Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma – just scratch

Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma is so easy and delicious! Chicken thighs are quickly soaked in brine and seasoned with a homemade doner spice mix before being roasted in the air fryer. Use this juicy, flavorful chicken shawarma in a wrap, salad or rice bowl! Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending.

Chicken shawarma anything Is a favorite in our house.

Last summer I shared a grilled version. An oven recipe years ago… and today? We make delicious, healthy and easy chicken shawarma in the air fryer. From then on, the sky’s the limit. You can enjoy it neat with turmeric or saffron rice, build a rice bowl or slice it and put it in wraps or garnish a salad. In this post, I’ve also included an easy guide on how to put together the best chicken shawarma wrap and salad.

Note: the day I made this (and snapped the photos) I made a double batch to use throughout the week, but the recipe (in the post and recipe card) is for 1 batch written.

To make Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma you will need:

• boneless, skinless chicken thighs – Gives more flavor than white meat. Thigh meat is tender and juicy without being overly fatty or oily.
• kosher salt – Pulls out the flavor and seasons the chicken.
• Shawarma spice – Homemade Shawarma Seasoning is a blend of 13 warm and robust ground spices and dried herbs.

Place skinless, boneless chicken thighs in a large bowl and sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of each piece.

Step aside for 25 to 30 minutes. This method is called dry salting.

WHAT IS DRY POOLING?

Dry curing is a quick way to cure meat without having to go through all the rigamarole of making a wet brine. In short? It salts your meat and lets it rest before cooking. Which is great if you’re short on time, because meat can soak in a wet brine for hours! Dry salting removes moisture, breaks down the salt and the chicken reabsorbs the salty ‘brine’, not only flavoring the meat throughout but also tenderizing it. Dry salting will not dry out your chicken at all. Instead, dry salting results in succulent, tender chicken every time. As long as you don’t overcook your chicken. 😉

After 30 minutes, measure and add 1 generous tablespoon of shawarma spice.

What’s in shawarma spice?

Homemade Shawarma Seasoning is a blend of 13 warm and robust ground spices and dried herbs. These spices include; Allspice, garlic powder, white pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, cumin, chili powder, paprika, smoked paprika, oregano and turmeric. You can use this spice blend in marinades or flavor your favorite proteins, vegetables, soups and stews. Makes about 1 cup.

Turn to coat the chicken thighs in the spice mixture.

Preheat your hot air fryer to 390° or 400° depending on the make and model.

What is air roast?

• An air fryer is a countertop appliance that uses less oil (anything from a few squirts to 1 tablespoon) and still produces crispy food that rivals most fried foods. Using circulating hot air, it moves at high speed, so food usually cooks in a fraction of the time.
• There are many different brands and models of air fryers. My husband did some research (as you know) and found this air fryer [affiliate] to be one of the best. But do your research and buy one that fits your lifestyle.

How is air roast healthier?

• Air frying is healthier because the food is only coated in a thin layer of oil and becomes crispy on contact with hot air. Save a ton of fat and calories (without sacrificing flavor!) by not submerging the food in a vat of hot oil.
• Remember that not all air fryers are created equal. Some preheat and some don’t. Some are smaller than others, so you may need to work in smaller batches to air fry them.

For more Air Fryer recipes, click here for my growing collection.

I line my air fryer liner with parchment paper made specifically for air fryers. If you use parchment paper, make sure it’s intended for the air fryer and never preheat your air fryer with just the parchment paper inside.

Work in batches by cooking the chicken thighs for 6 minutes, flipping and air frying for an additional 5 minutes or until fully cooked.

Once all of the chicken is cooked, place on a cutting board and let rest before thinly slicing.

Build a Chicken Shawarma Wrap:

Start by heating a pita or lavash. Add the garlic sauce (aka toum) to the center and spread in the center of your wrap before spreading a spoonful of turmeric rice on top. Next, arrange the sliced ​​shawarma chicken, thinly sliced ​​cucumbers (Claussen cucumbers are the BEST!), Roma tomatoes and pickled red onions or use raw red onions.

Pack up and enjoy! I like to serve these with sweet potato fries or regular fries.

Build a Chicken Shawarma Salad:

Put your favorite salad in a bowl. Garnish with some turmeric rice, cherry tomatoes, a spoonful of garlic sauce, pickled cucumbers, pickled red onions, Kalamata olives and chicken shawarma. I also like to add sweet potato fries to my salad if I have any. Drizzle with this easy Lemon Tahini Dressing (omit the garlic in the dressing if using Toum) and top with freshly ground black pepper.

Grab a fork and dig in!

Looking for a Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl? Click here!

Enjoy! And if you try this Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma recipe, let me know! Take a picture and tag me chirp or instagram!