Şiş refers to the skewer, while tavuk means chicken. Turkish chicken skewers have many marinades, including milk-based and yogurt-based versions. Here the onion-and-milk approach is adapted for a small home grill; it is not presented as the only regional or restaurant method.
Tavuk Şiş — Recipe Card
Turkish grilled chicken skewers with an onion-and-milk marinade
Makes 4 servings · Makes 8 small skewers, 2 per serving. The listed resting time includes 2 hours of refrigerated marinating and 5 minutes after cooking; a longer marinade adds time.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Tavuk Şiş
Prepare and marinate
Cut the chicken into pieces about 2.5–3 cm (1 in) across; do not wash raw poultry. Mix the onion and its juice, milk, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme in a nonreactive bowl. Add all the chicken, coat well, cover and refrigerate at 4°C (40°F) or below for 2 hours, or up to 12 hours. Keep covered below ready-to-eat foods.
Heat the grill and thread
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high direct heat, roughly 200–220°C (400–425°F), with a cooler area available. Clean the grate. Lift the chicken from the marinade, let excess drip off and remove thick clumps of onion. Divide among 8 flat metal skewers that fit the grill, leaving small spaces between pieces. Discard all used marinade; do not use it for basting or sauce. Wash hands, utensils and raw-chicken surfaces.
Grill to temperature
Place the skewers on the hot grate and cook about 12–16 minutes in total, turning every 3–4 minutes. Move to the cooler area if the outside browns too quickly. Check several thick pieces with a food thermometer inserted from the side without touching the skewer: each must reach at least 74°C (165°F). Continue cooking any under-temperature pieces; timing and grill marks alone are not safety tests.
Rest and serve
Transfer with clean utensils to a clean platter, never the raw-chicken plate. Rest 5 minutes, then serve 2 skewers per person. Handle the metal carefully and slide the meat off before eating. Cacık, Çoban Salatası or Bulgur Pilavı can be served separately; they are not included in the recipe quantities.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-chicken-skewers-tavuk-sis. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Heat level
Mild, with no added chili; black pepper brings gentle pepperiness. For a hotter variation, add 2 g (1 tsp) medium-heat pul biber to the marinade. Check the product's heat instead of treating all pepper flakes as equally mild.
Dietary notes
Contains milk and is not dairy-free. No gluten-free label is assigned: check packaged spices, any seasoning additions and accompaniments if gluten avoidance is required. Bread and bulgur are not gluten-free. Do not substitute dairy-free milk without considering the changed marinade and product ingredients.
Oven alternative
Use oven-safe metal skewers over a aluminum-foil-lined metal tray with a rack. Roast in a preheated conventional oven at 220°C (425°F), turning halfway, for about 20–25 minutes and until several thick pieces reach 74°C (165°F). Start checking early; thickness and ovens vary. Do not put wooden skewers under a broiler.
Chicken choice
Thigh meat is the base recipe. Equal-weight boneless skinless breast is a practical alternative, cut to the same size; it may cook faster and dry more readily. Check early and still reach 74°C (165°F). Do not use a shorter fixed time as a substitute for the thermometer.
How to store and reheat Tavuk Şiş
Remove cooked meat from the skewers and refrigerate in shallow covered containers at 4°C (40°F) or below within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the surroundings exceed 32°C (90°F). Use within 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 74°C (165°F) throughout. Discard chicken left out beyond the stated limits.
Tavuk Şiş: questions and answers
Can I prepare the chicken the night before?
Yes, within the 12-hour marinating window and the chicken's original safe refrigerated storage period. Keep it at 4°C (40°F) or below throughout; the marinade does not extend the raw chicken's storage life.
Why is the outside dark before the center is cooked?
Excess marinade, thick onion clumps or overly intense heat can brown the surface quickly. Let excess marinade drain, use even pieces and finish over the cooler part of the grill until the center reaches 74°C (165°F).
Can I add vegetables to the skewers?
For this method, cook vegetables separately so the chicken pieces remain uniform and their temperature is easy to check. Vegetables threaded between meat pieces would change the cooking arrangement and are not part of the stated recipe.
