Nice and crispy on the outside and juicy and delicious on the inside, this quick and easy air fryer lemon chicken will be your new favorite way to cook chicken thighs.
Marinate your meat with a homemade spice blend, lemon juice and oil, and your work is already done. After only 25 minutes in the air fryer, you are ready to enjoy the best air fryer chicken you have ever tasted. In case you don't have an air fryer, we have also included instructions on how to bake this dish in the oven.
This incredible lemon chicken recipe is best served with some baked potatoes, roasted vegetables and garlic French bread. Your family will love this fabulous weeknight meal.
Air fryer lemon pepper chicken is also a great choice for a dinner party in case any of your guest follow a special diet, as it is both dairy free and gluten free.
POSSIBLE VARIATIONS
- AIR FRYER LEMON GARLIC SALMON – Perfectly cooked salmon with crispy edges and a tender and flaky middle that is bursting with Mediterranean flavors.
- CHIPOTLE CHICKEN WINGS– Crispy and flavorful, these air fryer wings come out great every time and only take 30 minutes.
AIR FRYER LEMON CHICKEN INGREDIENTS
You may have all of these crispy lemon pepper chicken thighs ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.
Jump to Recipe- Garlic
- Onion Powder
- Italian seasoning
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Paprika: We used regular paprika, but if you are a big fan of smoky flavor you can also try smoked paprika.
- Lemon Zest: For best results use fresh and bright yellow lemons. Make sure you only use the yellow part of the lemon peel and not the white one. The white part, also called pith, tastes bitter and might ruin the flavor of your lemon chicken.
- Oil: We use olive or avocado oil.
- Lemon Juice: For best flavor use fresh lemon juice.
- Chicken Thighs: We use bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Enjoy this great recipe as a great addition to a full meal with these other recipes:
- Crispy air fryer baked potatoes – With a crispy skin and a fluffy interior, these baked potatoes are the perfect, easy side dish.
- Parmesan roasted broccoli – This tasty and healthy broccoli side will be a new favorite with your family.
- Garlic French Bread – This quick and easy recipe uses store-bought French bread and you can even add some cheesy flavor by adding Parmesan cheese.
INSTRUCTIONS
If you'd like to print this recipe, scroll down to the recipe card where you can print the recipe or have it scaled to double or triple. You'll also find nutrition information.
Jump to RecipeTOOLS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- mixing bowls
- lemon zester or box grater
- air fryer
- knife and cutting board
BLEND SPICES: In a small bowl, combine garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, paprika, and lemon zest. Whisk together and set aside.
KITCHEN TIP
If you don’t own a lemon zester, you can also use the fine side of a box grater to rub off the lemon zest or a vegetable peeler. First, peel off very thin slices of lemon peel (avoid the white part) and then chop the lemon peel finely on a cutting board with a knife.
COMBINE OIL AND LEMON JUICE: In a separate bowl, combine oil and lemon juice. Whisk well.
RUB WITH OIL MIXTURE: Rub the lemon oil mixture all over the skin and underside of the chicken thighs.
RUB WITH SPICE BLEND: Rub the spices onto the chicken thighs. Make sure to rub the spice blend into skin and chicken really well.
KITCHEN TIP
For more flavorful chicken meat, rub some spices under the chicken skin as well. Then pull the skin back over the chicken and rub spices on the outside.
KITCHEN TIP
To marinate the chicken ahead of time, you can allow it to sit in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
RESTING TIME: Let the chicken thighs rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
AIR FRY: Cook the thighs in the air fryer at 380ºF for 25 minutes or until chicken reached an internal temperature of 165ºF at the thickest part. Flip halfway though.
KITCHEN TIP
Air fryer cooking times will vary depending on the size of the air fryer, the size of the chicken and how many pieces of chicken are in the air fryer. If you're cooking less chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts, or in a larger air fryer you will want to start checking the chicken temperature at 15 minutes.
SERVE: Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices.
STORAGE TIPS
Storing your food properly is important to prevent spoiling or food poisoning.
Refrigerate: Store air fryer lemon chicken in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Lemon chicken thighs are best eaten fresh. However, you can freeze them in an airtight and freezer safe container or ziploc freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. We do recommend freezing uncooked chicken thighs rather than cooked ones.
Defrosting: A great way to defrost is in the refrigerator overnight.
RELATED RECIPES
While we love https://familydinners.com/tag/air-fryer/air fryer lemon pepper chicken we also love some of these other recipes and think you will as well.
- LEMON GARLIC SALMON – Seasoned with lemon, garlic, and Italian herbs, this salmon is quick and easy to prepare and cooks up perfectly in the air fryer.
- AIR FRYER BROCCOLI – Ready in less than 15 minutes, this will be your new favorite way of cooking broccoli.
- AIR FRYER GREEN BEANS – A quick and easy way to cook tender and delicious green beans. A classic American side that goes with almost everything.
- AIR FRYER CAULIFLOWER - Use two different colored cauliflowers to create a flavorful and colorful vegetable dish everyone will love.
- ITALIAN SALAD - This crispy and nutritious salad with a homemade dressing is absolutely delicious and a perfect way to add some greens to your meal.
- FRIED CHICKEN - One of America's most loved comfort foods, this crispy and juicy fried chicken is completely irresistible.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken ingredients:
- 4 cloves garlic (4 teaspoons) - minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest - (about 1 large lemon)
- 2 tablespoon oil - (olive oil or avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 6 chicken thighs - bone in with skin
Garnish:
- Parsley - chopped fresh
- Lemon slices
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, paprika, and lemon zest. Whisk together and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine oil and lemon juice. Whisk well.
Rub the lemon oil mixture all over the skin and underside of the chicken thighs.
Rub the spices onto the chicken thighs. Make sure to rub the spice blend into skin and chicken really well.
Let the chicken thighs rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Cook the thighs in the air fryer at 380ºF for 25 minutes or until chicken is 165ºF.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices.
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