Turkish chicken shish kebab with roasted vegetables (Tavuk şiş)

Name: Turkish chicken shish kebab with roasted vegetables (Tavuk şiş)
Cuisine: Asian, Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1.25 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4x4cm pieces (remove excess fat); 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 tbsp full-fat Turkish or Greek yoghurt; 1 tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper); Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Rice (optional); 130g sivri biber, halved lengthways and cut into chunks or padrón peppers, kept whole; 2 medium red onions, each cut into 6 wedges lengthways; 3 medium tomatoes, quartered lengthways; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1.66 cups (preferably) full-fat turkish or greek yoghurt; 145g cucumber, diced; 1 tsp dried mint

8 steps

From “Istanbul” cookbook by Ozlem Warren “For these succulent kebabs, tavuk (chicken), marinated in yogurt, olive oil and spices, is threaded onto şiş (skewers). Often served with pilav and roasted vegetables, they are popular throughout Turkey and in Istanbul,” says Warren. “My father, Orhan, was a lawyer with Karayolları, the Turkish Government’s transport department. The department has an employee lokanta (restaurant) in Ortaköy, İstanbul, which has mesmerising views of the Bosphorus, and I have very fond memories of enjoying tavuk şiş with my family there.”

Updated at: Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:30:56 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories634.4 kcal (32%)

Total Fat42.4 g (61%)

Carbs22.7 g (9%)

Sugars12.9 g (14%)

Protein44.7 g (89%)

Sodium530.5 mg (27%)

Fiber3.8 g (14%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

3 servings

Instructions

Step 1

1. Put the chicken in a large bowl, add the olive oil, yogurt, dried oregano and pul biber, season generously with salt and black pepper, then use your hands to combine. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or longer, even overnight, if you can).

Step 2

2. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C (425F).

Step 3

3. Place the vegetables on a large baking tray (pan), drizzle over the olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, then use your hands to combine, spreading the vegetables evenly over the tray in a single layer, so they crisp up around the edges.

Step 4

4. Line a separate large baking tray with baking parchment. Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving 1 cm between pieces, so that they cook evenly and are able to char. Place the skewers on the tray, spacing them 3 cm apart.

Step 5

5. Place the trays in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until both the chicken and the vegetables are fully cooked and beginning to char around the edges. Take the roasted vegetables out of the oven and cover with foil to keep warm.

Step 6

6. Preheat the grill to high. Turn the chicken skewers over so the undersides are now at the top and grill for two to three minutes until nicely charred. Once ready, take out of the oven and roll the skewers up in the baking parchment so they keep warm and moist.

Step 7

7. While the chicken and vegetables are cooking, make the cacık (dip). Put the yogurt and cucumber in a bowl, stir in the dried mint, season with salt, then set aside.

Step 8

8. Serve the shish kebabs with the roasted vegetables and cacık side by side on the same plate, along with rice, if you wish