Have you seen chicken wing prices lately? Oh well, I'm making crispy, kicked-up lemon pepper chicken thighs instead.
These boneless skin-on chicken thighs are cooked quickly in the air fryer for a nice and quick comfort food main dish served on a busy weeknight.
These lemon pepper chicken thighs are true to their name as the flavor is heavy on both the lemon and pepper, but in a very balanced way aided by the presence of honey.
Beats and Eats (music pairing)
These air fryer chicken thighs are kinda meant to be over the top so they need a mid-tempo beat with a bit of a funky kick. Jermaine Jackson's "You Like Me, Don't You" fits the bill. The beat kicks in a groovy way and is backed up with some smooth vocals.
Ingredients Needed To Make Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
- Bone-in Skin on Chicken Thighs
- Lemon Juice
- Pepper
- Salt
- Honey
- Fresh thyme
- Olive Oil
- Corn Starch
- Cooking Spray
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Debone the chicken thighs using either a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Run the knife or scissors down and around the bone and then using your hands pull the bone from the flesh. Click this video link for an easy demonstration.
Make the Lemon Pepper Marinade
Place the salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and mix well. Place the chicken thighs to a large ziplock bag and add the marinade. Get rid of as much air as possible from the bag and seal. Refrigerate for about 1-4 hours.
Prepare the Chicken
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Remove the thighs from the refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature. Dredge the chicken in corn starch. Spray each side of the thighs with the cooking spray. Place in the air fryer skin side up and cook for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook another 10 minutes. Check for crispiness. Cook a few minutes more if not crispy enough for your liking.
Make the Sauce
While the chicken thighs cook in the air fryer, mix the sauce ingredients together after placing them all into a medium-sized bowl.
Remove the chicken from the air fryer. Toss the chicken thighs in the sauce and serve immediately.
Cooking Tips and Considerations For Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
The recipe is intentional in skewing heavily towards the lemon and pepper side. If lemony isn’t your thing, then these aren’t for you. But if you want that fresh lemon taste all the way through inside and out you'll be more than happy.
I prefer starch to flour in my wings. Most starches are gluten-free which is a plus when it comes to texture/crunchability. These lemon pepper thighs are light and crunchy.
Taste and adjust the sauce as you need to. If it’s too lemony for you, add a lil more honey.
Frying chicken in an air fryer can leave your finished chicken with a dusty white look. The chicken will look "ashy." Spraying the chicken prior to frying eliminates this and helps the fried chicken to that golden color.
Serve these lemon pepper chicken thighs with sides like mashed potatoes, smashed cucumbers, smothered green beans, Southern collard greens, or stewed okra.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use boneless chicken thighs?
Yes, but you lose the crunchy skin factor which adds a unique and fun element to these lemon pepper thighs.
Can you make these chicken wings the traditional way?
Yes and it's easy. Just follow my lemon pepper wings recipe.
How Do You Make Air Fryer Chicken Crispy
Corn starch makes a big difference. It has no gluten which makes for a lighter and much more crunchy texture compared to flour. So basically you get more crunch with less effort. Using bone-in chicken with skin on is the other factor. The combination of skin-on plus corn starch makes a big difference.
How long should I fry the chicken in the air fryer?
Total time should be about 20 minutes. I prefer to cook these 10 minutes per side. Depending on level of crispiness you may cook the chicken thighs a bit longer as in another 5 minutes or so but not much more than that.
Does this recipe work for other flavors?
The technique works for any air fryer chicken recipe so yes there are other flavor options. Though I'm partial to lemon pepper seasoning any sauce or marinade will work just fine, but obviously, fit a different flavor profile.
What is in Lemon Pepper seasoning?
Clearly lemon and black pepper are your main ingredients. I like to use both the juice and zest for a brighter but very lemony flavor. I also prefer coarse black pepper for both taste, flavor, and presentation. Those black pepper flakes look great. I add honey to balance against the tart factor. These wings are still tart, but the honey removes the edge. I like to add fresh herbs for added flavor components.
Other Fried Chicken Recipes
Instant Pot Jerk Chicken Thighs
Garam Masala Spiced Fried Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 medium lemon Juiced
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Sauce
- 1 medium lemon juiced
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher Salt
- ½ tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves
For the chicken
- 4 Bone-in skin on Chicken Thighs
- ½ cup Corn Starch
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Debone the chicken thighs using either a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Run the knife or scissors down and around the bone and then using your hands pull the bone from the flesh.
Make the Lemon Pepper Marinade
- Place the salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and mix well. Place the chicken thighs to a large ziplock bag and add the marinade. Get rid of as much air as possible from the bag and seal. Refrigerate for about 1-4 hours.
Prepare the Chicken
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Remove the thighs from the refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature. Dredge the chicken in corn starch.
- Spray each side of the thighs with the cooking spray. Place in the air fryer skin side up and cook for 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and cook another 10 minutes. Check for crispiness. Cook a few minutes more if not crispy enough for your liking.
Make the Sauce
- While the chicken thighs cook in the air fryer, mix the sauce ingredients together after placing them all into a medium-sized bowl.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer. Toss the chicken thighs in the sauce and serve immediately.
Video
