Lemon Butter Air Fryer Chicken Skewers
These Air Fryer Chicken Skewers are your new go-to for a quick and juicy chicken dinner. Made with tender, marinated chicken cooked to perfection in under 30 minutes, this recipe delivers all the flavor of grilled skewers without firing up the grill.
Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or need an easy protein for busy weeknights, these chicken skewers come out perfectly cooked with crispy edges and a juicy inside every time. I’ll give you all my foolproof tips to make them extra juicy and delicious!
Why You’ll Love These
Perfectly seasoned: The chicken comes together with a rich and buttery sauce with this super simple chicken kebabs recipe.
Easy to prepare: These are ready in about 20 minutes of cooking time. You’ll love serving this juicy chicken as an appetizer, a hearty side, or even a fun main course with your favorite veggie side for a complete meal the whole family will love!
Minimal cleanup: No grill mess or greasy stovetop splatter, just toss everything in the air fryer basket and go!
JordanIngredients You Will Need
- Boneless chicken thighs: You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer, but I like the juicier and more flavorful quality of chicken thighs.
- Seasonings: Aside from basic salt and black pepper, I add minced garlic, fresh lemon zest, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Fresh parsley: This is optional, but some fresh chopped parsley elevates the presentation of your chicken skewers.
- Unsalted butter: Forms the base of this rich and luscious sauce. I always use unsalted so I can adjust the salt to my liking.
- Seasonings: You’ll use the same seasonings as you did for the chicken to tie all the flavors together: salt and pepper, onion and garlic powder, and paprika.
- Granulated sugar: Helps balance out all the savory spices with some sweetness.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice adds a pop of refreshing and tangy citrus flavor to your air fryer chicken kebabs.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Skewers
Step 1: Season the chicken. Add cubed chicken thighs to a large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil. Season with minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Toss until well coated.
Step 2: Skewer and air fry the chicken. Place the seasoned chicken on the wooden skewers and place the skewers in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees F, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes.
Step 3: Prepare the sauce. While the chicken cooks, combine softened butter in a small bowl with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sugar, and lemon juice.
Step 4: Garnish and serve. Once the skewers have finished cooking, remove them from the air fryer and brush with the lemon and garlic sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy.
I love serving mine with a side of mini roasted potatoes! You can save some of the lemon butter sauce for the potatoes too.
My Recipe Tips
- Allow for some space between each piece of chicken. This will ensure more even cooking.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Separate the pieces of chicken on the skewers with chunks of bell peppers, sweet onion or red onions, zucchini rounds, or cubed potatoes.
- For a smoky flavor (like they just came off the grill), use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. For even more flavor, add some cumin, or give your chicken skewers some heat with red pepper flakes, chili powder, or cayenne pepper.
- Serve right on the skewers, or remove the cooked chicken pieces and serve over top of your favorite rice (cauliflower rice is a good option for a lighter meal). You can also serve them on pita bread with tzatziki!
- For a lighter option, you can swap the butter for olive oil.
Storing and Reheating
Storing: If you have a large enough airtight container, you can place the skewers right in and keep them in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can also pull the chicken off the skewers if you need to conserve space, or store them in a gallon sized ziploc bag.
Reheating: Place the kebabs back into the air fryer at 350 degrees F until the chicken is heated through again.
If you tried these Air Fryer Chicken Skewers or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Chicken Skewers
Equipment
Ingredients
FOR CHICKEN SKEWERS
- 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 whole lemon zest
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4 wooden skewers soaked in water for at least 1 hour
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley for garnishing
FOR LEMON BUTTER SAUCE
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened not melted
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 whole lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400℉ and lightly spritz the basket with olive oil spray.
- Add the cubed chicken thighs to a medium sized mixing bowl and toss with olive oil. Then add the salt, pepper, minced garlic, lemon zest, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Toss again to fully coat the chicken in the seasonings.1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 1 whole lemon, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika
- Skewer the seasoned chicken and place the skewers in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Air fry the chicken skewers for 12 minutes, flip and air fry for 10 more minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 175℉4 wooden skewers
- Meanwhile, prepare the lemon butter sauce. In a small mixing bowl, add the softened butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sugar, and lemon juice. It should be a thick and creamy consistency. If it appears runny, mix in another tablespoon or two of softened butter.1 stick unsalted butter, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp granulated sugar, 1/2 whole lemon
- When the chicken is finished cooking, remove the skewers from the air fryer and transfer them to a serving plate. Brush all sides with the lemon butter sauce, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Notes
- Soak your skewers: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20–30 minutes before air frying to prevent burning.
- Cut evenly: Try to cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces so they cook uniformly.
- Don’t overcrowd: Leave a little space between each piece of chicken on the skewer and make sure the skewers aren’t packed too tightly in the air fryer basket. This helps with even crisping and airflow.
- Marinate for more flavor: While the recipe is delicious as-is, you can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to a few hours in your favorite sauce or seasoning blend to boost flavor even more.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQs
You can use this recipe to air fryer beef or pork on skewers! The same blend of seasonings works well with all these types of proteins. Cooking times may vary for beef skewers or pork skewers.
Wooden skewers can go right in the air fryer with no problems. I don’t recommend metal skewers, as they conduct heat a lot better and can burn you when handling after air frying.
Make sure you soak the wooden skewers in a bowl of water before putting the chicken on them.
I do recommend soaking the skewers before adding them to the air fryer. This will prevent them from burning.
Yes, a layer of aluminum foil underneath your air fryer basket is a great way to make cleanup easier! You don’t want to put the foil in the air fryer basket though, because that will prevent the air from circulating around the food and cooking it evenly.
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