Juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor, these air fryer chicken skewers deliver the just-charred taste of grilling without needing to fire up the grill. The are super quick to make and are perfect for a weeknight dinner or fun weekend lunch.
Why you’ll love air fryer chicken kabobs
One of the best things about warm weather is enjoying all of your favorite grilled foods! Whether you call them kebabs or kabobs, chicken skewers are a summer classic, but if you don’t have a grill (or don’t want to deal with the hassle), you can make these delicious chicken kabobs in the air fryer instead!
What do you need?
Chicken breast
I normally use chicken breast for this recipe, but you can use chicken thighs if you prefer. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces (around 2cm/ 1-inch cubes).
Vegetables
This recipe uses bell peppers and white onion, but you could also use red onion, zucchini, tomatoes (cut into quarters or use whole cherry tomatoes), pineapple, or mushrooms.
They need to be cut into pieces approximately 1-inch square.
Seasoning
To keep things simple, I usually use a store-bought chicken seasoning mix for this recipe, but you can easily make your own, or substitute your favorite chicken seasonings blend (try taco seasoning, Cajun seasoning or lemon pepper).
To make your own chicken seasoning, try this simple recipe:
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cooking oil
I use light olive oil for this recipe, but you can use another cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil or avocado oil.
Skewers
You can use metal or wooden skewers. You just need to make sure they are short enough to fit in your air fryer! Wooden skewers should be soaked before use to stop them from charring during cooking.
Let’s cook these chicken kebabs in the air fryer!
1
Season chicken.
Mix the chicken, seasoning, and oil together. You can leave it to marinate (covered in the refrigerator) for 1-2 hours if you want to do the prep ahead of time, but this is optional.
2
Prepare skewers.
Thread chunks of vegetables and chicken onto the skewers, alternating chicken with vegetables until the skewer is full. Be sure to leave a short bare section (~½-inch) at each end to allow for easier handling.
3
Air fry kebabs.
Preheat your air fryer to 390°F/ 195°C, then carefully place chicken kabobs in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 10-15 minutes, turning them over after around 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
How long to cook chicken skewers in the air fryer?
The exact cook times will depend on a few factors, including how large the pieces of chicken and vegetables are and how powerful your air fryer is.
To be cooked safely, the chicken on the kabobs needs to reach at least 165°F/ 74°C the whole way through. So test the temperature in the middle of the thickest few chicken chunks to ensure that they are cooked correctly.
If required, air fry the kabobs for additional 2-3 minute intervals until all the chicken has reached this temperature.
Here are some tasty serving ideas:
- Serve with pita pockets and Greek salad, with a generous dollop creamy garlic sauce
- Toss into a couscous salad, with roasted vegetables, and hummus or baba ganoush
- Pair with sweet potato wedges, corn on the cob, and honey mustard dressing
- Make a rice bowl, add with a side of coleslaw or steamed greens and a drizzle of yum yum sauce
Air Fryer Chicken Kebabs
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons chicken seasoning mix
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 1 green bell peppers seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red bell peppers seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red onion cut into 1-inch pieces
Equipment
- 4-6 skewers [Note 1]
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a medium bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, add the seasoning, and toss to coat [Note 2].
- Prepare the skewers by threading chunks of chicken, peppers, and onion onto the skewers, alternating chicken with vegetables until the skewer is full.
- Preheat the air fryer to 195°C/ 390°F, then carefully place the chicken skewers in the air fryer basket [Note 3].
- Air fry chicken kebabs for 10-15 minutes, turning them once halfway through the cooking time.
- The kabobs are cooked when the chicken chunks have reached an internal temperature of at least 74°C/ 165°F in the center [Note 4]. If required, cook for additional 2-3 minute intervals until all kebabs have reached this temperature.
Notes
- You can use metal or wooden skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while the chicken is marinating.
- Optional step: Cover and leave to marinate if the fridge for 1-2 hours. This is useful if you want to start preparing this recipe ahead of time.
- If your air fryer is prone to sticking, lightly spritz or brush the basket with olive oil before you add the chicken kabobs.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature in the center of the largest chunks of chicken. Test a few to ensure that your kabobs have cooked evenly. The temperature should read 74°C/ 165°F or higher.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
