Air Fryer Lemon Chicken

Air fryer lemon chicken is easy to make and is loaded with flavor. If you haven’t tried making lemon chicken in an air fryer you should give it a try. It’s worth making.

We (me and my boyfriend) love making different chicken items. We love experimenting with various recipes. You can make air fryer lemon chicken using the chicken breast or thighs. Both taste delicious. But I prefer using chicken thighs because they are juicier compared to chicken breasts.

There is a different style of making air fryer lemon chicken. Such as you can simply marinate the chicken and air fryer or you can make a lemon sauce to coat the chicken. I like both of the styles of making lemon chicken.

So, today I’ll be sharing the recipe for lemon chicken in an air fryer. Don’t miss out on the lemon sauce recipe and some tips and tricks for crispy air fryer lemon chicken bites.

How to make air fryer lemon chicken?

You can make air fryer lemon chicken using a chicken breast or chicken thighs. Both are good for this recipe. But today I’m making chicken thighs for the air fryer recipe for lemon chicken.

Ingredients for air fryer lemon chicken:

• 4 chicken thighs (bone-in skin on)
• 2 tablespoon oil (olive/vegetable)
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian herb
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1 sliced lemon

Instruction:

Step 1 Marinade:

The first step is to prepare the marination for the chicken. Take a large mixing bowl to add all the ingredients except the lemon slices and the chicken. I love to mix the spice first and add the chicken at the end. This way the spices will combine well.

Step 2 Coat:

Now add the chicken pieces to the spice mixture and coat them well.

Step 3 Rest:

After the chicken is coated let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Step 4 Preheat:

Preheat your air fryer at 200C/400F for 3 minutes. Preheating helps to cook the food evenly and faster. So, please don’t skip this process for the best result.

Step 5 Air Fry:

Put the marinated chicken thighs into the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook at 200C/400F for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, add the lemon slice on the top of the chicken, and cook for 10 more minutes until they are crispy and cooked through. The chicken is perfectly cooked if it reaches the internal temperature of 165F/75C.

Step 6 Serve:

Remove the air fryer lemon chicken thighs and serve them with fried rice or salad with lemon wedges on the side.

You can find the air fryer lemon chicken recipe in the printable card below.

Tips and Tricks for air fryer lemon chicken:

1. Use fresh lemon juice for the air fryer lemon chicken recipe for freshness.
2. If there are some leftover marinades, discard them. Since it has been mixed with raw poultry it’s not safe to reuse for safety reasons.
3. Don’t overlap the chicken in the air fryer basket, leave some space between the chicken for the hot air to circulate equally.
4. Leave the skin on if you want some extra crisp on air fryer lemon chicken. But you can also use skinless chicken if you don't prefer the skin on chicken.

How do you make air fryer lemon chicken sauce?

If you want to mix the air fryer lemon chicken with the lemon sauce here’s the recipe.

Ingredients for chicken:

• 1lb chicken (chicken breast/thighs)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ⅓ cup cornflour
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• Oil spray

Ingredients for Lemon Sauce:

• ¼ tablespoon fresh ginger (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 2 teaspoon peanut oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional because it’s alcohol)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (light just for color)
• ¼ cup sugar (granulated)
• 1 ½ teaspoon cornflour

Instruction:

1. Take a mixing bowl to add chicken, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix them well until combined and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, you keep the chicken for marination. Let's make the sauce. Take a saucepan and heat the oil over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and cook for a minute until aromatic.
3. After that add the chicken stock, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, and wine. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes with occasional stirring. While the sauce is simmering, make the cornflour mixture. Take 1 tablespoon of water and add 1 ½ teaspoon cornflour and stir. Add the cornflour mixture and simmer for 2 more minutes or until the sauce is thickened.
4. Now the lemon sauce is ready, let's prepare the chicken for air frying. For that take two separate bowls for cornflour and egg. Toss the chicken into the cornflour, then in the egg, and again in the flour to coat. Tap the excess flour and keep it aside. Don’t put all the chicken at once. Working in batches gives you the best result.
5. Preheat your air fryer at 200C/400F for 3 minutes.
6. Spray the air fryer basket with oil, place the chicken in a single layer, and spray them with oil. Cook them at 200C/400F for 10 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature hits 165F/75C.
7. Remove the air fryer lemon chicken and drizzle the sauce over the chicken. Mix them with a spatula/toss until combined.
8. Serve and enjoy.

Here are some of the frequently asked questions:

Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer?

Yes, you can. But don’t put the chicken in if the marination is dripping. First, let the excess marination fall out then you can air fry the chicken.

How long does it take to cook raw chicken in an air fryer?

The cooking time depends on the size and the cut. Usually, it takes 15-20 minutes for the chicken to fully cook in an air fryer.
For example, chicken thigh takes about 20 minutes, chicken wings take 12 minutes and chicken breast takes 15 minutes.

Serving ideas for air fryer lemon chicken.

Air fryer lemon chicken is packed with flavor so you can have them as it is. Or you can have air fryer lemon chicken thighs with rice (fried/plain), salad.

How to store air fryer lemon chicken?

To store cooked air fryer lemon chicken, use an air-tight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Reheat them at 180C for 7-10 minutes or until it’s warm through.

 

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time:20 minutes

Nutrition Facts, per serving
Calories- 315kcal | Sodium- 473mg | Fat- 23g | Iron-1mg | Cholesterol- 110 mg | Protein- 17g | Saturated Fat- 5g | Trans Fat- 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat- 4g | Carbohydrate- 7g | Fiber- 1g | Potassium- 267 mg | Sugar- 6g |Vitamin A- 92IU | Vitamin C- 12 mg | Calcium- 17mg |

If you like air fryer lemon chicken, look what else you can air fry:

• Air Fryer Oatmeal Cookies

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more easy & Tasty air fryer recipes.

📖 Recipe