Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma
, Updated Aug 27, 2025
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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 Shawarma 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.
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.
Shawarma Marinade
- Natural yogurt
- 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
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 40-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 167°F (75°C) on a meat thermometer.
Please note that the cooking time can vary based on the size and model of your air fryer. Make sure to check the chicken has reached the safe internal temperature of 167°F (75°C), adding cooking time as needed.
- 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 crispy edges.
How to serve Shawarma
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 while 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 Shawarma Spice Blend.
- Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes at 375°F (190°).
- Cook in the oven: Preheat to 350°F (180°C). Prepare in the the same way as the recipe method and cook for 40 minutes.
I hope you enjoyed making my Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma recipe! Connect with me on my Facebook page, share your creation on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
Marinade
- 1 cup (240g) natural yogurt full-fat
- 2 cloves garlic , 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
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup (240g) 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
- ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil , extra virgin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice , or to taste
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro (coriander)
- 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.2 pounds (900g) chicken thighs, , 1 cup (240g) natural yogurt, 2 cloves garlic, Small piece fresh ginger, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp cayenne pepper, 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
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 40-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and registers 167°F (75°C) on a meat thermometer. Please note the cooking time will vary based on the size and model of your air fryer. Continue to cook, checking at 5 minute increments, until the safe internal temperature is reached.
- Drain any liquid that has been released. Transfer the chicken to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes. Slice the into thin strips.
- Add back into the air fryer, directly into the basket this time, and cook for about 5-8 minutes at 190°C (375°F) to get some crispy edges.
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.1 cup (240g) Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp tahini, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 garlic clove minced, 1 tsp salt or to taste, ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice , 2 cloves garlic, 1 bunch fresh cilantro, 1 jalapeño, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cardamom, pinch red pepper flakes, ½ tsp ground cumin
- Pile the sliced chicken on flatbreads with the yogurt sauce, sliced lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes and zhoug or hot sauce.flatbreads, Sliced lettuce, Pickled onions, Tomato slices, Red onion, 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!
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 Shawarma Spice Blend.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
followed it chicken raw even after 40 min. I’m hungry
I do specify that the chicken may take longer to cook.
I wrapped it in foil as described and it came out raw. Had to put it back in and cook again without covering it.
This rocks!
This.Was.Delicious!!!
Adding this to my regular meal prep.