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Garlic parmesan chicken skewers are a reliable 20-minute meal that you can easily whip up when you don’t feel like cooking or its too hot to heat up the kitchen. This recipe is a hit with the whole family, and you probably already have everything on hand to make it!
If you’re looking for a quick, easy, and healthy meal that the whole family will enjoy, this is a great recipe to have up your sleeve. Pull a pound of chicken out of the freezer to thaw, and make this dish tonight!
Here we marinate chicken with a spiced mayo mixture, skewer it, and then air fry it to perfection. The result is a chicken that’s crispy outside + tender and juicy inside! And the not-so-secret trick is to baste the chicken skewers with garlic butter when they’re halfway cooked.
Chicken skewers are a delicious and healthy light summer meal, especially if you serve it on a bed of lettuce, or with a fun salad (try asparagus salad with this!). But this can also be a satisfying cold-weather dinner if you pair it with a hearty side dish like cheesy potato casserole. No mater what you serve it with, this is sure to be a favorite at your house!
Why You’ll Want This Recipe on Repeat
- Affordable – Chicken thighs are one of the most budget-friendly cuts of chicken!
- No fancy ingredients – By a show of hands, who has a pound of boneless, skinless chicken (either breasts or thighs because both will work here) stashed in their freezer at any given time? Me too! And I’m guessing you probably have most (if not all) of the other ingredients on hand in a well-stocked kitchen as well.
- Picky-eater-friendly – I’d say it’s kid-friendly, but some of us have significant others who are just as picky as kids! This meal is a crowd-pleaser that everyone enjoys.
Easy Dinner Tip
Let the garlic butter serve double duty! Spread it on sliced bread and pop it in a 400F oven until toasted to your liking. It’s an easy side dish that pairs perfectly with the chicken!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Spiced Chicken with Mayo Ingredients:
- Mayo – Mayo adds richness, helps keep the chicken moist, and also acts as the glue for the spices to stick to the outside of the chicken.
- Fresh lemon juice – A little bit of fresh lemon juice brightens the flavor, cuts through the richness of the mayo, and helps tenderize the chicken.
- Garlic powder, dried Italian herb seasoning, salt, onion powder, sweet paprika, cayenne pepper (optional), and black pepper – This is the blend of spices we use. It’s a nice balance of savory flavors with herby notes, as well as a little hint of spicy heat. If you want it on the spicy-hot side, feel free to add up to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – Trim off the excess fat trimmed off and cut the chicken into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces. I like to use juicy dark meat here, but if you prefer, you can use 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts instead.
Garlic Butter Ingredients:
- Salted butter – Or use unsalted butter and add 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
- Garlic – You can’t have garlic butter without garlic! For the sharp bite and potent aroma, fresh garlic makes all the difference here. Be sure to use a large clove or double up if your cloves are on the small side.
- Dried Italian herb seasoning – This adds savory herby flavor and pairs well with garlic.
- Finely-shredded parmesan cheese – I like to freshly grate the cheese, but in a pinch you can use the parmesan that comes in a plastic canister at the grocery store.
- Fresh parsley – A little bit of fresh parsley adds a pop of green color and fresh flavor.
- Black pepper – For a piquant background flavor note.
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss well to coat. If you have the time, cover the bowl and let the chicken marinade in the fridge for 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
Skewer the chicken while you preheat the air fryer to 400F. (I like to use 4 skewers so each skewer is 1 serving.)
Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F on an instant-read thermometer, which takes about 12 to 14 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
While the chicken is cooking, make the garlic butter. To do so, stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Spoon half of the garlic butter on the chicken when you flip it halfway.
Serve the chicken skewers with the rest of the garlic butter for dipping or drizzling on top.
Easy Portioning Tip
This dish is easy to portion! When you’r skewering the chicken, use 4 skewers so each skewer is 1 serving.
Storage
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe Tips
- This is one recipe where the chicken doesn’t need to marinade long. Just a 10-minute soak in the spiced mayo mixture is long enough, or if you’re pressed for time you can skip it completely. On the other hand, if you want to get this done in advance you can let the chicken marinade in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking it!
- This amount of garlic butter makes enough so you can dip the cooked chicken in it when serving. You can cut the amount of garlic butter in half and you’ll have enough to just brush it on the chicken.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers FAQs
Preheat the oven to 500F, put the chicken skewers on a baking tray, and roast about 15 minutes, basting with the garlic butter when there’s 3 minutes left.
If you want to brown the chicken more, turn the broiler on once the chicken is almost fully cooked. This should take less than 5 minutes, and I recommend staying with it because every broiler is different.
Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken until it’s charred and fully cooked in the center, about 6 to 8 minutes per side (flipping the skewers once and basting with the garlic butter after flipping).
I like to serve this along with a leafy green salad (or on a bed of greens) and garlic bread. It also pairs nicely with rice (try homemade Rice a Roni!), roasted potatoes, or mashed potatoes, and a green vegetable, such as broccoli or green beans.
And these skewers also work well as an appetizer or as finger food for a party!
More Skewered Chicken Recipes to Try
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Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers Recipe
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Ingredients
Spiced Chicken with Mayo:
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs excess fat trimmed off and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces
Garlic Butter:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 large clove garlic crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 2 tablespoons finely-shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss well to coat. If you have the time, cover the bowl and let the chicken marinade in the fridge for 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
- Skewer the chicken while you preheat the air fryer to 400F. (I like to use 4 skewers so each skewer is 1 serving.)
- Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F, which takes about 12 to 14 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Spoon half of the garlic butter on the chicken when you flip it halfway.
For the Garlic Butter:
- While the chicken is cooking, make the garlic butter. To do so, stir together all ingredients in a bowl (if you want to mellow the flavor of the garlic, see the Notes section below).
- Divide the garlic butter into 2 bowls to avoid cross-contamination when you brush it on the chicken.
To Serve:
- Serve the chicken skewers with the rest of the garlic butter for dipping or drizzling on top. (Note the the garlic butter will thicken as the butter cools, but you can pop it in the microwave for 5-second intervals to melt it again.)
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To Mellow the Flavor of the Garlic: You can briefly heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. To make it in the microwave, add the butter and garlic to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stopping to stir the mixture every 15 seconds. Stir in the remaining garlic butter ingredients. To make it on the stovetop, add the butter and garlic to a small saucepan over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Once the butter is melted, cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining garlic butter ingredients.
- You Can Cut the Garlic Butter in Half: This amount of garlic butter makes enough so you can dip the cooked chicken in it when serving. You can cut the amount of garlic butter in half and you’ll have enough to just brush it on the chicken.
- How to Make This in the Oven: Preheat the oven to 500F, put the chicken skewers on a baking tray, and roast about 15 minutes, basting with the garlic butter when there’s 3 minutes left. If you want to brown the chicken more, turn the broiler on once the chicken is almost fully cooked. This should take less than 5 minutes, and I recommend staying with it because every broiler is different.
- How to Grill This: Preheat a grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken until it’s charred and fully cooked in the center, about 6 to 8 minutes per side (flipping the skewers once and basting with the garlic butter after flipping).
- Net Carbs: 2g per serving
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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