Chicken Shashlik
Boneless chicken thighs marinated in yogurt, garlic, paprika and lemon, grilled on skewers until charred at the edges and juicy inside.
About this dish
Chicken is the modern, quick cousin of the shashlik: it needs hours rather than a day, costs less, and suits a weekday as well as a holiday. Thighs are the cut to use, because they stay juicy over the fierce heat that dries out breast meat. Yogurt does the work that onion does for pork: its mild acid tenderises, and its sugars brown into the dark spots everyone wants on a skewer.
- Gluten-free
- Not vegetarian because of Chicken thighs
- Contains dairy because of Full-fat natural yoghurt
Ingredients
- 1000gChicken thighs
- 200gFull-fat natural yoghurt
- 4clovesGarlic cloves
- 2tspSweet smoked paprika
- 2tbspLemon juice
- 2tspFine sea salt
- 1tspGround black pepper
- 2tbspSunflower oil
- 1mediumRed onion
Instructions
Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 4 cm pieces.
10 minTip: Use thighs, not breast. They have enough fat to stay juicy over direct heat.
Mix the yogurt, crushed garlic, paprika, lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil, then coat the chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
120 minTip: The yogurt is gentle enough to leave the chicken tender and not mushy even after a night, unlike a lemon-only marinade.
Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving a little space between pieces and wiping off excess marinade.
8 minTip: Wipe off the thickest marinade so it browns rather than burns, but keep a thin coat for the char.
Grill over medium-hot embers for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every few minutes, until golden with dark edges and cooked through.
15 minTip: Medium heat is the point. Chicken must cook through before the yogurt blackens, and the juices should run clear when pierced.
Rest for 5 minutes and serve with the red onion sliced in rings.
5 minTip: Raw onion in rings with a squeeze of lemon is the classic cool counterpoint to the char.