Grilled Chicken Skewers with Toum (Shish Taouk) - Game Day Grilling Series

Football is back, baby! With 17 weekends of gameday feasting just around the corner, the Game Day Grilling Series is here with some delicious eats from your grill. For something more than burgers, hot dogs, and chicken wings - check out this Lebanese recipe for Grilled Chicken Skewers with Toum (Shish Taouk). Resounding with bold spices, garlic, and lemon, Lebanese toum is used as a marinade and a condiment, exploding with flavor in every bite.

Toum, an intense garlic sauce usually paired with shawarma, is the shining star of this Lebanese chicken dish. The delightful, pasty, garlicky essence is an emulsification of egg whites, lemon juice, oil, and plenty of garlic. The marinade combines coriander, tomato paste, lemon juice, and toum to thoroughly season and tenderizes the chicken before grilling. Assemble skewers and grill over medium heat until browned with spots of mesquite charring. Serve with remaining toum for an addicting chicken and garlic treat that you can't get enough of; kind of like football.

Serves 4

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Toum (Shish Taouk) Ingredients

Toum

  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 large egg whites*
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1½ cups vegetable oil

Chicken & Assembly

  • 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
  • 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for the grill
  • 1¼ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 4 pitas, warmed

Special Equipment

  • Five 8"–12"-long metal skewers

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Toum (Shish Taouk) Directions

Toum

  1. Pulse garlic, egg whites, and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. With the motor running, gradually stream in half of the oil (this will help the emulsion stay together).
  2. Scrape down the sides of the processor and continue to process, gradually adding remaining oil until the mixture thickens and becomes light and airy (it should cling to a spoon).
  3. Season with salt.

Do Ahead: Toum can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Chicken & Assembly

  1. Mix lemon juice, tomato paste, coriander, ¼ cup toum, and 3 Tbsp. of oil in a large bowl to combine. Transfer marinade to a large resealable plastic bag. Save remaining toum for serving.
  2. Working one at a time, slice chicken thighs in half lengthwise and season generously with salt. Add to the bag with the marinade, seal, and massage marinade into the chicken. Chill for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.
  3. Let the chicken sit at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.
  4. Prepare a grill for medium heat; oil grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, folding pieces back and forth accordion-style so they pile onto themselves (it should be about 3 strips per skewer). Grill, occasionally turning, until browned and beginning to char in spots, 10–12 minutes.
  5. Serve chicken on top of pitas, with pickles and reserved toum alongside.

*Note: Raw egg is not recommended for the elderly, pregnant women, children under four, and people with weakened immune systems.

Taken from bonappetit.com https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-skewers-with-toum-shish-taouk