Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Flavorful grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks are so flavorful and easy to make. 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!
My husband grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, which has a very large Arab-American population, so Middle Eastern cuisine is very prevalent there. Before I married Ben, I had little to no exposure to this type of food. Now, it’s my favorite!
I crave fattoush salad like other people crave ice cream. Lebanese red lentil soup is what I desire when I have a sore throat, and losing the ability to keep hummus in the house when we found out about my son’s allergy to sesame was a very sad day, not to mention garlicky tahini sauce!
Oh, and I love tabbouleh salad, cucumber tzatziki sauce, and fattoush! I have so many favorites these days from living there for eight years.
What makes this recipe special:
- Easy to make! These grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks are perfect for summer grilling and they’re so easy to make with less than 30 minutes hands-on time.
- Flavorful marinade. The chicken is marinated in a homemade marinade consisting of lemon and olive oil, and accentuated by the spices you’d expect in shawarma (garlic, paprika, turmeric, pepper, cumin, and coriander).
- Easy-to-eat drumsticks. Traditionally, chicken shawarma is made with boneless chicken thighs. Just to change things up, I like to use kid-friendly drumsticks. Drumsticks are inexpensive and they’re perfect for a busy summer night. Serve them with roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, rice, salad or basically anything at all.
“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!”
Recipe Variations
- 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.
- 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 my Meal Plan #33. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
More Chicken Marinades
Grilled Chicken Shawarma Drumsticks
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)
Instructions
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt, turmeric, pepper, cumin, coriander, and cayenne.¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 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
- Add marinade to drumsticks (I 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.12 chicken drumsticks
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I loved this recipe. I did grill the chicken for longer as I’m always afraid of undercooking, and I basted with extra sauce and marinated trying to out done marinade under the skin. Served with the suggested cilantro lime rice and sautéed snow peas. The only downside is I try nit to eat chicken skin but in this case it was so yummy I had to! Family enjoyed.
So happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot to me!
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 !
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Easy and utterly delish, i marinated overnight too.
I love Middle Eastern food, saving this recipe as i will def remake.
Thank you
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
If you enjoy flavorful chicken, skip this recipe. I used five pounds of drumsticks as stated. I chose to use two reasons of salt, followed everything else exact. Marinated overnight. I expected a lot more flavor but was disappointed. I would double the slices and maybe that would help.
That hasn’t been my experience at all with this recipe, sorry to hear you feel that way.
These were EXCELLENT. Very crispy and lovely taste for the summer. I added a bit of cinnamon as well, which worked well. Thank you!
So glad you liked them! Love the addition of cinnamon.
Made these just as posted. I did thrown in a chicken breast, because my husband doesn’t like dark meat. The kids and hubby all liked it. As a bonus, I loved the leftover drumsticks cold for lunch the next day. Yay! I made it with cilantro lime rice and asparagus. Perfect summertime dinner!
So glad you liked these! The leftovers are great cold, you’re right!
Yummy! Teen son LOVED!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
So so good!! Did a mixed pack of drumsticks and thighs! And with the leftovers shredded off the bone and made pita pocket Sammie’s with a tzatziki sauce!!
I’m so glad you liked them! I looooove your repurpose of the leftovers….sounds amazing, can’t wait to try that myself!
wow! sounds fun to eat.
Definitely! Thanks Denise!
Sounds yummy. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
I hope you love it!