Air Fryer Chicken Skewers with Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade
Air Fryer Chicken Skewers with Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade are inspired by the viral Marry Me Chicken—just without the cream! Juicy, garlicky, and ready in 20 minutes. Simple Mediterranean chicken skewers that are great for a dinner party, but even better for meal prep!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Quick and Easy: Ready from start to finish in 30 minutes!
- Flavor-Packed: Loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and lemon.
- Marry Me Chicken Inspired: All the irresistible flavors, minus the heavy cream.
- Easily Dairy-Free: Just one swap makes these skewers dairy-free.
Air Fryer Chicken Skewers with Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade
If you’ve fallen in love with the flavors of “Marry Me Chicken,” these Air Fryer Chicken Skewers with Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade are about to become your new obsession!
They capture all that irresistible sun-dried tomato and garlic goodness, but skip the creamy sauce, keeping things lighter (and easy to make dairy-free).
Tender chicken thighs marinated to perfection and finished with a garlic-lemon glaze—this recipe is fast, flavorful, and effortlessly impressive.
There are simple ways to elevate this recipe to pack even more flavor in, or keep it simple and use pantry staples.
The best part of this recipe?? There is no marinating time. You simply toss your chicken pieces with the sauce, then string them onto the wooden skewers.
Of course, you could marinate these overnight, and they would be phenomenal. But! It’s not required.
Air Fryer Chicken Kebabs
Air fryer chicken kebabs are a great way to meal prep juicy chicken for a busy week.
They’re also a fantastic option for a dinner party!
Everyone loves marinated chicken that has been cooked to tender perfection, and this is a flavorful meal your people will want on the menu over and over.
This post contains affiliate links.
When you read through the recipe card, you’ll notice there isn’t any salt or black pepper. I didn’t feel like it needed it. The spice blend I used has salt and other peppers in it, so I left it off.
The trick to perfect air fryer chicken kabobs is a couple of things:
- Preheat your air fryer: let the air fryer run for 3 minutes at 400˚, then spray with cooking spray (I’m loving this one from Graza!)
- Flip Once: To get that grilled charred goodness on the skewers, you want to only flip them once. Let you air fryer basket do the work! ((Did you know that air fryer basket sits your food up, so air circulates around it. Helping it “fry.”))
Elevate the Ordinary
To punch up the flavor of this marinade recipe, you could use store-bought sun-dried tomato pesto, or add a tablespoon of tomato paste.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze after the skewers are cooked to make this a fancy plated vision.
Tips for Making This Recipe Dairy-Free:
- Replace butter with olive oil or dairy-free butter substitute.
- Skip the Parmesan cheese entirely or use your favorite dairy-free cheese alternative. Or skip it altogether!
What to Serve Alongside:
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Simple green salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
- Mediterranean Roast Vegetables
- Crusty bread or garlic bread
Helpful Kitchen Tools:
- Air fryer (5–6 quart or larger)
- Bamboo or metal skewers (soak bamboo skewers for 20 minutes)
- Silicone basting brush
- Instant-read thermometer
- Pizza Seasoning (I bought mine at the Walmarts, but here is an affiliate link to the same one on Amazon!)
FAQs:
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes, but chicken thighs stay juicier. If using breasts, cook until just 165°F internal to avoid drying out.
How do I store leftovers?
Store cooked chicken skewers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the air fryer at 350°F for a few minutes.
Can I grill these instead?
Absolutely! Grill skewers over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until cooked through (about 12–15 minutes).
Do I have to make skewers?
Nope! This recipe easily goes for chicken breast and thighs, on the bone or boneless. Just grill according to your favorite way and enjoy!
Air Fryer Chicken Skewers with Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade are the tender, juicy chicken recipe you’ll make over and over! Be sure to tag @sweetpealifestyle on social so I can see your creations!
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Air Fryer Chicken Skewers with Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: italian-american
Description
Air Fryer Chicken Skewers with Sun-Dried Tomato Marinade are inspired by the viral Marry Me Chicken—just without the cream! Juicy, garlicky, and ready in 20 minutes. Simple Mediterranean chicken skewers that are great for a dinner party, but even better for meal prep!
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
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- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
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- 1 tablespoon olive oil
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- 1 tablespoon pizza seasoning (I love Spiceology’s)
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- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil (from jar)
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- 2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
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- 1 garlic clove, minced (you could also just add a teaspoon of garlic powder!)
Whisk into a thick paste. Reserve 2 tablespoons for glaze. Rub remaining marinade into chicken and thread onto skewers.
Garlic-Lemon Butter Glaze:
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- Reserved marinade (about 2 tablespoons)
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- 2 garlic cloves, minced
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- ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted (Use olive oil or dairy-free butter substitute if dairy-free.)
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- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
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- ½ tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (optional, omit if dairy-free)
Instructions
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- Prepare Skewers:
Cut chicken thighs into uniform pieces and thread onto skewers.
- Prepare Skewers:
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- Marinate:
Coat chicken with marinade paste, ensuring it’s thoroughly covered. Reserve two tablespoons of marinade separately.
- Marinate:
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- Air Fry:
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Air fry chicken skewers for 10 minutes.
- Air Fry:
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- Make Glaze:
While the chicken cooks, combine reserved marinade with melted butter, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, sun-dried tomato oil, and optional Parmesan cheese.
- Make Glaze:
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- Baste & Flip:
After 10 minutes, baste skewers generously with half the glaze, flip skewers, and air fry another 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Baste & Flip:
- Serve:
Brush remaining glaze on hot skewers. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan (optional), and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges.
