Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma

• 2 lbchicken thighs — boneless, skinless
• 1/2 cupplain whole-milk yogurt — divided — half for the marinade, half for the sauce
• 3 tbsplemon juice — divided
• 4 clovesgarlic — grated, divided
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2 tspground cumin
• 2 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1/2 tspground turmeric
• 1/4 tspground cinnamon
• 1/4 tspcayenne — to taste
• 1 1/4 tspfine sea salt
• 1 cupdill pickles or pickled turnips — sliced, to serve

Method

1. 01

   Whisk half the yogurt with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, half the garlic, the olive oil, cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Coat the thighs and marinate at least 1 hour, up to 24 — the yogurt's acidity is what keeps spice-crusted thighs tender.

2. 02

   Shake off excess marinade and lay the thighs flat in the basket, slight overlap allowed — shawarma benefits from a little crowding as long as air can still move. Air fry at 380°F for 16–18 minutes, flipping once, until charred at the edges and 175°F at the thickest point (thighs are better past 165°F; the extra degrees melt the collagen).

3. 03

   While it cooks, stir the remaining yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic with a pinch of salt into a quick white sauce.

4. 04

   Rest the chicken 5 minutes, then slice it thin and toss the slices back through the juices on the board.

5. 05

   Serve heaped on a platter or stuffed into flatbread with pickles and the garlic-yogurt sauce (flatbreads are a serve-alongside choice — most contain wheat, while the chicken itself stays gluten-free). It also holds for four days in the fridge, which is the meal-prep argument for doubling it.