This Shashlik Saffron Recipe makes tender skewers of marinated lamb or beef with onion, sweet pepper and tomato. The saffron-yogurt marinade seasons the meat gently, while careful spacing and moderate grill heat keep it juicy.
Shashlik, also written as shishlik, has many regional versions. Some use bone-in lamb chops; this is the boneless, skewer-style recipe described in the original article, using evenly cut pieces of tender meat.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless lamb leg or beef fillet
- 2 sweet peppers
- 4 small onions
- 1 tablespoon finely grated onion
- 8 small tomatoes
- 120 g (1/2 cup) plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground saffron, infused in 2 tablespoons hot water
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Choose one kind of meat so every piece cooks at the same rate. Tender lamb leg gives the kebab a fuller flavour; beef fillet is leaner and needs especially close attention at the grill.
Cut the meat and vegetables
Trim away tough silver skin, then cut the meat into pieces about 3 cm across. A regular size matters more than a perfectly neat shape. Very small pieces dry out before the onion and pepper soften.
Cut the peppers into broad squares. Quarter the onions through the root so the layers remain together. Leave small tomatoes whole, or halve larger ones and cook them on separate skewers because they soften faster than the meat.
Prepare the saffron marinade
In a glass or stainless-steel bowl, stir together the yogurt, grated onion, lemon juice, saffron infusion, 2 tablespoons olive oil and black pepper. If you need a reliable infusion, follow our saffron-brewing method.
Add the meat and turn it until every piece is lightly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. The old recipe suggested preparing the meat a day ahead, but a shorter refrigerated marinade is enough for tender cuts and avoids a soft, mealy surface.
Keep the vegetables separate from the raw meat. Toss them with the remaining oil and a small pinch of salt just before they go onto the skewers.
Build the shishlik skewers
Take the meat from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before grilling. Lift it from the marinade and let the excess fall back into the bowl. Thread the pieces onto skewers without squeezing them tightly together.
Alternate meat with onion and sweet pepper, leaving a few millimetres between pieces so the hot air can reach their sides. Put the tomatoes on their own skewer if you want to remove them earlier. Discard the marinade that held the raw meat.
Grill the saffron shashlik
Heat a charcoal grill, gas grill or ridged grill pan to medium-high. Clean and oil the grate. Lay the skewers over the heat and turn them every 2 to 3 minutes so the edges brown without scorching the saffron and yogurt coating.
Boneless 3 cm pieces usually need about 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the meat and the heat. Start checking early. For whole cuts of lamb or beef, the official safe endpoint is 63°C (145°F) followed by a 3-minute rest; see the safe minimum temperature chart.
Salt the skewers lightly near the end of cooking. Turn the tomato skewer gently and remove it as soon as the skins blister and the flesh begins to soften.
Rest and serve
Move the shashlik to a clean platter and let the meat rest for 3 minutes. Serve it straight from the skewers with the grilled tomato, onion and pepper. Flatbread, plain rice or saffron rice all suit the juices without making the meal heavy.
A squeeze of lemon at the table brings freshness, but add it after grilling. Lemon poured over the meat too early can soften the browned surface.
How to keep shashlik tender
- Use a tender cut and remove tough silver skin.
- Cut pieces to the same 3 cm size.
- Marinate in the refrigerator, never on the counter.
- Leave space between pieces instead of packing the skewer.
- Use a thermometer and rest the cooked meat for 3 minutes.
This recipe contains dairy. If you use wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before cooking so the exposed ends are less likely to scorch.
