Chicken Shawarma Skewers with Garlic Lemon Sauce
These Chicken Shawarma Skewers are big on flavour and made for busy weeknights. Juicy chicken thighs marinated in garlic, lemon, and warming spices are air fried until golden. Serve with garlic yogurt sauce, flatbread, or tossed into a salad bowl for a healthy, high-protein meal.
Serves
4
Prep time
15 minutes
Cooking time
25 minutes
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
For the Garlic Lemon Sauce:
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15–30 minutes so they don’t burn.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, overnight is even better for flavour.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers and cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway. For crispy edges, turn to grill for the the last 2–3 minutes.
- Stir all the garlic lemon sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Let the chicken rest for 5–10 minutes. Dip in the garlic yogurt sauce as you eat.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
For the Garlic Lemon Sauce:
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15–30 minutes so they don’t burn.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, overnight is even better for flavour.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers and cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway. For crispy edges, turn to grill for the the last 2–3 minutes.
- Stir all the garlic lemon sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Let the chicken rest for 5–10 minutes. Dip in the garlic yogurt sauce as you eat.
Helpful Tips
Storage
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Keep the garlic yogurt sauce separate so it stays fresh.
Substitutions
Serving Suggestions
Pile into warm flatbreads or pita with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, and a drizzle of the garlic lemon sauce.Build a shawarma bowl with rice or couscous, grilled vegetables, and a dollop of hummus or baba ganoush. Serve alongside roasted or grilled vegetables like capsicum, zucchini, and red onion for a colourful plate.
Watch How to Make It
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