Chinese lamb skewers, or chuar (串儿), originally came from Xinjiang, the largest region in the northwest of China. It has become an iconic street snack in Northern China and I considered it a hometown food growing up in Beijing. Xinjiang lamb skewers are similar to Middle Eastern style lamb kebabs, but vary in the size of the cut and the way they’re seasoned. The most common type you’ll find in Beijing are the smaller skewers. For a dinner for two, it’s not strange that they’d start by ordering a few dozen skewers paired with cold beer. The skewers are marinated with a rich savory sauce and aromatics, then heavily seasoned with cumin powder and Chinese chili powder while on the grill. I’ve shared the grilled version of the lamb skewers in the past. Today I can’t wait to share this air fryer version, which is super easy to prepare, takes no time to cook, and lets you enjoy the lamb skewers throughout the year without a grill!
Air fryer lamb skewer ingredients
What cut of lamb to use
Chinese street vendors usually use a combination of lean and fat pieces. The lean pieces are larger, with smaller fat pieces in between. The lamb fat will mostly melt away during grilling and become crispy brown bits. The combination of grilled lamb meat with fat tastes even better than crispy bacon. I found lamb leg is the best cut to make air fryer lamb skewers. You can either use a boneless cut or a bone-in one. You can choose to trim off the fat part and thread it between the pieces of lean meat on the skewer. If you do not like fatty cuts, it’s also OK to skip the fat pieces in between. However, I do prefer to leave a very thin layer of fat on the lean lamb meat, which keeps the skewers juicy.
Marinating ingredients
You should always marinate the lamb before air frying, which makes the skewers burst with flavor. The marinating ingredients are quite simple and you probably already have most of them in your pantry, including soy sauce, cumin powder, and chili flakes. Shaoxing wine is an ingredient that was not originally used in Xinjiang lamb skewers, since they are supposed to be halal. But when the food got popular and spread all over Northern China, we preferred to use a little wine to add richness to the flavor. Plus, the wine also masks the gaminess of the lamb. Sichuan peppercorn is another optional ingredient that adds a lot of umami to the dish. Replace it with black pepper if you do not have Sichuan peppercorns on hand.
How to make air fryer lamb skewers
Making air fryer lamb skewers is super easy. All you need to do is: NOTE: to make the authentic tasting Xinjiang lamb skewers, you should heavily sprinkle cumin and chili flakes during the air frying process. I recommend sprinkling both at least once halfway through the cooking. You can sprinkle a bit more towards the end, when there’s only 1 to 2 minutes left.
How to serve and store air fryer lamb skewers
The lamb skewers taste the best when they’re just cooked and still piping hot. You can serve them as an appetizer, a snack, or one of the main courses. Although we usually snack on the skewers by themselves at a restaurant, it’s totally OK to serve them on the side or serve them as a main course. Steamed rice, sweet potato fries, a bed of hummus and a green salad are all perfect options for sides. If you have leftover lamb skewers, simply reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F (176°C) until warmed throughout.
More delicious air fryer recipes
Air Fryer Garlic Ribs (蒜香排骨) Air Fryer Char Siu Pork Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken Air Fryer Fries with Spice Mix Air Fryer Tofu with Broccoli and Carrot
