These Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs make a quick, healthy, and easy meal using a simple marinade, chicken breasts, and your favorite vegetables. No muss, no fuss, these tender, flavorful chicken skewers take just 10 minutes to cook and little cleanup. Keto and low-carb meal options given.
Table of contents
- Air Fryers Make Dinners Easy
- What is a Chicken Shish Kebab?
- What Goes on Shish Kabobs
- Best Chicken for Kabobs
- Vegetables for Shish Kabobs
- Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken Shish Kabobs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips for the Best Chicken Skewers
- What to Serve with Shish Kabobs
- Storage/Freezing
- More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryers Make Dinners Easy
If you've ever wondered if you can make shish kabobs in the air fryer, let me tell you, you absolutely can! There is nothing better than your trusty air fryer for making a delicious dinner easily and quickly. And it's great for when the weather is rainy or too hot to cook outside. Plus it won't heat up your kitchen either.
That's why I love my air fryer! Anything you can cook in the oven or on the grill you can cook in your air fryer. From appetizers to dinners to desserts, it's amazing! Favorites like Air Fryer Fried Shrimp, Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin, and Air Fryer Filet Mignon are always on the menu.
And these lightly marinated chicken air fryer kebobs with a lemon-garlic marinade are no exception. They're super tender, juicy, and absolutely drool-worthy. They make an easy dinner for the whole family as well as a hearty appetizer for your next party.
What is a Chicken Shish Kebab?
A basic kebab, or in English kebob, literally means meat on a stick, in this instance chicken. The kabob can contain fish, chicken, or beef as well as vegetables and is either roasted or grilled.
What Goes on Shish Kabobs
Shish Kabobs can be made with any number of ingredients and adapted to your family's preferences. Meats to use include beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, shrimp, or scallops while vegetables span the range from colorful peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and yellow squash.
Best Chicken for Kabobs
I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, which are easy to cut uniformly, but boneless skinless chicken thighs can also be used.
Vegetables for Shish Kabobs
Use bright fresh colorful veggies for the most eye-appealing and delicious skewers. I love to use red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, green will work too, baby mushrooms, and onions, either white, yellow, red, or sweet.
Other options include cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, corn, and brussels sprouts. If you don't mind carbs, parboiled or canned white potatoes or partially cooked sweet potatoes can also be added.
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade for Chicken Skewers
Chicken - Use boneless, skinless chicken breast. 2 breasts should provide enough chicken pieces for 8-10 skewers.
Lemon Juice - tenderizes the chicken as well as providing flavor and acidity
Olive Oil - helps keep the chicken moist and juicy. Vegetable oil can also be used.
Fresh Garlic - provides a nice hint of garlic flavor
Salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning - salt enhances flavor while the Italian seasoning gives an herbal edge
Shish Kabob Vegetables
Bell Peppers - I like to use red, orange, and yellow peppers but adding green bell peppers will give the chicken skewers a more vegetal flavor. You can also use small sweet peppers or hot peppers if you're into spicy.
Onion - Sweet onions are delicious on these kabobs but yellow, white, or red onions can also be used.
Mushrooms - baby white mushrooms fit well on these shish kababs but you can also cut up portobello mushrooms.
Potatoes - I used canned white potatoes for convenience but if you have the time, parboiled or partially cooked white or sweet potatoes can be substituted. The pre-cooking is necessary so they cook in the same timeframe as the chicken and vegetables.
How to Make Chicken Shish Kabobs
Chicken Kabob Marinade
- To make marinade, combine oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Add minced fresh garlic.
- Sprinkle in seasonings - Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk well.
Marinate Chicken Kabobs
- Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Try to make them a consistent size so they cook evenly.
- Place the chicken cubes in a large resealable bag.
- Pour the prepared marinade over the chicken.
- Lock the baggie and turn several times to cover. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
How to Assemble Chicken Shish Kabobs
- Cut up vegetables, making sure they are of equal size. Drain potatoes or parboil fresh potatoes, if preferred. Of course, feel free to omit the potatoes for keto and low-carb diets.
- Thread chicken alternately onto metal skewers, air fryer skewers, bamboo skewers, or wood skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes. You will want to alternate a piece of chicken, various vegetables, and potatoes until the skewer is full.
- Place skewers on a sprayed rack in a single layer.
How to Cook Air Fryer Chicken Skewers
- Preheat the air fryer for 4-5 minutes at 380 degrees. Spray the rack and air fryer basket with oil then lay the skewers on the rack. You can also cook directly on the basket in a single row. Spray the tops of the chicken and vegetables lightly with oil. You may have to do the skewers in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fry for 10 minutes, turning halfway through and spraying the tops again with oil. The chicken should be browned and the inside should be opaque in the center when done. If you have a digital meat thermometer the internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees when done.
This easy, quick, and healthy meal is perfect whatever the weather or day of the week. You can use whatever is in your fridge with little fuss and cleanup is a breeze. Just a few minutes to marinate then 10 minutes to cook and you have a complete meal on the table. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
10 minutes is all you need to make this full meal on a stick.
I tried various temperatures and 380 degrees worked best, cooking the chicken but not drying it out.
Yes, you sure can! These kabobs make meal prep easy. Just add 8-10 minutes to the cook time and dinner is served.
Absolutely! Cut the skewers to fit your air fryer then soak them for 5 minutes or while the chicken is marinating. Skewer and follow directions as given.
No, the rack makes it easier but you can just spray the basket and place the skewers in the bottom of the basket, and cook as directed.
Tips for the Best Chicken Skewers
- Always marinate the chicken for a moist, tender result
- Make sure to cut the vegetables as well as the chicken into similar sizes for even cooking
- Spray oil on the chicken prior to cooking to aid in keeping the chicken moist
- Make sure the skewers fit your air fryer. You can cut wooden ones down to size or purchase the skewers that go with your brand of air fryer
What to Serve with Shish Kabobs
Although these air fryer chicken kebabs need little else to make them a complete dinner, I like to pair mine with a Caesar salad. Other favorite sides are grilled potato salad, baked potatoes, air fryer asparagus, rice or cauliflower rice, corn salad, or just some warm dinner rolls.
Storage/Freezing
Once cooked, these leftover chicken skewers will keep 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To reheat, just air fry for a few minutes until warmed through.
You can freeze the kabob on wooden skewers prior to cooking as well as after cooking. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan - your favorite Italian dinner with all the flavors you love in just 30 minutes.
Easy Hot Dogs in the Air Fryer - taste like they've just come off the grill and they come complete with a toasted bun
Air Fryer Roast Beef from Supergolden Bakes - is a great way to make tender roast beef in under an hour
Air Fryer Pork Chops - healthy, moist, and delicious chops in just 10 minutes!
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Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs (Chicken Skewers)
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Shish Kabobs
- 2 chicken breasts cut in cubes
- ½ large sweet onion cut in wedges
- ½ red bell pepper ½ orange or yellow bell pepper, cut in strips then thirds
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 1 can whole white potatoes (15-0z)
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients for marinade.
- Cut chicken into 1-½" cubes and place in bag with marinade. Place in refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- To assemble, alternate chicken and cut vegetables and potatoes onto skewers. You can use the skewers and rack that comes with your air fryer or use wooden skewers cut to fit your air fryer. Soak the wooden skewers while cutting chicken and mixing marinade.
- Preheat air fryer on 380 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Place your skewers on the shish kabob rack or lay on the bottom on the air fryer basket that has been lightly sprayed with oil.
- Spray the tops of the shish kabobs and cook at 380 degrees for 10 minutes, turning halfway through and lightly spraying again. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Cook a little longer if necessary. DO NOT CROWD THE KABOBS. It may take 2-3 batches to get all the kabobs cooked.
- Remove when done and keep warm while cooking remaining kabobs.
Notes
- Always marinate the chicken for a moist, tender result
- Make sure to cut the vegetables as well as the chicken into similar sizes for even cooking
- Spray oil on the chicken prior to cooking to aid in keeping the chicken moist
- Make sure the skewers fit your air fryer. You can cut wooden ones down to size or purchase the skewers that go with your brand of air fryer
Nutrition
This post has been updated with more helpful information. It was first published on May 14, 2022.
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