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Delicious Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers photo

Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Skewers

If you’re looking for a flavorful, juicy, and quick-to-make meal,…
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonground coriander
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonground cardamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonsmoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoondried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonsalt
  • 1 teaspoonturmeric
  • 1/2 teaspooncayenne pepper see note 1
  • 3 clovesgarlicminced see note 2
  • 1/4 cupplain yogurt see note 3
  • 2 tablespoonolive oil
  • 1 cupplain yogurt see note 3
  • 1 tablespoonlemon juice
  • 1 teaspoonground cumin
  • 1 clovesgarlicminced
  • 1/2 teaspoonsalt

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Skewers
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Zip-top Bag
  • Small Bowl

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Cut 8 chicken thighs into large bite-size chunks and set aside.
  2. Make the marinade: in a glass bowl or large zip-top bag combine 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, 3 cloves garlic (minced), ¼ cup plain yogurt and 2 tablespoon olive oil. Mix until evenly combined.
  3. Add the chicken chunks to the marinade, toss or press the bag to coat all pieces, then refrigerate and let marinate for 12 hours or overnight.
  4. After marinating, thread the chicken pieces onto 12 skewers, packing the pieces closely together so there are no large gaps.
  5. Preheat the air fryer to 360°F / 180°C.
  6. Lightly line or oil the air fryer basket and place the skewers in a single layer without overcrowding.
  7. Cook the skewers in the air fryer for 10 minutes. Flip each skewer and cook for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the outside is charred to your liking and the chicken is cooked through.
  8. While the chicken cooks (or just before serving), make the sauce: in a small bowl combine 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 clove garlic (minced) and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.
  9. Taste the sauce and add more salt or lemon juice if desired. Serve the air-fried chicken shawarma skewers with the yogurt sauce.

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.