Chicken Shawarma in the air fryer is SO juicy!!
Who knew that chicken shawarma in the air fryer would be so delicious? If you aren’t familiar, shawarma is traditionally meat marinated in Middle Eastern spices, stacked in a cone-like shape, roasted on a slow rotisserie or spit, and then thin slices are shaved off to serve in pitas or wraps. It’s one of the most popular street foods in the Mediterranean. I have shared my Easy Chicken Shawarma recipe before that you can grill or broil, but the air fryer crisps the outside and leaves the chicken extra juicy. Plus, the air fryer makes clean-up so easy that this has become my go-to way to make it!
This shawarma will become a regular
- Delicious shawarma spice
- Super juicy and crispy chicken
- Easy meal to cook and clean
- Super easy and delicious Chicken Shawarma in about 30 minutes!!
Traditional shawarma ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves, grated
- Fresh lemon juice
The Spices:
- Paprika
- Salt
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Sumac
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon (optional)
- Black pepper
- Ground cardamom (optional)
- Crushed red pepper flakes
The Sauce:
- Yogurt
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh lemon juice
- Garlic clove, grated
Serving options:
- pickles
- pita bread
- cauliflower rice
- salad
How to make Chicken Shawarma in the Air Fryer
Marinate the chicken:
- Place the chicken in a large bowl and add all spices, olive oil, garlic cloves, and lemon juice. Toss well to coat the chicken. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and set it aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
- If marinating overnight, allow the chicken to sit out at room temperature for an hour before cooking.
Make the Yogurt Sauce:
- Combine all the sauce ingredients and whisk well. Taste and add salt if needed. This sauce keeps well in an airtight container stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Place the chicken pieces in the air fryer. If they do not all fit in a single flat layer, cook them in 2 batches.
- Set the air-fryer to 400 °F, 200 °C and cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes on each side. Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 °F, it is ready.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, then thinly slice it.
Add a simple cucumber salad
This simple salad is the perfect side for my shawarma bowls. The vinegar contrasts with the yogurt sauce and brightens the entire dish. All I do is chop up a few cucumbers, some tomatoes, several scallions, and mint. You can use any herb you have on hand-parsley, dill, or basil would all be good. Then, I added salt, white balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. If you haven’t had white balsamic before, it’s sweeter than regular balsamic and we have one from Crete in our shop. It’s delicious, and you should definitely try it!
Serving
The possibilities are endless once you have thin slices of this delicious chicken. You can serve it over salad or rice, in a pita, with potatoes or roasted vegetables. If you have pickles or pickled vegetables, I think they were made to go with chicken shawarma. My family likes it over cauliflower rice with the veggie salad to the side and yogurt sauce drizzled over the chicken. Let me know how your family likes it best. Enjoy & Kali Orexi!
More Shawarma Recipes:
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Watch the Video
Chicken Shawarma in the Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, grated
- 1/4 cup ((60ml) fresh lemon juice
The Spices:
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- • 2 teaspoons salt
- • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- • 1 teaspoon sumac
- • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
The Sauce:
- • 1 cup yogurt
- • ¼ cup mayonnaise
- • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- • 1 garlic clove, grated
Serving options:
- pickles
- pita bread
- cauliflower rice
- salad
Instructions
Marinate the chicken:
Place the chicken in a large bowl and add all of the spices, olive oil, garlic cloves, and lemon juice. Toss well to coat the chicken. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and set aside to marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
If marinating overnight allow the chicken to sit out at room temperature for an hour before cooking.
Make the Sauce: Combine all of the sauce ingredients together and whisk well. Taste and add salt if needed. This sauce keeps well in an airtight container stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
AIr Fryer Instructions:
Place the chicken pieces in the airfryer. If they do not all fit in a flat single layer, cook them in 2 batches.
Set the air-fryer to 400 °F, 200 °C and cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes on each side. Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 °F, it is ready.
Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes then, thinly slices it.
Serve over salad, cauliflower rice, or in a pita.
Enjoy & Kali Orexi!
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Of all the years I have been cooking 40 plus I have never made a comment about anybody’s recipe. I made this yesterday marinated it overnight. It is the best chicken I have ever had. I have never had chicken shawarma before but I know I will make this over and over again. It is that good. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe
Wow!! Thank you very much!!
This was delicious! It smelled SO good while it was air frying, and tasted even better. Thank you!! I love that it’s so easy!
I also made your white sauce and the cucumber salad and the entire meal tasted like it was from a restaurant. Thank you for the tip about washing the green onions.
looks so good. i’m def trying this.
I love Shawerma I will try it on my air fryer.
Thank you for sharing.
Dimitra, it looked delicious! I’ve made shawarma before, but your recipe is unique and much easier and quicker. I marinated the chicken overnight and followed the directions exactly. However, some of my chicken parts became charred instead of crispy after air-frying. Will try once more and hope to get it right next time.