These delicious little bites of Turkish Chicken Kebab are a lovely dish called Tavuk Shish and guess what? They're low carb, keto, and just perfect for the Air Fryer.
What is Tavuk Shish?
Tavuk Shish is actually a Turkish Chicken Kebab, but I'm lazy/efficient so I don't bother to use skewers when I make this in my Air Fryer. Rest assured, this still tastes fantastic, even without the sticks in the middle.
You could serve as little pieces of chicken, or you could "reverse skewer", as I like to call it, and put it on skewer sticks after it's been cooked. They look like kebabs, but I don't have to touch raw chicken long enough to skewer it. Win win!
How do you make a Turkish Chicken Kebab?
- In a large bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, garlic, tomato paste, lemon juice, oil, salt, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper until the spices are well-blended into the yogurt.
- Add the chicken pieces and mix until the chicken is well-coated with the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 370ºF and cook the chicken for 10 minutes.
- Open the air fryer and flip over the chicken. Set the air fryer to 370ºF and cook the chicken for another 5 minutes.
- Test with a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165ºF before serving.
How long do you need to marinate the Turkish Chicken Kebabs?
The marinade can technically be done in thirty minutes, but it can be left up to 24 hours for a full flavor infusion. The easiest way to do would be to put it in the night before and let it marinate overnight. The spice combination in this dish is incredible and you will want to taste every bit of it!
How do I serve a Turkish Chicken Kebab?
So typically you'd eat this Turkish Chicken Kebab in a sandwich, or with rice. This differs a little by region and personal preference. I like to serve it with tzatziki and/or hummus and I've started using Joseph's pita bread which is both low carb and delicious. I've provided an Amazon affiliate link for the bread, but it's a LOT cheaper at Walmart so I'd try that first to see if your local store has it.
Want to try more recipes like this Turkish Chicken Kebab?
- Mint and Chili Kebabs - The herbs in these are amazing!
- Kafta Kebabs - these use a homemade spice mix that is to DIE for!
- Joojeh Kebabs - a weird name for a kebab you will want to make over and over!
Whether you choose to serve these on a stick, or just as lovely little bites of delicious chicken, you and your guests are going to love these Turkish Chicken Kebabs! What will you serve with yours?
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (50 g) Full-Fat Greek Yogurt
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Tomato Paste
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp) Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp) Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp) Cayenne Pepper
- 1 lb (453.59 g) Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, each cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, garlic, tomato paste, lemon juice, oil, salt, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper until the spices are well-blended into the yogurt.
- Add the chicken pieces and mix until the chicken is well-coated with the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 370ºF and cook the chicken for 10 minutes.
- Open the air fryer and flip over the chicken. Set the air fryer to 370ºF and cook the chicken for another 5 minutes.
- Test with a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165ºF before serving.
Watch The Video
- These only need to marinate for 30 minutes, but overnight is best. Ideally make the marinade the night before and let them sit in the fridge until you're ready to cook the next day.
- You don't have to cook these on a skewer. Serve them as little bites of chicken, or place them on a skewer after their cooked for presentation.
Heather
Yum! Really flavorful and loved the cinnamon.
I don't have an air fryer so I just roasted it in a high degree oven. Definitely a fan of this recipe
Della
I suggest you read the ingredients in the pita bread. The kabob recipe looks delicious!
Jenny
My husband and I LOVED this. Neither of us are a fan of Greek yogurt, but we went ahead and used it for the marinade. I'm so glad we did. The entire dish was absolutely delicious. It was a bit too spicy for us, so I think we'll cut the cayenne in half next time, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. We used the pita bread you recommended too (bought from Walmart, tyvm! LOL), and it was fantastic. This was our third recipe of yours (I'm about to review the other two after this), and we've been completely thrilled with all three. Can't wait to try others!
Debba
Amazing! This was so delicious and easy as can be. I don't have a basket fryer, I have an Instant Vortex, so just set to Air Fry, 370 degrees and 15 minutes, and it tells me when to turn the meat. 🙂 Served it with Lebanese Cabbage Salad (Salatet Malfoof). So, it was keto, to boot. Thank you for a fantastically easy and fantastically delicious recipe!
Debba
I made this again, tonight, but not quite as directed. I used skin-on bone-in thighs, and then broiled them--30 mins skin side down, 20 mins skin side up. It was still fabulous. Just wanted to report that the marinade can be used in different ways, not just in an air fryer, as kebobs.