Air Fryer Chicken Skewers get winner winner chicken dinner on the table! Sizzled to juicy perfection, these skewers are better than BBQ'ed!
Recipes like our Air Fryer Roast Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Legs and Dry Rub Air Fryer Chicken Wings take cooking chicken into the future!
Pair them with the Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings, Chips and Gravy and drizzle with Lime Yogurt Sauce for pure yum!
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Recipe highlights
Chicken is quick, easy and convenient!
Get dinner on the table in record speed without it being same, same every night!
Chicken Skewers can be paired with a simple salad for dinner, or a healthy veggie side dish for a complete meal!
How do you use skewers in an air fryer
You use skewers in an Air Fryer the same way you would in the oven, on the stove or BBQ!
The trick (and it is essential) is to soak the skewers in water prior to using them.
I recommend checking the size of the skewers before you begin as not all lengths of skewers will fit the Air Fryer.
Double check that you can place them in one flat layer to save the 'oh bummer, whoops should have checked that 1st feeling!'.
Can you put wooden sticks in an air fryer
Yes, you can put wooden sticks (wooden skewers) in an Air Fryer.
As mentioned above, I recommend soaking the skewers whilst you are preparing the rest of the ingredients, then simply draining the water before you begin threading them.
Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer
Yes, you can put raw chicken in an Air Fryer.
In our Air Fryer Jerk Chicken, we take a whole raw chicken, cut it into pieces and cook from scratch!
For this recipe, we are going to marinate and season the chicken before we put it into the Air Fryer.
I recommend spraying the basket with olive oil to prevent sticking, save clean up time and ensure that the chicken skewers can be rotated freely at the 'flip' step.
If you prefer not to use oil whilst Air Frying, another option is to use baking paper.
Can you use metal skewers in an air fryer
Yes you can use metal skewers in an air fryer!
Be warned, they get very, very hot!! So use a heatproof glove or tongs to avoid burning your finger tips.
You might have to hunt around, as wooden skewers are a lot more accessible and easy to find than metal skewers.
Again, check they fit before putting them in the Air fryer and if you have metal skewers with the silicon ends on them, they are fine to use too!
Ingredients needed
The ingredients needed for the recipe are all simple and easy to find at the local shops (except for the optional homemade sauce).
As you can see, the recipe calls for:
- chicken thighs (can use chicken breast also)
- teriyaki sauce (store bought is fine, choose a thin based one!)
- green capsicum (bell pepper)
- wooden skewers (soaked)
- salt and pepper
- lime yogurt sauce
- spray oil (if desired)
For the teriyaki sauce, I recommend the variety that has a thin consistency.
You will find there are thick marinade versions and thin soy sauce consistency versions. I talk more about this in my Teriyaki Salmon Air Fryer fillets recipe, where you can easily roll the bottle in your hand at the store to see if if it is thin based or thick.
I personally find the thick versions, whilst having their time and place, too glugy for simple marinating and the texture so goopy that it takes away from the meat or fish benefiting from the teriyaki flavour.
My preference for the sauce is either the Basil Yogurt Sauce or the Lime Yogurt Sauce (as shown in the photos).
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe.
We start by soaking the skewers and preparing the chicken thighs, you will need a knife and chopping board.
- add wooden skewers to a small dish and cover with water (Photo 1)
- use a knife and chopping board to dice the chicken (Photo 2)
- add chicken to a bowl in preparation for seasoning (Photo 3)
- pour teriyaki sauce, salt and pepper over chicken (Photo 4)
- once chicken is marinated, place in the fridge (Photo 5)
- chop the capsicum into pieces (Photo 6)
- assemble ingredients to thread (Photo 7)
- thread chicken and capsicum onto skewers piece by piece (Photo 8)
- spray the Air Fryer basket with cooking oil (Photo 9)
- place skewers in one flat layer (Photo 10)
- cook for 7 mins, use tongs to rotate (Photo 11)
- cook the chicken skewers for an additional 7-10 mins (Photo 12)
The timber skewers will be hot to the touch, so use the tongs and grab hold of the body of the skewer to make rotating them fuss free.
To test that they are done, use a toothpick on one skewer and insert it right in the centre of a piece of chicken, look at the colour of the juice coming from the chicken, if it is clear, they are cooked, if it is pink or pink ish they need further cooking.
In the photos below you can see I have served my skewers with my Lime Yogurt sauce, it is a homemade sauce that delivers pure zesty freshness! You might also like to serve with the Herb Salad.
If looking for a veggie side to round out the dish, try the Air Fryer Corn on the Cob, Air Fryer Portobello Mushrooms, Air Fryer Chips or the Gravy fries for indulgent yum!
Frequently asked questions
- This is a quick, easy to bring together recipe!
- The wooden skewers need to be soaked before use
- I recommend chicken thighs or chicken breast
- Spray the basket before adding the chicken skewers (optional)
- My Air Fryer is a 7 litre basket version
- If making more skewers and using a smaller Air Fryer you can work in batches
- Serve with homemade sauce for complimentary deliciousness
- It takes about 20-25 mins from start to finish for the recipe
If quick and easy BBQ'ed style homemade recipes are what you are looking for, you might like to try the Dry Rub Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings or Air Fryer Honey BBQ Chicken Wings.
Expert tips
This is what I have learnt that will help you master the recipe from the 1st time and every following time:
- Spray or line the basket with baking paper (parchment paper)
- Rotate the chicken skewers halfway through cooking
- Test to see that they are fully cooked, by cutting at the centre, the meat should be fully white, not pink
- There will be a little crusty grilledness going on with the sauce, the oil or paper will allow the clean up to be less intensive
- There are so many sizes and types of Air Fryers that some will cook faster or slower depending on the model, the 1st time you make the chicken skewers, check them along the way to see how they are cooking!
I do recommend the rotation of the skewers during the cooking as it allows the meat and veggie that was flat on the basket initially to be open to more charredness as the air flow reaches it.
😍 More Air Fryer recipes
If you love Air Fryer cooking then check out the following recipes for inspiration:
- Easy Air Fryer Cheeseburgers
- Air Fryer Onions
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Whole Air Fryer Roast Chicken
- Air Fryer Sausages
- Juicy Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Air Fryer Honey BBQ Chicken Wings
You can also find all of my Air Fryer Recipes in the one category. So you can grab a cuppa and have a read!
Adrianne xx
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Skewers
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Wooden skewers
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs skinless, boneless
- ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 green capsicum
- lime yogurt sauce optional
Instructions
- Place skewers in container, pour water over to cover and leave as you prepare the rest of the recipe
- Use a knife and chopping board to cut the chicken into small cubes, approximately 1cm x 1 cm
- Pour teriyaki sauce over diced chicken season with salt and pepper, stir to combine and place in fridge
- Use a knife and chopping board to cut the capsicum (pepper) into small pieces, approximately 2cm x 2cm
- Drain water from container with skewers
- Remove marinated chicken from the fridge and start to thread the skewers. Aim for 3 pieces of chicken and 2-3 pieces of capsicum
- Turn the Air Fryer on to 180°C/350 F for 25 mins (allow 5 mins to preheat if your model requires it) Note 4
- Spray the basket of the Air Fryer with a little oil
- Place the chicken skewers into the basket and cook for 10 mins, remove basket, place on a heat proof surface, rotate each skewer to the other side, then cook for a further 10 mins
Notes
- Note 1 I like using chicken thighs for this recipe as I find it a more tender cut of meat. You can use chicken breast also if you prefer. If you do, I recommend making the pieces smaller, ie not big chunks.
- Note 2 If you want to use a white creamy sauce like the photos but don't have the time to make the Lime Yogurt Sauce, you can substitute Greek yogurt.
- Note 3 I know technically it make confuse people to get started before turning the Air Fryer on. But this is the process to follow as the Air Fryer is not like a traditional oven, where you pre heat and then add dishes. I literally turn my Air Fryer on at this stage of the cooking process (my model does not require preheating).
- Note 3 Serving size for the nutritional information listed is per chicken skewer (x1)
Nutrition
Chicken on a stick
Ermagawd guys, these are SO good!
In the winter when it is cold out, you can keep warm and your toes snuggled by socks as you won't have to venture out to the BBQ to cook them.
The combo is so simple but it works!
I would LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments below, please let me know if you make the recipe!
Things are going to get skewered my friends, and you are going to love it!
Adrianne xx
Ross says
I like the sound of these and teriyaki is easy, thanks.
Adrianne says
Thank-you Ross. I appreciate your feedback.
Elizabeth Smith says
We did these for dinner they were amazing so easy, thanks!