Air-Fryer Spiced Chicken Hummus Pitas with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw + Cucumber-Tomato Salad

Name: Air-Fryer Spiced Chicken Hummus Pitas with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw + Cucumber-Tomato Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4 (4 pitas)
Cuisine: Middle Eastern-inspired
Ingredients: 450 g torn rotisserie chicken (skin removed if you want it less fatty); 15 g olive oil (about 1 tbsp); 3 g ground cumin (about 1 tsp); 2 g smoked paprika (about 3/4 tsp); 1 g ground coriander (about 1/2 tsp); 1 g garlic powder (about 1/2 tsp); 0.5 g black pepper (about 1/4 tsp); Pinch of salt, optional (rotisserie chicken is usually salty); 15 g lemon juice or 15 g vinegar (about 1 tbsp); 250 g purple cabbage, very thinly sliced; 20 g cilantro, roughly chopped (tender stems OK); 15 g lemon juice or 15 g vinegar (about 1 tbsp); 15 g olive oil (about 1 tbsp); 2 g kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp), or to taste; Black pepper to taste; 200 g cucumber, diced; 200 g Roma tomatoes, diced; 10 g lemon juice or 10 g vinegar (about 2 tsp); 10 g olive oil (about 2 tsp); 1 g kosher salt (about 1/4 tsp), or to taste; Black pepper to taste; Optional: 1 small garlic clove, grated (skip if you want it very clean); 4 pitas; 240 g hummus (about 60 g per pita); Extra cilantro leaves (optional)

Judah Newman·30 min·Serves 4 (4 pitas)

This is a hot-and-cold pita situation: rotisserie chicken gets blasted in the air fryer with warm spices until the edges crisp, then gets tucked into pitas with cool hummus. On the side, you’ll keep two fresh components separate—an herby, tangy purple-cabbage slaw and a bright cucumber-tomato salad—so you can layer each bite exactly how you like. Fast, high-texture, and perfect for using what’s already in the fridge.

quick
air fryer
high-protein
low-sugar
meal-prep friendly

30 min total · 15 min prep · 10 min cook · 5 min rest

610 kcal · 42g protein · 53g carbs · 27g fat total

Air fryer · 2 mixing bowls

Ingredients

Spiced air-fryer chicken
•450 g torn rotisserie chicken (skin removed if you want it less fatty)
•15 g olive oil (about 1 tbsp)
•3 g ground cumin (about 1 tsp)
•2 g smoked paprika (about 3/4 tsp)
•1 g ground coriander (about 1/2 tsp)
•1 g garlic powder (about 1/2 tsp)
•0.5 g black pepper (about 1/4 tsp)
•Pinch of salt, optional (rotisserie chicken is usually salty)
•15 g lemon juice or 15 g vinegar (about 1 tbsp)
Cilantro cabbage slaw (kept separate)
•250 g purple cabbage, very thinly sliced
•20 g cilantro, roughly chopped (tender stems OK)
•15 g lemon juice or 15 g vinegar (about 1 tbsp)
•15 g olive oil (about 1 tbsp)
•2 g kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp), or to taste
•Black pepper to taste
Cucumber-tomato salad (kept separate)
•200 g cucumber, diced
•200 g Roma tomatoes, diced
•10 g lemon juice or 10 g vinegar (about 2 tsp)
•10 g olive oil (about 2 tsp)
•1 g kosher salt (about 1/4 tsp), or to taste
•Black pepper to taste
•Optional: 1 small garlic clove, grated (skip if you want it very clean)
To assemble
•4 pitas
•240 g hummus (about 60 g per pita)
•Extra cilantro leaves (optional)

Instructions

Spiced air-fryer chicken

Heat the air fryer to 200°C for 3 minutes. In a bowl, toss the chicken with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, garlic powder, black pepper, and (only if needed) a pinch of salt.

Spread chicken in the air-fryer basket in a loose, even layer. Air-fry 6–10 minutes, shaking once halfway, until the edges look a little browned and feel lightly crisp, and the chicken smells roasty—not steamy.

Immediately toss the hot chicken with lemon juice (or vinegar). Taste: you want it punchy and savory; add a tiny pinch more salt only if it tastes flat.

Cilantro cabbage slaw (kept separate)

Put sliced cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Massage 30–45 seconds until it softens slightly and turns glossy, but still crunches.

Add lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil, black pepper, and cilantro. Toss well. Taste: it should be tangy and bright; add a squeeze more lemon/vinegar if it tastes dull.

Cucumber-tomato salad (kept separate)

In a second bowl, combine cucumber and tomatoes. Add lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil, salt, and pepper (and optional grated garlic).

Toss and let it sit 5 minutes while you warm the pitas so the tomatoes lightly “season” the cucumbers.

To assemble

Warm pitas (30–60 seconds in the air fryer after the chicken, or in a dry skillet) until pliable and lightly toasted.

Spread hummus inside each pita, add a pile of hot chicken, then add as much cabbage slaw and cucumber-tomato salad as you want per bite. Serve the remaining slaw and salad on the side.

If your pitas tear, turn this into a pita bowl: hummus on the bottom, chicken on top, then two separate piles of slaw and salad.

Notes

No-sugar, high-crunch build. Rotisserie chicken salt varies a lot—season the chicken mix lightly up front and correct after the lemon/vinegar at the end. For extra crisp edges, don’t overcrowd the basket; air-fry in two batches if needed. Slaw keeps 2–3 days; cucumber-tomato salad is best same day (it weeps). If you want it creamier without extra hummus, add 2–3 tbsp yogurt to the cucumber-tomato salad (or a dollop on the pita).

Ingredients

Spiced air-fryer chicken

•450 g torn rotisserie chicken (skin removed if you want it less fatty)

•15 g olive oil (about 1 tbsp)

•3 g ground cumin (about 1 tsp)

•2 g smoked paprika (about 3/4 tsp)

•1 g ground coriander (about 1/2 tsp)

•1 g garlic powder (about 1/2 tsp)

•0.5 g black pepper (about 1/4 tsp)

•Pinch of salt, optional (rotisserie chicken is usually salty)

•15 g lemon juice or 15 g vinegar (about 1 tbsp)

Cilantro cabbage slaw (kept separate)

•250 g purple cabbage, very thinly sliced

•20 g cilantro, roughly chopped (tender stems OK)

•15 g lemon juice or 15 g vinegar (about 1 tbsp)

•15 g olive oil (about 1 tbsp)

•2 g kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp), or to taste

•Black pepper to taste

Cucumber-tomato salad (kept separate)

•200 g cucumber, diced

•200 g Roma tomatoes, diced

•10 g lemon juice or 10 g vinegar (about 2 tsp)

•10 g olive oil (about 2 tsp)

•1 g kosher salt (about 1/4 tsp), or to taste

•Black pepper to taste

•Optional: 1 small garlic clove, grated (skip if you want it very clean)

To assemble

•4 pitas

•240 g hummus (about 60 g per pita)

•Extra cilantro leaves (optional)

Instructions

Spiced air-fryer chicken

Heat the air fryer to 200°C for 3 minutes. In a bowl, toss the chicken with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, garlic powder, black pepper, and (only if needed) a pinch of salt.

Immediately toss the hot chicken with lemon juice (or vinegar). Taste: you want it punchy and savory; add a tiny pinch more salt only if it tastes flat.

Cilantro cabbage slaw (kept separate)

Put sliced cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Massage 30–45 seconds until it softens slightly and turns glossy, but still crunches.

Add lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil, black pepper, and cilantro. Toss well. Taste: it should be tangy and bright; add a squeeze more lemon/vinegar if it tastes dull.

Cucumber-tomato salad (kept separate)

In a second bowl, combine cucumber and tomatoes. Add lemon juice (or vinegar), olive oil, salt, and pepper (and optional grated garlic).

Toss and let it sit 5 minutes while you warm the pitas so the tomatoes lightly “season” the cucumbers.

To assemble

Warm pitas (30–60 seconds in the air fryer after the chicken, or in a dry skillet) until pliable and lightly toasted.

Spread hummus inside each pita, add a pile of hot chicken, then add as much cabbage slaw and cucumber-tomato salad as you want per bite. Serve the remaining slaw and salad on the side.

If your pitas tear, turn this into a pita bowl: hummus on the bottom, chicken on top, then two separate piles of slaw and salad.

Notes