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This Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma recipe is everything! Easy to prepare, outrageously delicious and so versatile. Simply marinate chicken thighs in a Sharwama spice mixture and air fry until the chicken is tender with hard-to-resist crispy bits. Prep a day ahead to allow for the chicken to absorb the wonderful flavors of the marinade.
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What is Chicken Shawarma
Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern street food. Layers of marinated meat are stacked on a vertical rotisserie, slowly cooked and then shaved to serve in a wrap.
It is not unlike my favorite, Greek Gyro, which is also cooked on a rotisserie. Shawarma derives from the Turkish word çevirme which means “turning” and “gyros” also means turning in Greek.
Despite their similarities, these are two distinct recipes with their own flavor profile – both incredibly delicious!
Since a vertical rotisserie is not possible for home cooking I have adapted the recipe to make Shawarma in the Air Fryer. Prepare to drool when the aroma of the chicken hits your nostrils!
Ingredients in Chicken Shawarma
Chicken – boneless chicken thighs are perfect for this recipe and generally cheaper than chicken breast too.
Sharwama Marinade
- Natural yogurt (fat free is fine)
- Minced garlic and ginger (I know the ginger is not really traditional so feel free to leave out)
- Spices – cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, turmeric and cardamom. If this sounds like a long list you can pick up a Sharwama spice blend to use instead.
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil – you can leave the olive oil out or just use a cooking spray to make this recipe Slimming World friendly.
How to make Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma
Full measurements and instructions can be found on theprintable recipe cardat the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Marinate the chicken / Prep Ahead
Mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add to the chicken thighs and turn them over a few times so that they are well coated. If you have time, marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge for maximum flavor.A pyrex dish is great for marinating.
Cook the chicken
Preheat the air fryer to 180° (350°F). Pile the chicken into a deep container and cover tightly with foil, pressing down to compress the chicken.
Cook, covered with foil, for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 75°C (167°F) on a meat thermometer.
Drain any liquid that has been released. Transfer the chicken to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
Add back into the air fryer, directly into the basket this time and cook for about 5 minutes at 190°C (375°F) to get some crispy edges if you like.
HOW TO SERVE CHICKEN SHARWAMA
Pile the sliced chicken on flatbreads with the yogurt sauce, sliced lettuce, pickles, onions and tomatoes. Optional but delicious: zhoug or hot sauce and fries.
Alternatively serve a portion of chicken with a salad like Tabbouleh, with other Middle Eastern favorites such as Falafel, or simply with a green salad. Absolutely scrumptious!
Recipe Tips
- The chicken releases a lot of juices white it cooks so I prefer to cook it in a container within the Air Fryer. The juices are drained once the chicken is cooked.
- If you have an Air Fryer that has a grill option (such as my Chefree Air Fryer / Indoor Grill) then you can thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and cook them on the grill for about 30 minutes at 190° (375°F) turning a few times so that they char evenly.
- Replace the long list of spices listed in the marinade with 2-3 tablespoons of Sharwama Spice Blend.
- Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days. Reheat in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes at 190° (375°F).
- Cook in the oven: Preheat to 180°C (350°F). Prepare in the the same way as the recipe method and cook for 40 minutes.
I hope you enjoyed making my Air Fryer Chicken Sharwama recipe! Connect with me on myFacebookpage, share your creation onInstagram, or save it toPinterestwith the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma
Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes
This Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma recipe is everything! Easy to prepare, outrageously delicious and so versatile. Simply marinate chicken thighs in a Sharwama spice mixture and air fry until the chicken is tender with hard-to-resist crispy bits. Prep a day ahead to allow for the chicken to absorb the wonderful flavors of the marinade.
5 from 3 votes
Print Rate
Course: Main
Cuisine: middle eastern
Keyword: Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma, Chicken Sharwama
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Marinating time: 1 day day
Servings: 4
Calories: 474kcal
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lbs) chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
Marinade
- 250 g (1 cup) natural yogurt
- 2 large garlic cloves , minced
- Small piece fresh ginger , minced (optional)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper , add more if you like it spicy
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cardamon
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Yoghurt Sauce
- 240 g (1 cup) Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp tahini stir first
- 2 tbsp olive oil , extra virgin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
Zhoug
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil , extra virgin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or taste
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 1 jalapeño , seeds removed
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- pinch red pepper flakes
To Serve
- flatbreads (Lebanese or pita bread)
- Sliced lettuce
- Pickled onions (or pickled turnips)
- Tomato slices
- Red onion , finely sliced
- fries
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
Mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add to the chicken thighs and turn them over a few times so that they are well coated. If you have time, marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge for maximum flavor or for 3 hours at least.
Cook the chicken
Preheat the air fryer to 180° (350°F). Pile the chicken into a deep container and cover tightly with foil, pressing down to compress the chicken.
Cook, covered with foil, for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 75°C (167°F) on a meat thermometer.
Drain any liquid that has been released. Transfer the chicken to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into thin strips.
Add back into the air fryer, directly into the basket this time and cook for about 5 minutes at 190°C (375°F) to get some crispy edges if you like. You can also reheat leftovers in the same way.
Serve and Enjoy!
Prep the zhoug: blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Mix together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce.
Pile the sliced chicken on flatbreads with the yogurt sauce, sliced lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes and zhoug or hot sauce.
Alternatively serve a portion of chicken with a salad like Tabbouleh, with other Middle Eastern favorites such as Falafel, or simply with a green salad. Absolutely scrumptious!
Video
Notes
- The chicken releases a lot of juices white it cooks so I prefer to cook it in a container within the Air Fryer. The juices are drained once the chicken is cooked.
- If you have an Air Fryer that has a grill option (such as my Chefree) then you can thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and cook them on the grill for about 30 minutes at 190° (375°F) turning a few times so that they char evenly.
- Replace the long list of spices listed with 2-3 tablespoons of Sharwama Spice Blend
Nutritional Info
Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 252mg | Sodium: 1801mg | Potassium: 886mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1159IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 188mg | Iron: 3mg
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