Tavuk Şiş
Boneless chicken thighs and thick yogurt come together in this Turkish chicken — 60 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for grill / broiler and whisk. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Cut the chicken thighs into even 3 cm cubes so they cook at the same rate on the skewer.
- Make the marinade by whisking together the yogurt, crushed garlic, tomato and red pepper pastes, paprika, cumin, olive oil, the juice of the lemon, grated onion, salt and pepper.
- Toss the chicken thoroughly in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight so the yogurt tenderises the meat.
- Thread the chicken pieces snugly onto skewers, leaving a little space between cubes, and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to cook so the marinated chicken stays cold.
- Grill over hot coals or a high griddle, turning every few minutes, for about 12 to 15 minutes until nicely charred and cooked through to an internal temperature of 74 C.
- Rest the skewers for a few minutes, then serve with flatbread, grilled tomatoes and peppers, sumac onions and a squeeze of lemon.
You'll use: Grill / broiler · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Tavuk Şiş
- Corba Side
- Kumpir Side
- Turkish rice (vermicelli rice) Miscellaneous
- Imam bayildi with BBQ lamb & tzatziki Lamb
Tips & common questions
How long does Tavuk Şiş take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 11 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Tavuk Şiş is an original Turkish recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Şiş tavuk (or tavuk şiş).jpg by E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.