Levantine

Medium · Hot

Garlic Toum and Chicken Skewers

Omar would never serve chicken without a proper garlic emulsion on the side — these juicy skewers are just the excuse to make extra toum for bread-dragging. Grilled until charred outside, tender within, then drowned in clouds of garlicky white sauce.

Recipe by

Omar Haddad

The Sauce-Is-the-Meal Evangelist

Prep

20 min

Cook

15 min

Rest

Total

1h 35m

Method

Prepare the Toum

With a mortar and pestle or in a food processor, pound or blend the 8 cloves of garlic with a generous pinch of salt until a smooth paste forms.

Add the juice of 1 lemon and pulse briefly to combine.

With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil very slowly — almost drop by drop at first — building a thick, white, cloud-like emulsion. This is the toum. It should be spreadable and intensely garlicky. Set aside.

Marinate the Chicken

Cut the chicken thighs into large bite-sized pieces, about 2 inches each.

In a bowl, whisk together the 4 minced garlic cloves, juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, salt, and chopped parsley to make a vibrant marinade.

Toss the chicken pieces in the marinade until thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for deeper flavor.

Grill the Skewers

Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto metal or soaked wooden skewers, leaving small gaps between each piece for even cooking.

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot.

Grill the skewers for 4-5 minutes per side, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through with nice char marks and slightly caramelized edges.

Remove from heat and let rest for 2 minutes.

Serve

Arrange the hot skewers on a platter. Pile the garlic toum in a generous bowl alongside — this is not a garnish, it is the point. Bring warm bread to the table and encourage everyone to drag it through.

Nutri-Score

Fair balance

A–E · lower is better · score 4

Calories

848

per serving

Calorie-dense · 848 kcalHigh in protein · 46gLow sugar · 3g

Protein

46g

Carbs

10g

Fat

70g

Sat. fat

12g

Fiber

Sugar

Sodium

1043mg

Gluten FreeDairy FreeLow CarbKeto FriendlyHeart HealthyDiabetes FriendlyHigh ProteinBalanced Fat

Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.

Environmental impact

High impact

A–E · lower is better · includes estimates

kg CO₂e

2.0

per serving

DCarbonAEU all-round· carbon sets the grade

Water

2.2m³

Land

91Pt

Runoff

0.2g P

Chicken Thigh drives 84% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.

Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.

Flavor Profile

Umami

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Spicy

Textures

TenderCharredCreamySilky

Aromas

GarlickyCitrusHerbalSmoky

Kitchen Equipment

Primary Tool

Grill Pan

Grill PanFood Processor Mortar And Pestle Whisk Chef Knife Cutting Board Mixing Bowl Measuring Cups Plastic Wrap Skewers

Counter FootprintMedium

Techniques

Emulsification Grilling Marinating

Safety & Storage

Cooking Temperature

Chicken must reach 165°F internal temperature when grilled. Use a meat thermometer to verify doneness before serving. The USDA recommends checking the thickest part of the chicken with no bone contact.

Cross Contamination

Raw chicken and its marinade present high cross-contamination risk. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw poultry. Never reuse the marinade that contacted raw chicken without boiling it first.

Storage

Refrigerate toum sauce promptly after preparation. Garlic-in-oil emulsions can support bacterial growth if left at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Do not freeze as it will break the emulsion.

High Risk Population

Garlic-in-oil preparations like toum present potential botulism risk for vulnerable populations including pregnant individuals, elderly persons, and those with compromised immune systems. These groups should consume toum that has been prepared with pasteurized ingredients and stored properly. Consult healthcare provider if concerned.

Handling

When preparing toum, ensure all equipment is clean and dry. The slow drizzle of oil is critical not only for texture but for food safety as rapid oil addition can cause the emulsion to break, potentially creating conditions for bacterial growth.

Equipment Safety

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning or catching fire on the grill.

Pro Tips

Technique

Add the olive oil to the garlic paste like you're feeding a very small, very hungry bird — slow drips at first, then steady. Rush it and your toum will break. Patience here rewards you with that pillowy white cloud that makes everything better.

Substitution

No mortar and pestle? A food processor works beautifully, but keep that oil drizzle agonizingly slow. And if you are out of lemons, a splash of white wine vinegar keeps the brightness alive, though the lemon is truly non-negotiable in my kitchen.

From the chef

I never invite people for grilled chicken without a reason to make toum. The skewers are simply my excuse — charred outside, juicy within, but really just a vehicle for that cloud of garlicky white emulsion you will want to drink with a spoon. In my family, we would judge a meal by how much bread remained after, and by that measure, this table always wins.

Omar HaddadThe Sauce-Is-the-Meal Evangelist

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TagsGarlicLemonOlive OilToumChickenGrilledSauce ForwardCommunalLebaneseMiddle EasternSkewersParmesan FreeGluten Free

Source: generated · June 9, 2026