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Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers

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 Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 416 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Moroccan

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
    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut the chicken thighs into large bitesize chunks.8 chicken thighs
  2. 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 cumin1½ tsp ground coriander1½ tsp ground cardamon1½ tsp smoked paprika1½ tsp dried oregano1½ tsp salt1 tsp turmeric½ tsp cayenne pepper3 cloves garlic¼ cup / 60 ml plain yogurt2 tbsp olive oil
  3. Add the chunks of chicken and let them marinate for 12 hours or overnight. (see note 4)
  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.
  5. Pre-heat the air fryer to 360ºF/180ºC.
  6. Line or oil the air fryer basket and add the skewers. (see note 5)
  7. 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
  1. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, minced garlic and salt in a small bowl.1 cup / 240 ml plain yogurt1 tbsp lemon juice1 tsp ground cumin1 cloves garlic½ tsp salt
  2. 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 Information

Calories 416kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 27g (54%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g Monounsaturated Fat 14g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 154mg (51%) Sodium 929mg (39%) Potassium 452mg (13%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 510IU (10%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 99mg (10%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 416

% Daily Value*

Calories 416kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 27g 54%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 14g 70%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 154mg 51%
Sodium 929mg 39%
Potassium 452mg 10%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 510IU 10%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 99mg 10%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.