What to Serve with Shashlik: Russian Classics and Garden-Party Sides

What to serve with shashlik: the Russian classics

Around the mangal there are rarely more than five or six things on the table. Each one has its job, and together they make up a typical Russian barbecue.

• Lavash: thin flatbread that doubles as plate, napkin and side dish.
• Pickled onions: sharp and tangy, they cut through the fat. Without them something is missing.
• Fresh herbs: coriander, dill, parsley and spring onions, simply put on the table in bunches.
• Tomatoes and cucumbers: in chunks or as a simple salad.
• Sauces: tomato sauce, fiery adjika or tangy tkemali made from plums.
• Grilled vegetables and potatoes: in the embers or on their own skewers.

Pickled onions for shashlik: ready in 20 minutes

Quick pickled onions belong with every Russian shashlik. Their acidity cuts through the fat and their sharpness whets the appetite. Covered in the fridge, they keep for 1 to 2 days.

For 4 to 6 people:

• Slice 2 large onions, white or red, into wafer-thin rings.
• Stir together 3 tbsp wine or cider vinegar, 150 ml water, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt.
• Pour it over the onions and leave for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once.
• Drain and toss with chopped dill or parsley. Add 1 tsp sumac for a Caucasian touch.

Lavash and flatbread: the bread for shashlik

Lavash is the thin, soft flatbread of the Caucasus. You will find it in Russian, Armenian and Turkish grocery shops, and often in supermarkets too. Put it on the grill for just a few seconds so it warms through and crisps slightly without breaking.

The classic way to eat it: pull the meat off the skewer with a piece of lavash, add onions and herbs, roll it up. Turkish flatbread, dürüm wraps or wheat tortillas work too. Our recipe for shashlik in flatbread shows how to turn it into a complete meal.

Shashlik sauce and other sauces

In Germany, Schaschliksoße usually means a spicy snack-bar sauce with peppers, onions and tomato. In Russia, shashlik sauce is mostly a fresh tomato sauce with garlic and herbs that you can make in 5 minutes.

Then there are the Caucasian classics: adjika, a fiery paste of peppers, chilli and garlic. Tkemali, a tangy Georgian plum sauce that is especially good with lamb. And for chicken, a quick garlic sauce made with soured cream, garlic and dill. By the way, the marinade from the raw meat is not a sauce and does not belong on the table; our shashlik marinade guide explains why.

Russian shashlik sauce for 6 people:

• Stir 400 g passata with 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt.
• Finely chop ½ bunch of coriander or dill and mix it in, adding chilli flakes to taste.
• Season with 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Salads for shashlik and sides for a garden party

The Russian standard is a tomato and cucumber salad: tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, dill, salt and sunflower oil or a spoonful of smetana. Dress it just before serving, otherwise it turns watery.

For a German-style garden party, choose sides that hold their own next to rich meat and can be prepared ahead. Light, tangy salads work better than heavy mayo salads.

Shashlik side dishes per person: how much do you need?

For a main course, allow 400 g of shashlik per person. Because the meat takes centre stage, smaller amounts of sides are enough. The calculator in our guide shashlik per person works out the meat for your group. For the sides, allow per person:

• Lavash or flatbread: ½ to 1 sheet
• Pickled onions: 1 large onion for 3 to 4 people
• Salad: 150 to 200 g
• Potatoes: 200 to 250 g
• Sauce: about 50 ml
• Fresh herbs: 1 bunch for 3 to 4 people

More time for the sides: the meat arrives ready-marinated

Good sides take a bit of time. You save it on the meat: at derSchaschlik®, master butcher Konstantin Morgel’s shashlik arrives ready-marinated, evenly cut in the Meister Morgel Cut® and packed chilled. You slice the onions and tomatoes, the meat goes straight on the grill.

The “Friends and Family” package is made for 10 guests: 4 kg of ready-marinated shashlik in four varieties. For smaller groups there is “Work’s done. Grill’s on.” with 2 kg of pork and chicken breast, which pairs nicely with lamb shashlik and a bowl of tkemali. Delivery is free on orders from 49 €.