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1
Marinate the chicken
2 hours (hands-off)
Refrigerated (4°C / 40°F)
Whisk the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, tomato paste and all the spices into a smooth marinade, then fold in the chicken cubes until fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the deepest flavour.
Do not marinate longer than 24 hours — the lemon and yogurt will start to break the chicken down and make it mushy.
Done when: Every cube is coated in a rust-red marinade and the bowl smells of garlic and warm spice.
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2
Thread the skewers
10 minutes
Room temperature (20°C / 68°F)
If you use wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes first so they do not burn. Thread the chicken cubes onto the skewers, alternating with chunks of red onion and green pepper, leaving a small gap between pieces so the heat can reach all sides.
Push the cubes on snugly but not squashed together — air gaps are what let the edges char instead of steam.
Done when: Each skewer holds 5–6 chicken cubes with onion and pepper between them.
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3
Heat the grill
5 minutes
Medium-high heat (200°C / 400°F)
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and brush the grates lightly with oil. The grill is ready when a drop of water sizzles and evaporates at once.
A grill that is not hot enough is the main reason skewers stick — wait for the sizzle test before the chicken goes on.
Done when: Grates are hot, lightly oiled, and a water drop sizzles on contact.
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4
Grill the skewers
12 minutes
Medium-high heat (200°C / 400°F)
Lay the skewers on the grill and cook for 5–6 minutes without moving them, until they release easily and show dark grill marks. Turn and cook the other side for 5–6 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through to 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part.
Resist turning the skewers early — the chicken sticks until the surface has seared, then it lets go on its own.
Done when: Chicken is charred at the edges, juices run clear, and a thermometer reads 74°C (165°F).
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5
Rest and warm the pita
3 minutes
Grill heat (200°C / 400°F)
Move the skewers to a plate, tent loosely with foil and rest for 3 minutes. Lay the pitas on the grill for about 1 minute per side until warm and puffed.
Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat — cut into a cube too soon and the juices run out onto the plate.
Done when: Chicken is rested and juicy; pitas are warm, soft and lightly marked.
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6
Serve
2 minutes
Serving hot (above 60°C / 140°F)
Slide the chicken off the skewers onto a mound of rice, or serve the skewers whole on the plate with the pita alongside. Pass lemon wedges and garlic sauce at the table.
Serve the onion and pepper from the skewers too — they pick up the marinade and the smoke and are the best part for many people.
Done when: Plates show golden, charred chicken over rice with warm pita and lemon.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the skewers hot over the rice with the warm pita, lemon wedges and a bowl of toum garlic sauce for dipping — the cold, garlicky sauce against the smoky chicken is the whole point of the dish.
Lebanon
25m
