It's easy to make the most moist and flavorful Trader Joe's shawarma chicken thighs in the air fryer! You'll love how quick and convenient this recipe is to air fry tender marinated boneless skinless chicken in under 15 minutes. Serve the juicy thighs with your favorite Middle Eastern side dishes for a bold, delicious, and satisfying weeknight dinner!
You will also love Trader Joe's pollo asado chicken and Trader Joe's breaded chicken air fryer recipe.
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We at Air Fryer Chicken Recipes love all things Trader Joe's! When it comes to great quality, cost and convenience, TJ brand items checks all of the boxes. And Trader Joe's shawarma chicken thighs are one of the most handy and tasty packaged foods they offer... And they are, of course, perfect to air fry!
What makes these boneless skinless chicken thighs so iconic is the deliciously bold shawarma marinade. It features a tantalizing combo of traditional Middle Eastern spices that leaves your mouth tingling and wanting more! The thighs are packaged and tightly air sealed in the marinade, so all of that vibrant flavor gets really locked in to every bite of the meat.
Bonus: Because the chicken is pre-marinated, there is no prep work needed and fewer dirty dishes. The thighs are ready to cook right out of the package!
To be sure, you could certainly cook these Trader Joe's shawarma chicken several different ways, including oven baking and grilling. However, air frying chicken thighs practically guarantees that they will be cooked perfectly juicy and fork-tender every time. Plus, the air fryer cooks the thighs in less than 15 minutes - which is much faster than many other methods.
Make the thighs the star of your meal and serve alongside any number of fresh and hearty side dishes. Or use the chicken to make other tasty recipes, like wraps and salads. However you choose to serve, everyone will love spicy air fried chicken shawarma for a satisfying dinner any night of the week!
How to make air fryer Trader Joe's shawarma chicken thighs
- Open the package of Trader Joe's Shawarma Chicken Thighs. Place the chicken thighs into the air fryer basket. Don’t overcrowd the basket; leave some space between each thigh for better heat circulation. If needed, cook in multiple batches.
- Set your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Start cooking the chicken thighs for a total of 13 minutes. This temperature and time will help get the chicken nicely cooked with a bit of crispiness on the outside.
- Halfway through the cooking time, which is about 6 or 7 minutes in, open the air fryer and carefully flip each chicken thigh over. This helps the chicken cook evenly on both sides and gets a nice color all around.
- After 13 minutes, check if the chicken is fully cooked. They should look golden brown and be sizzling. You can also check if the internal temperature has reached 165°F with a meat thermometer.
- Once the chicken is cooked, take it out of the air fryer. Sprinkle the freshly chopped parsley over the hot chicken thighs. The heat from the chicken will release the aroma of the parsley.
Frequently asked questions
"Shawarma" is an Arabic word that roughly means "rotate." This is a reference to the classic Middle Eastern cooking method in which large pieces of protein are stacked on a single stick, then slow roasted over an open flame. The stick rotates while the meat roasts so that it cooks evenly all the way around.
Traditional Middle Eastern shawarma is thick, heavily spiced and marinated cuts of spit-roasted lamb, beef, or chicken. Trader Joe's shawarma chicken thighs ingredients include a robust seasoning blend that typically includes spices like onion and garlic powder, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, pepper, coriander and parsley. There is also lemon juice in the shawarma marinade, which adds a nice punch of tart citrus to cut through all of the heavy spices.
Shawarma seasoning contains over a half dozen different spices and bright lemon, so you bet there is a lot of big flavor here! The combination makes a unique taste that is smoky, savory, earthy and warm, with a pleasantly tart finish.
The taste is spice-ful and there is a good bit of heat from the pepper, but it is not super spicy. However, those who are sensitive to spiciness will probably find the chicken thighs to be on the hot side.
Absolutely the air fryer was made for cooking raw meat! You can place the chicken thighs directly in the fryer basket.
Want to cut down on mess a bit? You might consider placing a cut piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the air fryer after preheating and right before adding the chicken.
It is technically not essential, but I do recommend flipping to get a lovely, even cook on both sides. Use tongs to flip the Trader Joe's shawarma chicken thighs in the air fryer about halfway through the cooking time.
Also try this air fryer mandu recipe. Very easy to cook and great for a quick appetizer, snack or light lunch.
Hope you will like this Trader Joe's shawarma chicken thighs recipe as much as we do. Please rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Recipe
Air Fryer Trader Joe's Shawarma chicken thighs
Ingredients
- 1 package Trader Joe's shawarma chicken thighs
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Open the package and transfer chicken in to the air fryer basket . Cook 400 degrees for 13 minutes, cook in batches
- Flip chicken in the middle of cooking.
- Once cooked, add chopped parsley on top.
Notes
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket.
- Use air fryer liners for easy clean up
- Make sure the internal temperature has reached at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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