Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers With Juicy Butter-Basted Chicken
By Liam Carter
Prep
20 min
Cook
15 min
Total
35 min
Servings
6
Level
Easy
Basting tightly packed chicken during air frying coats each piece in butter as it cooks, helping the skewers stay juicy while garlic, Parmesan, and parsley adhere. These garlic Parmesan chicken skewers finish tender, savory, and lightly spicy from red pepper flakes and hot sauce.
Chicken tenders are cut into 3-inch pieces, coated with olive oil and a paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper blend, then threaded snugly onto soaked wooden skewers. The sauce combines butter, minced garlic, grated Parmesan, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Partially melting the butter first helps the sauce whisk together before it is divided for separate basting duties.
The skewers cook in short air-fryer intervals, with flipping and basting between rounds so the butter sauce reaches more than one side. Look for browned edges and opaque chicken before relying on the recipe's stated internal-temperature check. The main mistake is using the same sauce on raw or partially cooked chicken and then on finished skewers; reserve a clean portion from the start.
Serve the skewers as a party appetizer or over warm rice and vegetables, using leftover clean garlic-Parmesan butter on the rice. Extra Parmesan is sprinkled on after cooking for a final savory finish.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Tightly packing the chicken pieces without gaps creates compact skewers, helping them retain the tender texture the recipe aims for as they air fry.
- Short cooking intervals make flipping and basting manageable, so garlic-Parmesan butter builds in layers rather than sitting only on the finished surface.
- Dividing the sauce before cooking keeps a clean portion available for the final coating, giving the cooked skewers a fresh buttery finish.
- Partially melting the butter before whisking helps the Parmesan, garlic, parsley, and seasonings distribute through the sauce instead of clumping in separate spots.
- Cooking only two or three skewers at once leaves room in the air fryer, allowing heat to circulate around the chicken more evenly.
- Fresh parsley is stirred into the butter sauce, adding an herbal note that balances the savory Parmesan, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Ingredients
- •wooden skewers (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes)
- •2 lb chicken tenders, thighs, or breast
- •2 tbsp olive oil
- •1 stick butter
- •8 cloves garlic (8-10 cloves, minced)
- •0.5 cup Parmesan (grated, plus extra for serving)
- •1 tbsp hot sauce (more if desired)
- •2 tsp red pepper flakes
- •0.33 cup fresh parsley (minced)
- •2 tsp paprika
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp onion powder
- •0.5 tsp salt
- •0.5 tsp pepper
Instructions
- 1
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
- 2
Combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
- 3
Cut the chicken into 3-inch pieces.
- 4
Place the chicken in a large bowl or zip-top bag and toss with olive oil and the seasoning mixture until coated on all sides.
- 5
Pack the chicken tightly onto the skewers with no space between pieces. Snip the tops of the skewers if needed to fit the air fryer.
- 6
Add the butter and garlic to a microwave-safe bowl and heat until the butter is partially melted.
- 7
Add the red pepper flakes, hot sauce, parsley, and Parmesan; whisk until combined. If the sauce separates, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons softened butter.
- 8
Scoop out one-third of the sauce for basting the partially cooked chicken, reserving the remaining clean sauce for the cooked skewers. Wash the basting brush between uses.
- 9
Cook 2 to 3 skewers at a time in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
- 10
Remove the skewers, flip, baste with sauce, and return to the air fryer for 2 minutes at 400 degrees.
- 11
Flip the skewers back, baste again, and cook for 5 to 6 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Total air-fryer time is 12 to 14 minutes.
- 12
Baste the finished skewers with the reserved clean garlic Parmesan sauce, sprinkle with extra Parmesan, and serve.
- 13
Optional oven method: Bake on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet at 450 degrees for 14 minutes, flipping halfway and basting a few times. Broil for 2 minutes until the tops are golden brown, then baste with the reserved sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.
- 14
Optional grill method: Grill over direct medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, basting with butter throughout cooking. Remove, baste once more with the reserved sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan.
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