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This recipe for easy chicken shashlik kabobs is a healthier version of the traditional skewered and barbecued shashlik. In the Crimean Tatar language the word "Shish" meant spit and the word "Shishlik" meant something on a spit. It became the popular term in Central Asia for what the Turkish called Shish Kebab.

The History

The traditional Shashlik, made with lamb and goat was a popular picnic food in Central Asia, the Caucasus and Russia. The Caucasus had an abundance of sheep so Mutton shashlik was the obvious choice. But in Russia, the meat of choice is usually Pork, Fish or Chicken. According to an article in www.rbth.com with such a short lived summer the masses take their picnicking and barbecuing seriously.

Marinated meat is grilled along with vegetables and accompanied with rice, flatbread and a pomegranate sauce. The russians take their Shashlik seriously and there are many competitions throughout summer for the best marinade.

My Story

Despite considerable research I haven't been able to uncover exactly how shashlik came to Pakistan. However, due to my country's proximity to Central Asia, I feel I can safely assume that it was probably via travelers between the two countries. As with all food that crosses borders, the recipe changes to adapt to local tastes.

Shashlik has evolved into two different recipes in Pakistan. One is the traditional shish kebab way, on a skewer, with vegetables. The other is in the style of a sizzler, in an Indo Chinese style gravy. My personal favorite is on a skewer, with accompanying japanese garlic fried rice and a spicy barbecue sauce.

Much as I like to grill it isn't always convenient or possible on busy weeknights. So I've come up with this recipe where I cook my chicken in my air fryer, the veggies in the oven broiler and prep my rice in the Instant Pot. All of this takes me 20 minutes total cooking time for a great and healthy weeknight family meal! You can't beat that!

The Recipe

This recipe will probably become a favorite of yours and although this air fryer method works really well with Barbecue season coming up you may want to grill instead! If you do decide to put your meat on skewers here are a few tips that may help you!

The Grill Method

Make sure your grill is well preheated before you put your skewers on to start cooking.
Cut your meat and veggies into even sizes. This helps them cook more uniformly.
Brush your kabobs with some oil or include it in your marinade. This will keep them from becoming over dry.
Cook them on medium heat versus high heat for more even cooking.
Use a meat thermometer for best results. I always do!

Broil It!

SImilarly, you can broil your meat and veggies in the oven sheet pan style. I would recommend placing foil with a little ridge in the middle to separate the meat from the vegetables. 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 that is desired in these kabobs. The ridge will prevent any juices from the chicken flowing into the vegetables. After about 10 minutes, remove the vegetables and turn the chicken pieces over to finish cooking. Do not overcook the chicken as the meat will be too dry.

Stove Top Grill Pan

Last of all, a stove top grill pan works great as well! The chicken is juicy and gets perfect grill marks on it. With the chicken pieces cut into cubes, it takes very little time to put this meal together whichever method you use!Easy, delicious and healthy! You can't ask for more! This will please even the more finicky eaters in your family!