Eating out can be amazing! It can also be very expensive. We have spent a lot of time researching our favorite meals and learning how to adapt them for our family. Chicken Shawarma in the Instant Pot took several months to perfect, but we finally landed at a recipe that we all love. Additionally, you can cook this in the Air Fryer which makes it very adaptable to the appliances you have available.
Why Chicken Shawarma in Your Instant Pot?
There are not many people (or kitchens!) that have the space to house a slow turning rotisserie. Something that you will often see at restaurants when you order Chicken Shawarma. The Instant Pot provides and excellent alternative that is both space friendly and time friendly.
Why Chicken Shawarma in Your Air Fryer?
Alternatively, the Air Fryer will provide the same success as the Instant Pot (and avoid the need for the rotisserie). However, utilizing the Air Fryer for your chicken could prevent you from being able to add french fries to your meal. Something that we will not go without on Shawarma night!
Tzatziki Sauce for Your Chicken Shawarma
You might recall that I created the perfect Tzatziki sauce when I created my Air Fryer Gyros. It was a huge success. An important thing to remember is sauce can make the meal, so always test your sauce prior to adding to your dinner. Adjust as needed to make it perfect for YOU!
Incredible Chicken Shawarma You Can Make in Your Instant Pot or Air Fryer
An incredibly flavorful and super delicious chicken shawarma in your instant pot or air fryer. Shawarma's flavor is quite extensive and is very easy to over do. It's no fun tasting a shawarma flavor that is a little off all night. We've been making little changes here and there to our recipe for just under a year now and I believe we have finally nailed it! It comes out ridiculously tender in the instant pot with plenty of flavor to take you straight to shawarma town. The Air Fryer will deliver a more traditional grilled chicken texture with the same great shawarma flavor.
1tsp Chicken Bouillon if using water not chicken broth
Rub
2TbspLemon Juice fresh
1 TbspGranulated Garlicgarlic powder
2tspCoriander
1 1/2 tspSalt
1tspCumin
1tspTurmeric
1tspCinnamon
1/2tspCrushed Red Peppers
1/4 tspBlack Pepper
1/8tspAllspice
1/8tspNutmeg
1/8tspGround Cloves
Instructions
Mix rub ingredients together in a medium small bowl
Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon
Add 2 Tbsp of lemon juice to a gallon size ziploc bag or large mixing bowl
Add boneless skinless chicken thighs to the bowl with lemon juice and mix chicken around to cover the thighs completely in lemon juice
Add rub mix to the chicken thighs and mix together very well to completely cover all surface area of the chicken thighs with the rub
Seal the zip lock bag or cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (we let ours sit for about 6 hours)
Instant Pot Cooking Method
Add 1 tsp of chicken bouillon and 1 cup of water (or use chicken broth instead) to the instant pot
Place the shawarma rubbed chicken thighs into the instant pot in the broth (pile them in there)
Put the instant pot lid on and seal the pressure release valve
Pressure cook for 15 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release
After the 10 minute natural pressure release, open the pressure release valve to release the pressure and remove the lid
Carefully remove the tender chicken shawarma chicken thighs and let them rest on a plate for 5-10 minutes
Air Fryer Cooking Method
Preheat your air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes
Spray the basket with olive oil or avocado oil
Place chicken thighs into the air fryer basket leaving enough room for air to circulate between them
You will have to do them in batches if they all do not fit
Air Fry at 300°F for 20 minutes for boneless and 30 minutes for bone in chicken thighs
Flip the chicken thighs after 15 minutes, spray with oil and finish cooking
Check the temperature of the thighs to make sure they are 165°F at the thickest part of the biggest thigh
You can put them in for a couple more minutes if they are not done but remember everybody's air fryer works just a little bit differently so just make sure not to overcook or undercook your chicken thighs
Move the chicken thighs to a plate to rest for 5 minutes
Instructions
Rip the chicken thighs apart with two forks and serve in a warm pita bread or tortilla with fresh green lettuce, thick slices of roma tomatoes, and thin sliced red or sweet onions
Top with Tzatziki Sauce and enjoy!
We have a great recipe for my favorite Tzatziki Sauce, hit the link
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 392kcal
The Final Touches
We opted to make burritos with our Chicken Shawarma, however there are plenty of additional options with this flexible meal. Such as:
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