Tender, juicy, ultra-flavorful Armenian Shish Kebab is always a big hit at your family gatherings or a barbecue with friends.
Growing up, I have wonderful memories of my grandpa and uncles tending to the barbecue grill lined with delicious Armenian shish kebab. These are days and celebrations that will never be forgotten. Preparing the marinade for this recipe helped me to feel a connection to those days gone by. With Father's Day tomorrow, it was a great time to prepare this recipe and share it with my family.
We have a funny story that we love to tell in our family. My grandpa Moe (furthest left in picture) was quite the character sometimes. He used to say that if someone broke into their home, "I'll give them the shish!" We all used to get a laugh as he would demonstrate his fighting stance.
So this recipe is my chance to give my readers the shish! Enjoy.
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What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Armenian Shish Kebab?
- 1 ½ pounds leg of lamb or top sirloin beef
- 2 medium onions cut into wedges (for skewers) or use frozen pearl onions (if your store carries these)
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced (for the marinade)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine (or substitute ¼ cup red wine vinegar and ¼ cup water)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon aleppo pepper (or substitute ½ teaspoon paprika and ⅛ teaspoon of ground red pepper)
- ½ teaspoon sumac (optional)
How Do I Make Armenian Shish Kebab?
Cut the leg of lamb or top sirloin into 1 ½ inch cubes.
For the marinade, combine the thinly sliced onions, minced garlic, tomato paste, wine, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, allspice, aleppo pepper and sumac (optional). Marinade over night or for several hours in a big bowl or pot.
Cut raw onion into wedges. Skewer marinated meat, adding pieces of onion in between. Grill over medium heat to desired doneness, turning the skewers every few minutes.
Serve with a side of Armenian Rice Pilaf, Heavenly Armenian Pita Bread or an Armenian Salad.
📖 Recipe
Armenian Shish Kebab
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds leg of lamb or top sirloin
- 2 large onions cut into wedges for skewers or use pearl onions (sometimes found in the freezer section)
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced for the marinade
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine or substitute ¼ cup red wine vinegar and ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sumac optional
- ½ teaspoon aleppo pepper or substitute ½ teaspoon paprika and ⅛ teaspoon of ground red pepper
Instructions
- Cut the leg of lamb or top sirloin into 1 ½ inch cubes.
- For the marinade, combine the thinly sliced onions, minced garlic, tomato paste, wine, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, allspice, aleppo pepper and sumac (optional). Marinade over night or for several hours in a big bowl or pot.
- Cut raw onion into wedges. Skewer marinated meat, adding pieces of onion in between. Grill over medium heat to desired doneness, turning the skewers every few minutes.
Megan White says
This was delicious. FYI, I don't know how to grill (yet), so I actually just spread the beef cubes on a sheet pan (no skewers) and baked at at 450 for 10 minutes and then broiled for 5 more minutes to char slightly. I still prefer your grilled version (and next time if I bake, I will probably bake for a little less time or at a lower initial temp so the beef turns out more medium than well-done). But, thanks to your great marinade, this no-grill workaround still yielded a yummy weeknight meal!
Sq says
This is the Western Armenian recipe I was looking for. Thank you. It came out great as always!