idea what it should be served with so we just had it with roasted beets, corn on the cop, fresh peaches, and some fresh bread. I’m sure that’s not traditional but it was awesome!

    Reply

    • Oh I’m so thrilled you made it and enjoyed it Melissa!! And I LOVE what you served it with!! We typically serve it with salad and rice but honestly your menu sounds even better this time of year!

      Reply

  15. I made this for dinner last night – a double batch, in fact! We loved the tang of the chicken and I appreciated how quick and easy it was. I did add a few shakes of red pepper flakes because my family enjoys a bit of heat. Otherwise we followed the directions exactly. The leftovers would be fantastic on a salad or in a pita with tomatoes and cucumber. Thank you for such a great recipe, Liz!

    Reply

    • This comment has made my day, Dara! And I’m laughing to myself because in all truth, I almost always add chili flakes too!!! Or sriracha. ;) Too funny!! Glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you have some leftovers for a pita today with hummus. :)

      Reply

  16. You speak my husband’s language with this one! His absolute favorite dish from a local Middle Eastern restaurant we love is shish tawook. If I made it at home? He’ll be in heaven. Not sure why I never did, but he’ll be thrilled if I add this to the rotation. This looks great and I have to admit I’d do it just to get the leftovers with labneh on pita – yum!

    Reply

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