Shishlik Kebab – Persian Lamb Ribs Kebab

The “Shishlik kebab” is a traditional Persian kebab made with skewered meat. It differs from other kebabs, such as chenjeh or koobideh, in its preparation method. In Turkish, shish means skewer and Shishlik means skewered kabob.

Persian shishlik kebab is specifically made with lamb ribs, yogurt, and saffron and is grilled to perfection. If you’re a kebab enthusiast looking to try something different, Shashlik kebab is worth a try.

In this post, we provide you with a comprehensive recipe for Shishlik kebab and some golden tips to ensure your Kebab turns out delicious, just like the ones you can enjoy in Iran.”

Print Recipe

How to make Shishlik Kebab?

Here are the ingredients and simple recipe for making Persian Shishlik Kebab at home.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Marinating time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: iran

Equipment

• Skewers

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Lamb (preferably leg or shoulder), cubed
• 1 Onion large - finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Brewed saffron
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish
• 10 Tomatoes for garnish
• 1 glass Yogurt

Instructions

• Wash and peel the onions, then chop them or use a blender to get their juice.
• Add chopped onion, yogurt, saffron, olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in a large bowl. Put it aside.
• Cut the ribs into equal sizes with a sharp knife or ask the butcher to cut the meat instead to prepare the meat.
•  Add the cubed lamb to the marinade. Make sure all the pieces are well coated. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight. If you are short on time, let it marinate for at least an hour. To ensure the flavors fully penetrate the meat. Adding salt in this step meat makes the Kebab dry out.
• In this step, you need skewers. To skewer meat, hold the bone part of the shashlik in your hand and gently slide the meat from the upper part of the rib onto the skewer, ensuring that the skewer passes through the center of two rib bones. By doing so, the kebabs will remain stable on the skewers and won't rotate during grilling.

  Consider that all ribs' curvature is on the same side since the top of the bone is thinner than other parts, and it burns quickly.
• Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and sprinkle salt on the ribs and then place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meat is cooked to your desired level of doneness.
• Remove the skewers from the grill and let them rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
• Garnish with fresh parsley, tomatoes and serve your Kebab with rice, salad, or grilled vegetables.

Tips for making the perfect Shishlik kebab

Here are tips that you can consider while making Shishlik kebab:

1. Add salt at the last stage: when you add salt to the sauce, it is more likely that the texture of your meat becomes hard and does not be tender as you wish. Because of that, adding salt at the last stage is recommended before grilling.
2. Preheat the grill: Make sure your grill is preheated to the right temperature before you start grilling. It is better to adjust it on medium heat.
3. Don’t boil: before grilling, you should not boil the meat; it does not allow it to reach a crunchy texture.
4. Don’t overcook: Overcooking can make the meat tough and dry. Grill the kebabs until they’re just cooked through, and let them rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.
5. Serve immediately: These Kebabs are best served hot off the grill. You can grill tomatoes and serve them with Kebab; you can also serve Kebab with fresh salads, grilled vegetables, or rice for a complete meal.
   

Is it necessary to marinate?

You can marinate the meat or not; It depends on your taste. If you don’t marinate and just sprinkle salt, it still tastes great.

Proper skewering

When skewering the meat, leave a small space between each piece. This allows the heat to circulate evenly and cook the meat properly.

Rotate the skewers regularly to ensure even cooking. This will also give you those beautiful grill marks of a good kebab.

Choose the right meat for shishlik

 Meat is crucial for making a perfect Shishlik Kebab. You can use beef and lamb ribs, but making this Kebab with lamb ribs is tastier than a shashlik made with beef. Make sure to choose a tender piece of lamb with a good amount of fat for flavor, such as the shoulder or leg of lamb.

If you wanna to make a kebab with chicken, I suggest Afghani chicken kebab, it has a special and delicious recipe.

Marinate well

Marinating is an important step in making Shishlik kebab. Marinating the meat adds flavor to the meat and makes it tender. The longer you marinate, the tastier your kebabs will be. If you don’t have enough time to rest the meat in the fridge, you can use kiwi to accelerate the cooking process.

Another point about marinating is making the sauce thicker for a tastier Shishlik. To thickness sauce, put the sauce on low heat, then marinate the Kebab with it. Put a crushed kiwi beside the meat in the container to soften its texture since the kiwi is acidic.

Conclusion

The Persian Shishlik Kebab is one of the most tasty and awesome kebabs you should try. Unlike other kebabs, making shashlik kebabs is time-consuming since it includes marinating meat with yogurt and saffron, among other ingredients making it taste unique.

Chenjeh is another kebab that is very popular among Iranians and is made with pieces of beef or lamb. I suggest you to read the post of Iranian Chenjeh Kebab.

This post provides a comprehensive recipe for making shashlik kebab and its key points. We hope you find this recipe helpful and enjoy your Shishlik Kebab with your family or friends.

Have you ever tried Shashlik Kebab made with beef? What did it taste like? Do you prefer lamb or beef? Tell us about your unique experiences in the comment section.