Shish Tawook Pita with Hummus

Tender, juicy chicken tawook is rolled inside pita bread along with hummus, pickles, and pickled turnips. A traditional Lebanese street food recipe.

Whenever we order Lebanese takeout, my boys always ordered beef shawarma or chicken tawook pita sandwich. Since you all loved the beef shawarma pita sandwich recipe so much I decided it was due time to tell you how to make a Lebanese Shish Tawook Pita!

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The star of this dish is tender, juicy chicken tawook. We prepare this at least one or two nights a week and serve it with Syrian rice pilaf, over a salad or wrapped in pitas.

What is Shish Tawook?

Shish tawook (or tawouk) is a traditional Middle Eastern street food of marinated chicken shish kebab typically grilled. While my family descends from Syria it is widely eaten in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Israel.

To make Lebanese chicken tawook, you simply marinate chicken breast cubes in lemon juice, garlic, olive, and salt. Then, you can either pan-fry it, skewer and grill it or bake it in the oven.

Once you have your chicken prepared or while it’s cooking, it’s time to assemble the other ingredients that will go inside the pita. The options here are limitless but I love to add creamy hummus, red onion, pickles, tomatoes, and pickled turnips.

Other great toppings would be Greek tzatziki sauce or tahini sauce.

Should I Make Homemade Hummus or Use Store-Bought?

Either work! In general, you’ll have more flavor using homemade hummus but store-bought works too. My Great Aunt Vieve taught me how to make the most incredible, easy hummus recipe which is usually my go-to.

What Are Pickled Turnips?

If you’re not familiar, pickled turnips are a customary pickle of the Middle East., They are crunchy, tangy, and vinegary with just the tiniest bit. They taste delicious served on gyros, kebabs, falafel, salads and more. They are available online or you will find in most large grocery stores and international markets.

Once the pita is tightly wrapped, simply slice in half to serve. If you want to enjoy later, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil. They will stay good up to one day.

The options to this sandwich are limitless. You can omit the chicken entirely and pack full with crispy veggies or even a Greek salad. Another option is to swap out the chicken for beef shawarma.

No forks required.

For more Lebanese recipes, check out my Pinterest board!