Turkish chicken shish recipe

Serves 4 | Hands on time 20 min, grilling time 10 min, plus marinating | Easy

Marinated meat, spices, sharp pickles and citrus, offset with a hint of smokiness – this chicken shish is hold-me-back good.

Nutritional info per serving

Calories 260kcals
Fat 4g (1.6g saturated)
Protein 46.3g
Carbohydrates 8.3g (7.6g sugars)
Fibre 2.7g
Salt 2.8g

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
Large pinch ground turmeric
2 tbsp tomato purée
200ml natural yogurt or whole milk
1 tbsp paprika (not smoked)
2 tsp salt
4 large British free-range chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
Vegetable oil to grease
Dried oregano and sumac for sprinkling

Serving suggestions

Lemon wedges, pickles, flatbreads, yogurt, chilli sauce, tomato salad

METHOD

01. Put the onion and garlic in a food processor and whizz to a very fine pulp. Transfer to a sieve lined with a clean J-cloth and set over a large bowl. Bring the cloth around the pulp and squeeze to extract as much juice as you can (it’s best to wear rubber gloves for this, to protect your hands from the smell). Discard the pulp (or save for a tomato sauce base), then mix the juices with the turmeric, tomato purée, yogurt (or milk), paprika and salt. Add the chicken and coat well. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 (see Make Ahead).

02. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water to stop them burning. Heat the grill to as high as it will go (or see tips). Thread the chicken onto 4-8 metal or wooden skewers, depending on how long they are. Line a baking tray with foil and drizzle with a little oil, then lay the chicken skewers on top. Grill for 10 minutes or until the chicken is blackened and completely cooked through (no need to turn it). Scatter with oregano and sumac, then serve immediately with your choice of accompaniments.

Tips
To cook without skewers, fry the chicken in a splash of oil in a large pan for 4-5 minutes, moving the pieces only occasionally so they blacken. You can also cook the kebabs on a griddle or barbecue, turning them halfway through.

Make Ahead
The chicken tastes best marinated overnight, but even 1 hour will give flavour.