Lemon Pepper Chicken Air Fryer
I used to make Lemon Pepper Chicken in the oven but now I almost always make it in the Air Fryer and you guys it's super easy and much quicker than baking. The results are phenomenal too. You get a nice crispy chicken skin with moist and juicy meat. It is super flavorful.
I use chicken thighs but you can use chicken breasts, drumsticks, wings, or even a whole butterflied chicken if that fits in your air fryer. I've added the cooking instructions in the description below.
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through the links, I'll receive a small commission which will help me immensely to run this small blog. No extra cost to you.
Ingredients info/ Substitutes
Lemon pepper seasoning
The lemon pepper seasoning I use has salt added to it. So, you'll notice that I do not add salt again in the recipe since the amount of salt that's in the seasoning is perfectly enough. If you're using a no-salt Lemon pepper seasoning, then make sure to season your chicken with salt. For 3 thighs I use about 1/2 tsp to 3/4 tsp of salt depending on the size of the chicken.
Italian seasoning
Italian seasoning goes really well in Lemon Pepper Chicken. If you don't have it on hand, use a little but of dried oregano and dried basil instead.
Granulated garlic and onion
These two add so much flavor. I like to use granulated garlic and granulated onion over onion/garlic powder. The powders tend to burn a little too quickly and I like the texture of granulated garlic and onion. If you don't have them, it's okay to use powdered garlic or onion.
Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice helps to tenderize the chicken. Also adds a nice refreshing lemony flavor.
Avocado oil/Olive oil
To make the chicken more crispy. I like to use either avocado oil or olive oil but any neutral cooking oil should be fine here.
Bone-in chicken thighs
I like bone-in skin-on chicken thighs because they remain juicy and I absolutely love the crispy skin. But you can use this same recipe with other chicken parts as well. I added the cooking instructions in a section below.
Air Fryer Time for Lemon Pepper Chicken
Time to fry in the air-fryer differs from brand to brand, even model to model. I have a Cosori 6.8 qt air fryer. In my air fryer it usually takes about 20 - 22 minutes at 385F/ 196C to cook three small-medium chicken thighs. The time may very depending on the size of the chicken thigh too. The best way to find out if the chicken is cooked perfectly is to use an instant thermometer. The cooked temperature for chicken is 165F/ 74c.
Lemon Pepper Chicken breasts/drumsticks or wings
Use the same marinade that I use but change the air fryer time as follows. You can use the same air fryer temperature, 385F which I use for these lemon pepper chicken thighs.
- For Chicken breasts: 15 - 20 minutes depending on the thickness.
- For Chicken drumsticks : 18 - 22 mins
- Chicken wings: 18 - 20 mins
Serving Ideas
I love to serve these lemon pepper chicken thighs with Pasta, specially with some simple garlic butter pasta and a side of salad. It's also good with roasted baby potatoes, roasted veggies or veggie or potato fries. Brown Rice, Cilantro lime rice, Quionoa are also a healthy delicious sides to serve with this.
More Air Fryer chicken recipes to try
I used to make Lemon Pepper Chicken in the oven but now I almost always make it in the Air Fryer and you guys it's super easy and much quicker than baking. The flavors are amazing!
- 3 Bone-in, Skin-on Chicken thighs (3 thighs = 1.24lb = 560g)
- 1 tsp Avocado oil/Olive oil
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Lemon pepper seasoning (with salt in it. *see notes)
- 1/2 tsp Granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
- 1/4 tsp Granulated onion (or onion powder)
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Grated Parmesan cheese for garnishing
Pat dry chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Add chicken to a bowl. Add oil and lemon juice to the chicken and mix really well until all the chicken pieces are coated.
Add lemon pepper seasoning, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and Italian seasoning into a small bowl and mix to combine. Generously coat both sides of the chicken with the seasoning blend.
You can let it marinate for about 1/2 an hour if you have time but I usually make it right away. Since I generously season them, they taste really good and well seasoned even if they are not marinated for a long time.
Air Fry at 385F/ 195C for 18 minutes - 22 minutes total or until the internal temperature reaches 165F when you test with an instant thermometer. Make sure to flip the chicken pieces halfway through.
Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
- The lemon pepper seasoning I use has salt added to it. So I don't add salt to the recipe separately. If the lemon pepper seasoning you use doesn't have salt, add about 1/2 tsp - 3/4 tsp salt for 3 chicken thighs.
