Pakistani Chinese favourite · Skewers and sauce

Chicken Shashlik Recipe (Pakistani Shashlik with Sauce)

Same size pieces. Grill, then sauce. Crunchy veg.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Chicken shashlik is a Pakistani restaurant favourite: chicken and vegetables grilled on skewers and served on rice with a tangy, sweet chilli tomato sauce. It turns soggy when the vegetables stew in the sauce. The fix is cutting chicken and vegetables the same size, grilling them first, and pouring the sauce over only at serving.

Prep25m
Cook20m
Servings4
kcal / serving430
LevelEasy
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of chicken shashlik

Why this recipe works

Same size pieces

Mixed sizes

Even cooking.

Grill first

Simmer in sauce

Crunchy vegetables.

Sauce at serving

Pre-sauced

No sogginess.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Skewers

Sauce

The NineFoods shashlik gauge

Is the sauce right?

Coat a spoon.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 3 stages

Step by step

1

Marinate

No heat · 20 min
  1. Marinate chicken in soy, vinegar, garlic and pepper.
Look for: seasoned chicken.
20:00
2

Grill

High · 12 min
  1. Thread chicken and vegetables; grill or pan sear until charred.
Look for: charred skewers.
12:00
3

Sauce

Medium · 6 min
  1. Simmer sauce ingredients, thicken with cornflour. Use the gauge above.
  2. Serve skewers on rice with sauce.
Look for: shashlik.
06:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Simmered in sauce.

Fix next time

Sauce at serving.

Why

Overcooked.

Fix next time

Grill briefly.

Why

No cornflour.

Fix next time

Thicken.

Why

Ketchup heavy.

Fix next time

Balance with vinegar.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
ChickenMainPrawns or paneer
CapsicumCrunchMixed peppers
Ketchup sauceTangTomato paste and sugar
GrillCookingHot pan

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Egg fried rice or plain rice.

Store

Fridge 2 days.

Reheat

Pan for chicken; warm sauce separately.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the sauce right) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All Pakistani recipes10 Essential Pakistani Spices and How to Use ThemHow to Make Garam Masala at HomeHow to Make Ginger Garlic Paste

Quick answers

Chicken Shashlik FAQ

What is chicken shashlik?

Grilled chicken and vegetables with a tangy chilli tomato sauce.

Is it Chinese or Pakistani?

It is a Pakistani Chinese restaurant dish.

Can I make it without skewers?

Yes, stir fry the pieces.

What rice goes with it?

Egg fried rice.