Turkey • Regional Dish • Side Dish

Şiş Tavuk (Chicken kebabs)

These Turkish chicken skewers stay juicy thanks to a yogurt marinade and cook quickly for an easy, smoky, home-style kebab dinner.

Servings4

Prep Time20 min

Cook Time16 min

DifficultyEasy

Print Recipe

Ingredients

US Metric

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper or mild chili flakes

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For skewers, optional

1 green pepper, cut into large pieces

1 tomato, cut into wedges

For serving, optional

Flatbread or lavash

Rice or bulgur pilaf

Grilled tomatoes and green peppers

Cacık or plain yogurt

700 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

120 g plain full-fat yogurt

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper or mild chili flakes

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For skewers, optional

1 green pepper, cut into large pieces

1 tomato, cut into wedges

For serving, optional

Flatbread or lavash

Rice or bulgur pilaf

Grilled tomatoes and green peppers

Cacık or plain yogurt

Instructions

Put the chicken in a large bowl.
In a second bowl, mix the yogurt, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, Aleppo pepper, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix well so every piece is coated. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes. Thread the chicken onto skewers, adding green peppers or tomatoes only if you want them and they suit your serving style.
Heat a grill pan, outdoor grill, or oven grill to medium-high. Cook the skewers for 12 to 16 minutes, turning a few times, until lightly charred and cooked through.
Rest for 2 minutes, then serve hot with flatbread, rice, grilled vegetables, or yogurt if using.

Cultural Context

In Turkey, kebabs rarely show up alone. Tavuk şiş is usually part of a broader table with bread, rice or bulgur, grilled tomatoes and peppers, salad, and yogurt-based sides. That’s one of the reasons it feels both casual and generous: the skewer is only the headline, not the whole newspaper.

Fun Fact

The word şiş in Turkish means “skewer,” so şiş tavuk literally means “skewered chicken.” Efficient naming. No branding consultant required.

Cook’s Tip

Chicken thighs are more forgiving than breast meat and stay juicier on the skewer. The yogurt-based marinade is a common Turkish approach for chicken kebabs, often paired with tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, and warm spices. Some home cooks add pepper paste, lemon juice, or sumac, but the basic version is already plenty tasty.

Trivia

Cooks usually serve Turkish chicken kebabs with roasted green peppers and tomatoes, which show up so often alongside the skewers they might as well have a standing reservation.

About This Recipe

Şiş tavuk, also called tavuk şiş, is a Turkish-style chicken kebab made by marinating chicken, threading it onto skewers, and grilling or roasting it until lightly charred. Turkish-style recipes rely on a yogurt-based marinade with tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, and spices to keep the meat juicy and flavorful.
This home-cook version keeps the marinade simple and the method flexible, so you can use a grill, a grill pan, or an oven grill without losing the dish’s character. Served with bread, rice, grilled peppers, and a yogurt side, it lands squarely in familiar Turkish kebab territory.

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Şiş Tavuk (Chicken kebabs)

Instructions

Cultural Context

Fun Fact

Cook’s Tip

Trivia

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