Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers

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With a simple marinade packed with warming spices like cumin, coriander, paprika, and garlic, these Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers turn out incredibly tender and flavorful. The air fryer gives you that slightly charred, juicy result without needing a grill or rotisserie. These skewers are a fantastic option for a quick weeknight meal. Serve them with a warm pita, a simple salad, and a drizzle of garlicky yogurt sauce for a meal that feels special but takes minimal effort.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Main

Cuisine: Moroccan

Servings: 4

Calories: 416kcal

Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

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Ingredients

US Customary - Grams

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 tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp ground coriander
1½ tsp ground cardamon
1½ tsp smoked paprika
1½ tsp dried oregano
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup / 60 ml plain yogurt
2 tbsp 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 / 240 ml plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cloves garlic
½ tsp 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

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