Chicken
Chicken Shawarma Drumsticks, grilled
These flavorful grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks are going to become a summertime favorite! With the flavors of chicken shawarma that you know and love, you'll be putting this recipe into regular rotation!
At a glance
What stands out: Flavorful grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks are so flavorful and straightforward to mix. They’re going to become a summertime favorite!
How long it takes: prep time 10 minutes, grill time 20 minutes, 30 minutes to 6 hours to marinate
Equipment you’ll need: small bowl, ziploc bag or large bowl, grill
Servings: 6 (2 drumsticks each)
Shawarma Flavors in Drumsticks!
Our husband grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, which has a large Arab-American population, so Middle Eastern cuisine is prevalent there. Before we married Ben, we had little to no exposure to this type of food. Now, it’s our favorite!
We crave fattoush salad like other people crave ice cream. Lebanese red lentil soup is what we desire when we have a sore throat, and losing the ability to keep hummus in the house when we found out about our son’s allergy to sesame was a sad day, not to mention garlicky tahini sauce!
Oh, and we love tabbouleh salad, cucumber tzatziki sauce, and fattoush! We have so many favorites these days from living there for eight years.
What makes this recipe special:
- Straightforward to mix! These grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks are reliable for summer grilling and they’re so straightforward to mix with less than 30 minutes hands-on time.
- Flavorful marinade. The chicken is marinated in a from-scratch marinade consisting of lemon and olive oil, and accentuated by the spices you’d expect in shawarma (garlic, paprika, turmeric, pepper, cumin, and coriander).
- Straightforward-to-eat drumsticks. Traditionally, chicken shawarma is made with boneless chicken thighs. Just to change things up, we like to use kid-friendly drumsticks. Drumsticks are inexpensive and they’re reliable for a busy summer night. Serve them with roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, rice, salad or basically anything at all.
Donna Said:
“Made this recipe today for dinner. Marinated the chicken for 6 hours,cooked on the grill. Will definitely make this recipe again. Was a nice change. Thanks for a great recipe!”
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Ways to change it
- Cook them in an air fryer. Marinate as instructed and cook the chicken drumsticks in your air fryer instead of grilling them.
- Bake the drumsticks. You can make the marinated drumsticks into a sheet pan dinner. Take a look at this recipe, herb roasted chicken drumsticks, a sheet pan dinner that includes potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions.
- Use a different cut of chicken. Chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken can be substituted. Grilling time may be slightly different.
Keeping leftovers
- Refrigerate: Leftover chicken drumsticks can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Place cooled drumsticks into freezer-safe container or bag. They’ll keep for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave at 50% power until warmed through. Don’t overheat them because they tend to get tough in the microwave. Larger amounts can be wrapped in foil and heated in a 350°F oven for ten to fifteen minutes or until hot.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #33. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!
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- Yield: 6
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 20 minutes
- Total: 1 hour
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne, optional
- 12 chicken drumsticks ( 4 to 5 pounds)
- fresh cilantro and lemon wedges (if desired for serving)
Method
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt, turmeric, pepper, cumin, coriander, and cayenne.
- Add marinade to drumsticks (we use a zip-top bag but a bowl or baking dish would work as well). Refrigerate. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours.
- When ready to grill, heat grill to medium heat. Remove drumsticks from marinade, letting excess drip off. Place drumsticks on grill and cover grill. Grill for 18 to 20 minutes, turning once, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro and lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
Chicken: You can use chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken if you prefer. Grilling time may be slightly different.
Air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 400ºF. Arrange marinated drumsticks in a single layer in the air fryer. Cook for 10 minutes, turn drumsticks over, and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
Storage & reheating: Refrigerate leftover chicken drumsticks for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave at 50% power until warmed through. Don’t overheat the drumsticks because they tend to get tough in the microwave. Larger amounts can be wrapped in foil and heated in a 350°F oven for ten to fifteen minutes or until hot.
