If you love shawarmas's bold aromatic flavors but don't want to spend hours cooking, these Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers are the perfect solution!
With a simple marinade packed with warming spices like cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic, the chicken turns out incredibly tender and flavorful. And the best part is the air fryer gives you that slightly charred, juicy chicken without needing a grill or rotisserie.
These skewers are a fantastic option for a quick weeknight meal. Serve them with warm flatbreads, a simple salad and a drizzle of garlicky yogurt for a meal that is packed with flavor for very little effort.
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Ingredients Notes
These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, with quantities, check out the recipe card below.
Chicken thighs: I buy skinless, boneless chicken thighs as they are easier to work with than joints of chicken. You can also use chicken breast, but they are far more prone to drying out in the air fryer.
Cayenne pepper: As written, the recipe has a little zing of heat, but it is in no means a hot spicy dish. Feel free to add more or less to suit your family's taste.
Garlic: As always, measure garlic with your heart. Add more garlic if you wish. (Please don't reduce it unless you really need to, as it does change the taste significantly.)
Plain yogurt: I have tried this with full-fat yogurt and light yogurt. Both work well.
Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- Cut the chicken into roughly equal pieces, ensuring it cooks evenly in the air fryer.
- The longer you marinate the chicken, the better. I will try and to leave it overnight if I can. But give it at least 3 hours.
- When threading the chicken onto the skewers, pack the pieces closely together, pressing each piece up against the next. This helps the chicken stay juicy as it cooks and prevents it from drying out. You want the skewer to be densely packed with chicken rather than having gaps between the pieces.
- You can line the air fryer basket for easy clean up if you like. Personally, I just spray it with a little oil.
- Turn the skewers halfway through cooking so you get an even char on the outside.
Why Is This Recipe Special?
I developed this recipe when our oven died and we didn't have an outside grill either. All we had was an air fryer. Chicken skewers of all varieties became a regular dish as they cook really easily in the air fryer and stay nice and juicy.
- These are so easy to make.
- I find kids love everything if it is on a skewer.
- They are packed with flavour.
- They make a great hot dinner, and leftovers work well cold in salads and wraps.
- The air fryer does the work of an outside grill.
Recipe Adaptations
These are just suggestions and things that have worked in my test kitchen for my family, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
- Add more cayenne pepper or some red pepper or red chilli flakes for added heat.
- Add extra smoked paprika for a deeper smokier flavor.
- Add some sweetness with honey in the marinade.
- Cubes of lamb work well instead of the chicken thigh.
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FAQ's
These are some of the questions our testers have asked. If you have any other questions, please drop me a comment below, are I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
You can. The marinade helps to keep them moist, but the skewers will only need about half the cooking time.
You sure can! The marinade is enough for 6-8 thigh fillets.
If you are using wooden skewers you can do. If I am making skewers for the grill then I soak them, but when I am using the air fryer, I generally skip this step.
My kids prefer this with sour cream to yogurt so you could try that. Or some aioli or hummus.
Serving Suggestions
If you're wondering what to serve with this recipe, I've pulled together some of my (and my kids) favorite ideas so you can mix and match sides and drinks to make a complete meal.
What to eat with Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers
If I'm making these skewers I serve them one of two ways.
Either with rice or Mejadra, cucumber slices, thinly shredded cabbage (dressed with EVOO, white wine vinegar and salt) and then a selection of sauces. I like yogurt sauce and eggplant dip, the kids prefer sour cream and hummus.
Or I serve them with flatbreads, salad/cabbage, roasted onions and bell peppers and the same selection of sauces.
What to drink with Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers
If you are a white wine drinker, my go-to is a Viognier. It is a wonderfully aromatic wine with beautiful floral notes that pairs well with the warm spices in the shawarma. If you added extra spice, then an off-dry Riesling will add a touch of sweetness that can help to balance the spice, but with enough acidity to cleanse the palate. A Vermentino would also be a nice pairing.
For those who prefer a red wine, a light and juicy Gamay pairs beautifully with spiced meats due to its earthy undertones. A Zinfandel with ripe berry flavors and spice will stand up to the shawarma seasoning. Or try a fruity Grenache.
However, I recently went for lunch with a friend and we enjoyed a couple of margaritas with our shawarma chicken salads. So you could swap the wine for a nice citrus based cocktail.
More Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this dish, here are a few more recipes I think you'll love! They're all easy, tasty, and perfect for adding to your weekly meal plan.
Enjoy x
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Any questions about the recipe? Use the comment section below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Get the Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers
Ingredients
Chicken Shawarma Skewers
- 8 chicken thighs
- 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoon ground cardamon
- 1½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note 1)
- 3 cloves garlic minced (see note 2)
- ¼ cup plain yogurt (see note 3)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain yogurt (see note 3)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Skewers
- Cut the chicken thighs into large bitesize chunks.8 chicken thighs
- Mix the spices, minced garlic, yogurt and olive oil to a glass bowl or large zip-lock bag and mix to combine.1½ teaspoon ground cumin1½ teaspoon ground coriander1½ teaspoon ground cardamon1½ teaspoon smoked paprika1½ teaspoon dried oregano1½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon turmeric½ teaspoon cayenne pepper3 cloves garlic¼ cup plain yogurt2 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the chunks of chicken and let them marinate for 12 hours or overnight. (see note 4)
- Once the chicken has marinated, thread it onto 12 skewers. Pack the pieces closely together, pressing each piece up against the next. You want the skewer to be densely packed with chicken rather than having gaps between the pieces.
- Pre-heat the air fryer to 360ºF/180ºC.
- Line or oil the air fryer basket and add the skewers. (see note 5)
- Cook the chicken skewers for 10 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for another 10-15 minutes until charred on the outside and cooked through. (see note 5)
Making the Yogurt Sauce
- Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, minced garlic and salt in a small bowl.1 cup plain yogurt1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon ground cumin1 cloves garlic½ teaspoon salt
- Taste and add more salt and lemon juice to taste.
Notes
- As written, the recipe has a little zing of heat, but it is by no means a hot, spicy dish. Feel free to add more or less cayenne to suit your family's taste.
- As always, we measure garlic with our hearts. Add more garlic if you wish. (Please don't reduce it unless you really need to, as it does change the taste significantly)
- I have tried the marinade with full-fat and light yogurt, and it works with both with no discernible difference in taste or texture. But I prefer the yogurt sauce to be made with full fat as it has a creamer finish. So I usually make the marinade with full-fat yogurt, too, as I don't want to buy both types! So use whatever you prefer.
- If you are pushed for time you can leave the chicken for less time, but do give it at least 3 hours in the marinade
- As I put all 12 skewers into my air fryer basket at once, they are a little packed in, but they cook wonderfully in the time. I do have a large air fryer. If you can't get all 12 skewers into the basket, you can cook them in batches. But I would reduce the cooking time to 16-20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
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