Description
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Skewers are juicy, crisp, and bursting with bright lemony flavor. Marinated chicken thighs are air-fried to golden perfection and finished with buttery lemon pepper sauce. A quick and bold weeknight dinner or crowd-pleasing appetizer. Try it today!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
3–4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” pieces
1 tbsp garlic, minced or grated
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
¼ tsp paprika
For the lemon pepper butter:
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, partially melted
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp sugar
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken
In a large bowl, mix chicken pieces with garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Toss well ensuring each piece is coated. - Skewer the chicken
Thread chicken onto skewers tightly so they cook evenly and hold together. - Preheat & air-fry
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Arrange skewers in a single layer. Cook for 12 minutes. - Flip & finish cooking
Flip skewers halfway through. Continue cooking for another 8–10 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F internally. - Make the lemon‑pepper butter
In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, paprika, and sugar until fully combined. - Baste & serve
Once skewers are done, for maximum flavor, brush the butter once right before serving and again while the skewers rest.
Notes
Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning.
For extra flavor, brush skewers with butter right before serving and again while resting.
Cook in batches if needed; avoid overcrowding the air fryer.
Chicken breast can be used, but reduce cook time slightly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes Additional Time (Marinating/Resting): 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Main Course
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer
- Calories: ~300 kcal
- Sugar: ~1 g
- Carbohydrates: ~2 g
- Protein: ~25 g