Chicken Shawarma Skewers

Name: Chicken Shawarma Skewers
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 50 g Greek yogurt; 10 g tomato paste; 35 ml olive oil; 10 ml lemon juice; 10 g fresh parsley; 5 g salt; 5 g ground cumin; 5 g onion powder; 3 g garlic powder; 5 g paprika; 2 g cayenne pepper; 3 g cardamom; 1.5 g black pepper; 600 g chicken thighs; skewers; olive oil

0 Beoordeel

Najat

Photo by Najat

These chicken shawarma skewers deliver everything you love about shawarma: juicy, spiced chicken with cumin, paprika, cardamom, and cayenne. Thread onto skewers, cook in a pan or on a grill, and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect for a quick dinner, served with rice, salad, or wrapped in pita bread for a simple homemade shawarma-style meal.

45 minutes

4 Portions

Easy

The Marinade

The key to great chicken shawarma skewers is the marinade, and this one does two things at once. Greek yogurt acts as a tenderizer and the spice blend with cumin, paprika, cardamom and cayenne does the rest. Together they create the kind of marinated chicken shawarma that tastes like it came off a proper rotating spit.

Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. It’s preferable to leave it overnight in the fridge. Chicken thighs are the right cut for this recipe. They stay juicy and tender during cooking, unlike chicken breast which can dry out quickly at high heat. If you only have chicken breast available, reduce the cooking time slightly.

How to make chicken shawarma skewers: pan or grill

How to make chicken shawarma skewers on the stovetop is simple: heat a splash of olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the skewers, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes turning regularly until golden brown all around. On the grill the process is the same: medium heat, regular turning, 8 to 10 minutes.

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes before threading the chicken to prevent them from burning during cooking/grilling.

Ingredients

Portions

50 g Greek yogurt, 4 tbsps

10 g tomato paste, 1 tbsp

35 ml olive oil, 2 tbsps

10 ml lemon juice, ½ lemon

10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped

5 g salt, ⅚ tsp

5 g ground cumin, 1⅔ tsp

5 g onion powder, 1⅔ tsp

3 g garlic powder, 1 tsp

5 g paprika, 1⅔ tsp

2 g cayenne pepper, ⅔ tsp

3 g cardamom, 1 tsp

1.5 g black pepper, ½ tsp

600 g chicken thighs, cut into cubes

EXTRA

skewers

olive oil, for frying

Tips

Chicken thighs work best for this recipe because they stay juicy and tender while cooking, unlike chicken breast which can dry out more easily.

For the best flavor, let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, but if you have time, a few hours or even overnight in the fridge will make it even better.

If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 20 minutes first so they don’t burn during cooking.

Make sure to turn the skewers often so the chicken cooks evenly and gets a nice golden color all around.

Instructions

Ingredienten klaar leggen voor de kip shoarma

Prepare all the ingredients in advance so you can work quickly.

Kip mengen met de marinade voor de shoarma

In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, tomato paste, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and all the spices. Mix well. Add the chicken cubes and stir until fully coated. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes (or longer for more flavor).

Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers.

Kip shoarma rondom gaar bakken in een koekenpan

Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook or grill the chicken shawarma skewers until golden brown and cooked through, this should take about 8–10 minutes.

Close-up van kip shoarma spiesjes gemarineerd in yoghurt met kruiden zoals paprikapoeder, komijn en knoflook

Veelgestelde vragen

How many chicken skewers per person?

For a main course, plan for 2 to 3 skewers per person depending on the size of the skewers and what you are serving alongside. This recipe makes approximately 8 skewers from 600 g of chicken thighs, which comfortably serves 4 people.