A Russian version of the Central Asian Shish Kebab, Chicken Shashlik is very popular at restaurants in Pakistan. This easy version of the recipe takes only 20 minutes of cooking time and makes a great healthy weeknight meal that everyone will love!
Growing up in Pakistan, I always ate chicken shashlik grilled on a skewer, accompanied with rice and a BBQ sauce on the side, as pictured above. My favorite was from the restaurant BBQ Tonight, and I believe they still serve it exactly like this today.
In recent years, another version of this recipe that is becoming popular is more of an Indo-Chinese style chicken with a Manchurian chicken-style gravy. Since I personally prefer this grilled version and already have a recipe for Indo-Chinese Chili Chicken, I thought I'd introduce you to this shish kebab-style chicken shashlik. Don't forget to make the garlic-fried rice with it for a perfect meal!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy recipe - Despite the long list of ingredients and the number of steps in the instructions, the recipe is very easy. All the ingredients are easy to source and are used repetitively; no special cooking tools or skills are needed, and active cooking time is only 15 minutes.
- Balanced meal - Lean white meat and vegetables are cooked using healthy cooking techniques, making this a great choice for a family meal.
- Customizable recipe - This recipe is so easy to adapt to personal tastes. Change the meat, vegetable mix, and spices, and customize it as you like.
- Great Meal prep option - The chicken is perfect for marinating and freezing in Ziploc bags as part of a weekly meal prep routine.
Ingredient notes
Chicken ingredients
- Chicken - I always use chicken tenderloins for my boneless chicken. Located just beneath the breast on either side of the breastbone, this is far more tender than breast meat. Sold separately in supermarkets, it can be purchased by the pound. Cut each tenderloin into two parts and trim any unnecessary fat before marinating.
- Garlic - I crush garlic cloves to make my paste, but storebought is also ok.
- Ginger - The ginger can be crushed using a mortar and pestle or grated using a microplane ginger tool.
- Soy sauce - In addition to its delicious flavor, this sauce helps balance out the acidity of the vinegar.
- Worcestershire sauce - This sauce helps tenderize the meat and adds a nice glossy sheen and flavor.
- White vinegar - This marinade's key tenderizer, the vinegar gets the job done quickly, just like in my hariyali (green) chicken tikka recipe.
Vegetable ingredients
- Vegetables - Green bell peppers, tomatoes, and yellow onions are the traditional vegetables in Chicken Shashlik.
- Seasoning - Salt and black pepper are all I use to season the vegetables so that their natural flavor can shine through.
- Vinegar and soy sauce - I use these to help bring the flavors of the chicken marinade to the vegetables. I cook everything separately but want it to taste like it was cooked together on a skewer.
BBQ sauce ingredients
- BBQ sauce - There is a large variety of BBQ sauces, but a sweet BBQ sauce will work best for this recipe. I use Original Southern Sweet by The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, a local company. You can use any brand you like.
- Tomato paste - Tomato paste adds a deep, rich tomato flavor and also acts as a thickener for the sauce.
- Cornstarch - Between the BBQ sauce and tomato paste, you may not need to thicken the sauce, but if necessary, a bit of cornstarch will help fix the texture and add a bit of gloss.
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Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Grill it outdoors - Preheat your grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the meat and vegetables on skewers, brush everything with cooking oil, and grill. The chicken shashlik will be ready when the vegetables are slightly charred and the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Broil it in the oven - Broil the meat and veggies in the oven in a sheet pan. I prefer broiling to baking as it provides high heat and a cooking style similar to the air fryer. This will result in the slightly charred effect desired in the kabobs. Broil on high, and after about 10 minutes, remove the vegetables and turn the chicken pieces over for another 5 minutes to cook the other side.
- Use a stovetop grill pan - A stovetop grill pan also works great! The vegetables and chicken get perfect grill marks and are very juicy.
- Try a different meat - Traditional Russian shashlik is made with pieces of lamb. You can try this or beef for your shashlik for variety.
- Use different vegetables - There are many variations; select seasonal vegetables or personal favorites for an occasional change.
Step-by-step instructions
- First Step - Clean the chicken tenderloins and cut each one in half. Mix all of the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl.
- Second step - Pour the marinade into the prepped chicken tenderloins.
- Third step - Mix the marinade well to ensure each piece is coated well.
- Fourth step - Marinate for at least 30 minutes, then place the pieces in your air fryer tray in an even layer. If you have a small air fryer, cook the chicken in two batches.
- Fifth step - Cut all the vegetables for the chicken shashlik into eighths. Make sure to discard the seeds in the bell peppers.
- Sixth step - Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together.
- Seventh step - Pour the marinade over the vegetables and toss well.
- Eighth step - Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the vegetables to broil.
- Ninth step - While the chicken and vegetables are cooking, mix all ingredients, except the cornstarch and water, in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Stir constantly to mix everything well.
- Tenth step - Once the BBQ sauce for the chicken shashlik is ready, it should coat the cooking spoon. Add a slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch and ¼ cup water to the sauce if needed. Stir constantly over medium heat to thicken the sauce.
Expert Tips
- Soak your skewers - If you're using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them for a minimum of 30 minutes to prevent them from catching on fire.
- Cook the chicken to 165 degrees Fahrenheit - For safety reasons, it's best to use a thermometer and ensure the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut your meat and veggies into even sizes - Cutting the vegetables and chicken into evenly sized pieces helps them cook faster, so try to be as precise as possible when chopping.
- Make sure to preheat - Whatever cooking technique you use, ensure you preheat the relevant appliance. This will result in a good sear and even cooking.
Recipe FAQS
Chicken tikka is marinated in a traditional Pakistani spice blend versus chicken shashlik with ingredients like soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and an accompanying BBQ sauce.
If you notice the sauce becoming too thick, immediately add 2-4 ice cubes, depending on how thick it is, and stir till it melts and starts to thin the sauce. Continue till you have the consistency you need. The ice immediately cools down the sauce. This stops it from thickening further, and the extra liquid slowly helps thin the sauce.
The shashlik can be enjoyed as a wrap with some roti or a side of some noodles if rice isn't your thing.
It's best to eat fresh chicken shashlik as reheating it can dry the chicken. If you choose to store it, store it in the fridge for up to 2 days and the freezer for four weeks maximum. When reheating it, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to create some steam and moisture, cover and heat it in a microwave.
Other recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Chicken Shashlik
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Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb chicken tenderloins (see notes)
- 1 tsp crushed ginger
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ⅛ cup soy sauce
- ⅛ cup white distilled vinegar
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp mustard powder
Vegetables
- 2 green bell pepper
- 4 roma tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion (large)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp white distilled vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
BBQ Sauce
- 2 tbsp bbq sauce (see notes)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp corn starch (optional)
- ¼ cup water water (optional)
Instructions
Chicken
- Cut each Chicken tenderloin into ½.
- Mix all of the other ingredients, pour over the chicken, and mix well.
- Place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes minimum.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees for 5 minutes, spread the chicken in an even layer in your air fryer, and cook the chicken for 15 minutes, turning halfway through to char both sides equally. (see notes)
Vegetables
- Cut the onion and bell peppers into 8 big chunks.
- Cut the roma tomatoes into quarters.
- Mix the ingredients to make the marinade for the vegetables, mix and add to the vegetables.
- Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven to broil and cook on High for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet.
BBQ Sauce
- Mix all the other ingredients except the cornstarch and water in a saucepan, whisking as you heat it so everything blends in well.
- Once the mixture starts bubbling, add the cornstarch slurry if necessary, and stir constantly to thicken the sauce.
- As soon as the sauce thickens, take it off the stove and set aside to serve later.
Sajid Choudhry
Hi. Just cooked this on a work weeknight. Such a simple recipe! Very delicious!
Nosheen Babar
Glad you liked it Sajid! Thank You for leaving a review!