Tavuk Şiş — Turkish Grilled Chicken Skewers

Tavuk şiş is a Turkish grill-house staple: juicy chicken marinated with yogurt, olive oil, tomato or pepper paste, garlic, and warm spices, then cooked quickly over high heat.

SERVES 4 | PREP 20 MIN + MARINATING | COOK 12 MIN

INGREDIENTS

• 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3 cm cubes

• 3 tbsp plain yogurt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp tomato or red pepper paste

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 tsp sweet paprika

• ½ tsp each cumin, dried thyme, and black pepper

• 1½ tsp salt

• 1 red pepper and 2 green peppers, cut into pieces

• Tomato, lavash, parsley, and sumac onion, to serve

METHOD

1. Mix yogurt, olive oil, paste, garlic, spices, and salt. Coat the chicken and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

2. Thread chicken and peppers onto flat metal skewers without packing too tightly.

3. Grill over hot charcoal or on a very hot grill pan for 10–12 minutes, turning, until lightly charred and cooked through.

4. Rest 3 minutes and serve over lavash with grilled tomato, parsley, and sumac onion.

KITCHEN NOTE

Chicken thigh stays juicier than breast over intense heat. Do not reuse the raw marinade as a serving sauce.