Home / Lebanese Recipes / Lebanese Shish Tawook Chicken

Lebanese Shish Tawook Chicken

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

Updated:

Jump to Recipe


Shish Tawook chicken, a traditional Lebanese dish, becomes juicy and tender from a simple marinade of fresh lemon juice and garlic. The perfect healthy, low carb chicken dinner recipe.

Forkful of Lebanese shish tawook chicken.

If I could eat one food every single day for the rest of my life, it would be Lebanese food, without a doubt. Shish Tawook Chicken (also spelled shish taouk), a native dish of Lebanon and Syria, is marinated chicken breasts that are typically grilled on skewers. It’s delicious with Lebanese Rice Pilaf, a big Syrian Salad, wrapped in pita with a side of Traditional Hummus. You can even make it with shrimp in the air fryer! Since we live in Michigan where the grill is covered in snow 75% of the year, for most of the year we sauté the chicken in a pan with a little olive oil. I’ve also broiled the chicken in the oven which works well, too.

Why You’ll Love this Shish Tawook Chicken

  • It uses only 5 simple ingredients, that you likely already have!
  • A great lean source of protein that the whole family will like.
  • Tastes great on its own, but is great in salads or wraps in pita bread. Easy meal prep!

Ingredients

  • Chicken breasts: Large, moist, and meaty part of the chicken that is easily accessible and affordable. Chicken thighs would work as well.
  • Lemon juice: Bright and acidic, it works as a great natural tenderizer for meat.
  • Lemon zest: Fresh, intense citrus flavor without any of the bitterness.
  • Garlic: Nutty, earthy, and strong flavor that pairs well with lemon.
  • Olive oil: A great addition to any marinade to add volume to help coat the chicken.

How to Make Shish Tawook Chicken

Step 1. Start your Shish Tawook Chicken by using a microplane to freshly grate your garlic into a large bowl.

Step 2. Drizzle in some olive oil.

Step 3. Use a zester or microplane to freshly zest one lemon into the mix.

Step 4. Once the lemon has been zested, juice it and add it to the bowl.

Add in some salt and pepper for taste, then give it a little whisk.

Step 5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 6. Once the marinade is made, take your chicken breast and cut them into cubes.

Step 7. Add your cubed chicken to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated in the marinade. Let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Step 8. When ready to cook, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a bit of olive oil. Add the chicken along with any remaining juices, and cook until golden browned.

Lebanese shish tawook chicken.

Serve your Lebanese Shish Tawook Chicken garnished with fresh parsley, and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between chicken shawarma and chicken tawook?

The biggest difference is that chicken shawarma uses warmer spices, and usually more of them than chicken tawook.

Is shish tawook healthy?

It’s relatively low in calories and fat, making it a great healthy recipe to add to your dinner rotation.

How do you store leftover tawook chicken?

Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, leftovers will keep for up to 4 days.

More Lebanese Recipes

Eat It, Like It, Share it!

Did you try this recipe and love it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your meal.

Liz eating Lebanese shish tawook chicken.

If you need some inspiration, leftover Shish Tawook Chicken tastes delicious wrapped in a pita with cucumber laban and hummus. Let me know how you like it in the comments!

Your fork is waiting.

Have you tried my
Shish Tawook Chicken?

Leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how you liked it in the 📝 comments and share it on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest.

We love hearing from you! This helps us continue to provide free, high-quality recipes.

Shish Tawook Chicken

4.79 stars average
Liz Della Croce
Shish tawook, a traditional Lebanese dish, becomes juicy and tender from a simple marinade of fresh lemon juice and garlic.
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 7 minutes
TOTAL: 17 minutes
Pin
Servings4

Ingredients
 

  • 20 ounces boneless (skinless chicken breasts – cut in cubes)
  • 1 juice and zest of lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic (grated)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • fresh parsley to serve

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken breasts cubes in a glass bowl or large resealable plastic bag.
    20 ounces boneless
  • 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.
    1 juice and zest of lemon, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 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.
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Serve with fresh minced parsley on top.
    fresh parsley to serve

Last Step:

Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps us to continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.

Rate this Recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.5g | Protein: 28.8g | Fat: 5.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.9g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 869mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.4g


4.79 from 46 votes (29 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *






This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


84 responses to “Lebanese Shish Tawook Chicken”

  1. Baubie Richards Avatar
    Baubie Richards

    Absolutely delicious!

  2. Althea Avatar
    Althea

    I made this as a sheet pan dinner to save calories. I also added some zatar spice. I placed foil wrap in the pan and roasted it at 350F in a gaz oven for 15 minutes. It was extremely tender and juicy despite only marinating it for 15 minutes. I had also made your fabulous hummus and had a lovely supper with pita pockets, salad and fries. Healthy & absolutely delicious. I’ll try it in my Air Fryer this summer when it is too hot to cook. I’m sure it would also be delicious cold in a salad.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      So glad you liked it Althea, and your meal sounds delicious! I love to put my leftover shish tawook over a salad, so I highly recommend you try it!

  3. Marla K Babat-Yonaty Avatar
    Marla K Babat-Yonaty

    This is delicious. Really. I am looking to make it for a bigger crowd. Can I di this in the oven or on the grill? How best do you recommend preparing to serve a croud?