Meat, Maghreb and Middle East
Chicken shish taouk with vermicelli rice and garlic sauce
Chicken shish taouk is a Lebanese skewer marinated in yogurt, lemon and paprika, served with vermicelli rice and a garlic sauce. For 4 people, it takes 45 minutes total, rated easy, at €2.80 per serving. The key to success is the marinating time, at least two hours, which tenderizes the chicken deeply.
Tonight, chicken shish taouk, these Lebanese chicken skewers marinated in lemon and yogurt, with vermicelli rice and a bold garlic sauce.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost per person
- €2.80
- Calories per person
- 590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
- Season
- Summer, Spring, Fall
- The kids
- They generally like it
Chicken shish taouk owes its tenderness to its marinade, the yogurt softens the meat while the lemon and garlic give it a bright, punchy flavor. Grilled, the chicken stays lightly charred outside and juicy inside, nothing like a dry skewer. The garlic sauce, whipped with oil around a boiled potato, brings a creamy, powerful kick that stands out from everyday sauces.
This is a dish that pleases kids and adults alike, the skewers are meant to be eaten with your hands and the vermicelli rice softens the bite of the sauce. Plan to make it on a day when you have a bit of lead time, since the marinade needs two hours before dinner. It works just as well for a weeknight meal prepped ahead as for a relaxed dinner with friends.
The ingredients
Butcher
- Chicken breasts 700 g
Dairy
- Plain yogurt 150 g
- Butter 30 g
Fruits and vegetables
- Lemon 2
- Garlic 8 cloves
- Potato 1
Pantry
- Paprikaoften in the pantry 2 tsp
- Long grain riceoften in the pantry 300 g
- Vermicellioften in the pantry 60 g
- Oiloften in the pantry 20 cl
- Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
- Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch
Allergens Lactose, Gluten
The step by step recipe
-
Cut the chicken into cubes and marinate it with the yogurt, the juice of one lemon, the paprika, two cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and the oil. 2 h
Make the marinade in the morning, the chicken turns out better.
-
Boil a small potato in water, then blend it with six cloves of garlic, salt, the juice of one lemon and the oil poured in a thin stream to make the garlic sauce. 10 min
Pour the oil very slowly, the sauce thickens like a mayonnaise.
-
Brown the vermicelli in the butter, add the rice, cover with salted water and cook covered. 15 min
Stir so the vermicelli turns golden without burning.
-
Thread the chicken onto skewers and grill, turning them as they cook. 12 min
Don't pack the cubes too tightly, they need to cook through.
-
Serve the skewers with the rice and the garlic sauce.
Add onion rings and parsley, that's the Lebanese way.
Our tips to get it right
- Cut the chicken cubes to an even size so they all cook at the same rate on the skewer.
- Taste the garlic sauce before serving, you can adjust the salt or add a little lemon juice if it seems too thick.
- If grilling in the oven, use the top broiler setting and watch the skewers closely, marinated chicken browns fast.
The variations
- Swap the chicken for firm tofu cubes marinated the same way for a vegetarian version, cutting the marinating time to thirty minutes.
- For a faster version, cook the marinated chicken in strips in a skillet instead of threading it onto skewers.
- For kids, make a milder garlic sauce by cutting the garlic to three cloves and adding a bit more yogurt.
What to serve it with
- Warm pita bread
- Cucumber and tomato salad
- Lemon water or mint tea
Storage
Raw marinated chicken keeps up to 24 hours in the fridge before cooking. Once cooked, the skewers keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and reheat gently in a skillet or oven. The garlic sauce also keeps for 2 days chilled, in an airtight container.
Questions about this dish
Can you cook chicken shish taouk without a grill?
Yes, the skewers work well under the oven broiler or in a very hot skillet. Keep the same cooking time, turning the skewers often for even browning.
Can you prepare the marinade the night before?
Yes, it's even recommended, chicken marinated overnight turns out even more tender. Keep it covered in the fridge until you're ready to cook.
Can you replace plain yogurt with another dairy product?
Greek yogurt works just as well and gives a slightly thicker marinade. Avoid sweetened or flavored yogurts, which would change the taste of the dish.
Why pour the oil in a thin stream into the garlic sauce?
Pouring the oil slowly lets the sauce thicken like a mayonnaise, creating a creamy, stable texture. Pour it too fast and the sauce can split.
How long does it take to make a chicken shish taouk with vermicelli rice and garlic sauce?
Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.
How many calories are in a chicken shish taouk with vermicelli rice and garlic sauce?
About 590 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.
How much does a chicken shish taouk with vermicelli rice and garlic sauce cost?
About €2.80 per serving, or €11.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.
What allergens does this recipe contain?
This recipe contains lactose, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.
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