Lebanese Shish Tawook Recipe - Chicken Shish Kabob (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between shish kabob and shish tawook? ›

Though both refer to dishes cooked on a skewer, shish kebabs can include any meat, including beef, chicken, or seafood. Shish kabobs may also have veggies, like bell pepper or onions, for extra freshness and fiber. Meanwhile, shish tawook refers to skewered kebabs made with marinated chicken.

Shish tawook is grilled chicken skewers prepared in a yogurt-based marinade. Meanwhile, shawarma is thinly sliced meat prepared on a rotating vertical cone. You know, the one you see regularly at kebab shops? The traditional flavors and seasonings used in both dishes are also different.

Shish Tawook is a beloved authentic Lebanese kebab dish of grilled chicken, in a yogurt-based marinade with lemon, garlic, and spices. These Middle Eastern chicken skewers are so tender and huge in flavor!

While shish taouk is relatively low in calories, it is rich in fat. Each 100-gram serving contains 7 grams of fat. While fat is calorie-dense, it is essential for proper health and can help provide energy for activity.

Choose the Best Beef Cut for Kabobs

Relatively tender, without a need for extensive marinating, Sirloin (from top to tip) is lean and fits into a balanced diet — plus, it's budget-friendly . Other good beef choices for kabobs are Flat Iron or Strip Steak and even Tenderloin.

Kebabs have fewer calories than shawarmas, so it's considered healthier. While these dishes are highly fatty and calorie-dense, they're still a better alternative than other street food, which are usually deep-fried. We recommend choosing chicken over beef if you want a low-calorie meat option.

The name "Shish Tawook" is derived from the Turkish words "şiş" (skewer) and "tavuk" (chicken), reflecting its primary ingredient. The history of Shish Tawook can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, where grilling meat on skewers was a common cooking method.

Shawarma (Arabic: شاورما; in Turkish: çevirme) is a meat sandwich eaten by people of the Arab world and the Middle East. It is served in round Arabic bread with meat and vegetables, with some spice or sauce of choice in it. Normally, the meat can either be lamb, beef, turkey, or chicken.

Sheet pan dinner with Middle Eastern flavors: Marinated yogurt chicken thighs roasted with carrots, potatoes and Lebanese-inspired spices. Beyond delicious, easy, and simple to prepare. Serve with pita bread and a leafy salad for a flavorful meal!

Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

Is Shish Taouk Arabic? ›

Shish taouk or shish tawook (Arabic: شيش طاووق; Hebrew: שישליק עוף; Turkish: tavuk şiş) is a traditional marinated chicken shish kebab of Ottoman cuisine that later became part of Middle Eastern cuisine. It is widely eaten in the Middle East and Caucasus.

Lebanese food essentially follows the Mediterranean diet with the inclusion of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and unleavened bread. Most importantly is the use of olive oil. Chicken, lean chicken, is an excellent source of protein.

Shish Taouk is an incredibly low-calorie meal, as 100 grams of this food has only 127 calories. This is approximately 6 percent of the 22,000 calories that are suggested as a daily dose for an average adult.

While the two dishes use similar spices, shawarma does not use lemon and yoghurt, which means it doesn't have the same light balance as Shish Tawook does. Instead, chicken Shawarma has more of a warm, deep flavour profile, with spices such as turmeric and cinnamon to give it that classic cosy, rich taste.

The shish kabob (a western version) is served on the stick (great for appetizers!) and usually contain vegetables, kabab is just meat on a stick and the shwarma is plated meat taken off the spit, and served with pita bread.

Shish taouk (or shish tawook) is a dish of marinated chicken that is typically skewered and grilled. The word shish, which comes from the Old Turkish word şiş, means “skewer”. And tawook means chicken.

In English, kebab, or in North America also kabob, often occurring as shish kebab, is now a culinary term for small pieces of meat cooked on a skewer.