These Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are quick, easy, and on your dinner table in less than 20 minutes. Juicy moist chicken made right in your Air Fryer.
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Full Recipe/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
Quick and easy weeknight options are a must in our house, especially these days. We’ve moved outside the city (yay) which means a longer commute after work (nay). Most evenings, I come in the house exhausted, ready to order “la pizza.”
But with this Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Thigh Recipe, pizza gets pushed on the back burner and this gets made in a jiffy. It’s full of flavor and I don’t have to wait for my chicken to marinate, woo hoo! My chicken thighs still come out juicy and moist and full of flavor.
Chicken thighs are one of my favorite pieces of chicken to cook in an Air Fryer. They don’t dry out, they're full of flavor, and they’re pretty much hands off.
How do you cook chicken thighs in an Air Fryer?
For this recipe, I start by washing and drying my chicken thighs. Yes, I know the big debate..do as you wish when it comes to washing your chicken. But...make sure they are dry when adding the seasonings.
I then season my chicken thighs with my seasonings. For this recipe, I use lemon pepper seasoning, fresh lemon juice, black pepper, paprika, italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Most lemon pepper seasoning by itself just doesn’t move me, so I add to it.
I then place my chicken thighs in my Air Fryer...it's ok if they touch a little.
I follow the following cooktimes:
- Boneless chicken thighs: 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-17 minutes, flipping halfway through
- Bone in chicken thighs: 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 22-25, flipping halfway through. Then crank up to 390 degrees for 5 minutes if you want crispy skin.
Then serve and enjoy your delicious moist Lemon Pepper Chicken.
Do I need to spray these chicken thighs with oil?
Not this time! I find that some foods need oil while others don’t. Since there is no breading on this and chicken thighs have their own natural fat, you don’t need oil. I talk about this and more in my 10 Air Fryer Tips every Air Fryer Owner Should Know.
Will these chicken thighs get crispy?
Not if they are skinless, because there isn’t really much to crisp. If you want crispy chicken thighs, skin on would work best.
I hope you enjoy these lemon pepper chicken thighs as much as we do.
Looking for more Air Fryer Chicken Recipes? Try my
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Fresh or Frozen)
Crispy Korean Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Whole Rotisserie Chicken
Pin Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Chicken Thighs for Later
Watch this video tutorial and see how I make these air fryer chicken thighs from start to finish.
Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ Tablespoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry chicken thighs. Rub remaining ingredients over chicken thighs.
- Place in Air fryer and cook on 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, turning halfway through until the chicken has reached a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
For Skin On Bone in Chicken Thighs
- For bone in thighs with skin, increase cook time for 22-25 minutes at 360 degrees. Then cook on 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes more.
Diane says
Next time I make this I will double the ingredients. Found it just barely covered the chicken and it is SO GOOD! I want to taste more. Love this chicken!
Tanya says
Thanks so much, Diane! So happy you liked the recipe 🙂
Kathleen says
Oh this is quick , juicy , tender and delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
Tanya says
Thanks, Kathleen! So happy you all liked the recipe 🙂
Melanie in Michigan says
So simple and delicious !! Thank you !!!!! 👍❤️
cathy moss says
Im making this tonight. In my omni plus do i use the same time or higher setting. thank you.
Tanya says
Hi Cathy, I don't have an omni plus but I find that most air fryer ovens need a little longer cook time. I'd suggest keeping an eye on them.
Theresa White says
Very good recipe
Tanya says
Thank you Theresa 🙂 So happy you like the recipe.
Suzy says
I have made this recipe a couple of times - and it is great. I made a mistake this time and mixed the spices with the lemon juice. To recover I just dumped the chicken in and swished it around. For me, this turned out to be faster and easier to completely cover the chicken. thanks for a great recipe.
Tanya says
Thank you Suzy 🙂
Ava says
I love this recipe!! Adjusted the seasonings for our taste. My husband is picky eater. We both loved how the thighs came out. Tender, juicy and FLAVORFUL. He says, “you can cook those again👍🏽“ This recipe is now in our air fryer recipe book. Thanks.
Tanya says
Thank you Ava, so glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Randy says
This is an outstanding recipe! I've used this recipe several times and made a couple of alterations. Specifically, I use the juice from an entire lemon and add some dry Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning and marinate for 4-6 hours in a zip lock bag. DELICIOUS
Tanya says
Thank you Randy! So glad you liked the recipe. I'll have to try it with the ranch seasoning next time.
Kathy says
@Tanya,
The ranch dressing suggestion sounds really good.
Anita says
If you use Mrs. Dash lemon pepper, this makes a good low salt meal,if you are watching your salt intake as so many of us are doing nowdays.I serve mine with a micro wave baked potato and a sliced tomato for a quick nutritional dinner.
WANDA says
I ONLY USE CHICKEN BREAST, WILL THIS RECIPE WORK WITH BREAST? I LOVE MY AIRFRYER & WANT TO USE IT. RECIPE SOUNDS DELICIOUS. THANK YOU
Tanya says
Hi Wanda, you can use chicken breast. I would adjust and cook on 360F for about 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness.
Toni Dee Dieroff says
I enjoy your recipes!! Thank you!!
susan says
Just want to thank you for this recipe! It is the base for so many variations as well as being delicious as is. We mix up the seasonings to match what we're cooking, or what we have on hand. Very versatile and very easy! We use it almost weekly. Thank you.
Tanya says
Thank you susan! So glad you like the recipe 🙂