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lemon pepper fried chicken on white plate

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

Crispy, kicked up lemon pepper chicken thighs cooked in an air fryer for a quick weeknight main dish.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 336kcal
Author: Marwin Brown

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

Notes

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, smothered green beans, Southern collard greens, or stewed okra.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1253mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
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