Easy Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Recipe (2024)

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Easy Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Recipe – a simple five ingredient recipe for crisp and juicy air fried lemon chicken with under five minutes active cooking time!

This easy lemon chicken recipe is super simple and crazy quick – it requires less than 5 minutes active time.

Just toss chicken in a lemon marinade, cover with spices, and toss into an air fryer, and cook!

If you’re making dinner for a guest, or want a delicious hearty dinner you don’t have to fuss over, this recipe for perfect juicy chicken thighs is for you!

Air fried chicken thighs are incredibly delicious – juicy on the inside, and crunchy on the outside – just like fried chicken. But because we’re using an air fryer, this recipe uses a tiny fraction of the oil, no breading, as well as hot air circulating quickly over the chicken, to fry this chicken in a much healthier way.

If you love my easy and delicious best easybaked lemon chicken recipe, you’re going to love this easy air fried lemon chicken recipe.

Check out my web story about this air fryer chicken!

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How To Cook Chicken Thighs in an Air Fryer

Cooking chicken thighs in an air fryer couldn’t be any easier – simply toss the chicken in the fryer basket, make sure the thighs aren’t touching very closely, and fry.

To make these chicken thighs perfect, we’re using the basic cook-time from my Keto Adobo Air Fried Chicken Thighs Recipe.

What Temperature To Cook Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer

I like a delicious, crispy crunch and tender, juicy middle for chicken thighs – so I try to cook with as much heat as possible in an air fryer.

I aim for an air fry temperature of 400 degrees for chicken thighs – but not all air fryers go to 400 degrees, so you can also use 350.

How Long to Cook Chicken Thighs in an Air Fryer

At 350 degrees, chicken thighs will take about 16-18 minutes to reach 165 degrees, and you’ll flip partway through cooking.

At 400 degrees, chicken thighs take about 13-15 minutes to reach 165.

Go as high as you can and watch your chicken’s temperature, instead of going off the time elapsed – you may need to add additional time if cooking bone-in, skin-on thighs.

Since chicken thighs contain more fat, they do not dry out as quickly as chicken breasts can – if you need to take another minute or two to give your chicken thighs more crunch (especially if cooking with skin-on, you really want a lovely crunchy skin), you can without worrying about drying them out.

How To Cook Chicken Breasts in an Air Fryer

This recipe is one of my favorites because it can be used with either chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

To make perfectly juicy easy air fried lemon chicken breasts:

Place chicken in air fryer basket, standing against sides of basket if necessary – do not push closely together.

Set to 350°F and cook for 15 minutes.

Turn chicken; cook 5 to 8 minutes longer or until chicken reads at least 165°F when a digital thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.

Easy Lemon Chicken Marinade

To get the most flavor possible, I like to make a quick marinade for this chicken, especially when using chicken breasts.

Combine the following in a bowl or plastic bag with the chicken:

• -2 tbsp lemon juice
• -1/4 c olive oil
• -italian herb seasoning

Let chicken sit for at least 1 hour in marinade, then pop in fryer basket and cook!

What To Serve With Easy Air Fried Lemon Chicken

This air fryer chicken is keto and low carb compatible – and great alongside pasta, rice, and other carbs, too!

• The Best Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe
• Perfect Sauteed Mushrooms
• The Best Ever Cauliflower Rice
• Paleo Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Fries
• Orzo With Sun Dried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto
• Caprese Burgers
• The Best Easy Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
• Crispy Herbed Potatoes

Easy Keto Chicken Recipes

This lemon air fried chicken isn’t just incredibly delicious – it also works in a keto diet, too! Keto air fried lemon chicken is a meal that won’t weight you down, and will keep you fueled up all day – just like many of my favorite keto chicken recipes.

If you’re looking for more easy delicious low carb chicken recipes, please find my favorites below:

• Easy Keto Low Carb Cheesy Pizza Chicken
• The Best Easy Lemon Chicken Recipe
• Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Mushrooms
• Easy Cajun Whole Roasted Chicken
• Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs
• Creamy One Pot Chicken Stroganoff
• Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken Copycat Recipe

Where to Buy an Air Fryer

If you’re looking to buy an air fryer, please head to my air fryer essentials Amazon list here:

Amazon Air Fryer Essentials List

And for my favorite Keto foods (including tons of meats that are fantastic in an air fryer), please head here:

Amazon Favorite Keto Foods

Recipe FAQs

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Easy Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Recipe

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Easy Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Recipe - a simple five ingredient recipe for crisp and juicy air fried lemon chicken that everyone loves!

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp italian herb seasoning blend
• 1 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1 lemon, sliced thin

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients - except sliced lemon - to bowl or bag, toss to coat chicken.
2. Let marinate for 30 minutes to overnight.
3. Remove chicken and let any excess oil drip off (does not need to be dried, just not dripping with tons of excess oil.)
4. Set air fryer to 350-400 degrees (as high as your air fryer will go) and preheat for 10 minutes.
5. Arrange chicken thighs and lemon slices in air fryer basket, taking care to not push chicken thighs too close to each other.
6. Cook at 350 or 400 (again, as high as you can), for 8 minutes.
7. Remove fryer basket and flip chicken thighs to other side.
8. Cook again at 350 for another 6 minutes - gauge temperature, and continue to air fry until reaching 165 degrees internal temperature.
9. Chicken thighs will be crispy, with clear juices, and reach 165 degrees internal temperature when checked with a digital thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 325Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 166mgSodium 679mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 31g

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