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+ servings
air fryer lemon pepper chicken
5 from 9 votes

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken


Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
6 pieces
These perfectly spiced chicken thighs combine lemon, garlic and Italian flavors and are cooked to perfection in the air fryer.

Equipment

  • mixing bowls
  • lemon zester or box grater
  • whisk
  • knife and cutting board

Ingredients
  

Chicken ingredients:

  • 4 cloves garlic (4 teaspoons) minced
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 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.
    spices for air fryer lemon pepper chicken in a bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, combine oil and lemon juice. Whisk well.
    whisked lemon oil.
  • Rub the lemon oil mixture all over the skin and underside of the chicken thighs.
    hand patting oil on chicken.
  • Rub the spices onto the chicken thighs. Make sure to rub the spice blend into skin and chicken really well.
    hand rubbing spices on chicken thighs.
  • Let the chicken thighs rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
    spiced raw lemon chicken resting
  • Cook the thighs in the air fryer at 380ºF for 25 minutes or until chicken is 165ºF.
    cooked air fryer lemon pepper chicken thighs in air fryer basket.
  • Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices.
    air fryer lemon pepper chicken thighs.

Notes

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.
 
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, or in a larger air fryer you will want to start checking the chicken temperature at 15 minutes. 
 
Serve with baked potatoes, roasted broccoli and garlic french bread. 

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

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