Crispy, flavorful garlic parmesan chicken skewers made in the air fryer, oven or grill! Tender, juicy chicken thighs cooked and smothered in rich, buttery garlic parmesan sauce.
Switch it up and make my Bang Bang Chicken Skewers instead!
GARLIC PARMESAN CHICKEN SKEWERS
These garlic parmesan chicken skewers will quickly become your go-to favorite weeknight dinner. Tender, juicy seasoned chicken cooked then smothered in a rich, buttery garlic parmesan sauce. This recipe is so easy to make and incredibly versatile with the different cooking methods, you can grill, air fry or bake these skewers, perfect no matter the occasion or season.
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Chicken– I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, but you can also use chicken breast, whichever you prefer.
- Oil– Tossing the chicken in the oil helps you get soft and tender chicken kabobs. You can use either olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil or even avocado oil.
- Seasonings– To season the chicken, this recipe calls for salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika! You can also just use any of your other favorite chicken seasonings.
- Butter– The base for the sauce is butter, you can use either salted or unsalted butter. This gives you that rich flavor.
- Garlic– For the best results, you want to use freshly minced garlic. Jarred minced garlic or garlic powder will also work, it will just have a milder flavor.
- Parmesan– I highly recommend using fresh grated parmesan cheese for the sauce, but you can also use the store bought pre grated parmesan cheese.
- Herbs– You can use either freshly chopped cilantro or parsley for this garlic parmesan sauce. If you are not a fan of herbs, you can leave them out.
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC PARMESAN CHICKEN SKEWERS
You have these delicious air fryer garlic parm chicken skewers ready in no time!
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, cut the wooden skewers so that they fit in the air fryer. To prevent the skewers from burning, soak them in cold water for 25-30 minutes.
- Cut the chicken into even bite-sized pieces and add to a bowl with oil and seasonings. Mix until well combined.
- Working one skewer at a time, slide the marinated chicken cubes onto the skewers, threading about 6-8 chicken cubes onto each skewer.
- Repeat until all the chicken is on skewers.
- Combine all the ingredients for the garlic parmesan sauce in a bowl.
- Spray the air fryer basket with baking spray and add the skewers into the basket. Do not overcrowd the basket. (Depending on your air fryer size, you might have to do it in batches.)
- Air fry the skewers at 400°F for a couple minutes then brush all the chicken skewers with sauce, flip, and finish cooking until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the skewers from the air fryer and brush with the rest of the garlic parm sauce. Top with additional parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately with desired sides.
OTHER COOKING METHODS-
If you don’t have an air fryer, no worries! You can totally either grill or bake these skewers!
GRILLED SKEWERS-
You are going to love these smokey chicken skewers smothered buttery garlic parmesan sauce!
- Preheat the grill to medium-high and clean the grates.
- Place the chicken skewers on the preheated grill. Cook over medium heat for about 5–6 minutes per side, turning often, until the chicken is fully cooked. As the chicken cooks, brush on the garlic parm sauce to build flavor and allow it to caramelize.
- Once cooked through, remove the skewers from the grill and give them a final brush with the sauce. Top with freshly chopped greens and serve with your favorite sides.
OVEN BAKED METHOD-
If you are using the baking method, you will still want to add the chicken onto skewers!
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Choose a sheet that allows the skewers to rest across the edges so they’re slightly elevated.
- Place the skewers on the sheet and bake for 22–25 minutes, flipping and brushing with sauce halfway through.
- For a crispy finish, brush with more sauce a few minutes before the end and broil for 3–4 minutes—keep an eye on them to prevent burning!
- Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with chopped greens and parmesan, and enjoy with your favorite sides.
SERVING IDEAS-
Pair this with the ultimate sides for the perfect dinner! Here are some side dishes that go great with these juicy bang bang chicken skewers:
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
You can marinate this chicken up to 1-2 days before cooking! Marinating it overnight gives you the best flavors!
Cooked chicken will have an internal temperature of 165°F. I highly recommend investing in a good quality food thermometer if you cook and grill a lot.
The key to avoiding the wooden skewers from burning when grilling is to soak them! Soak them in cold water for about 15-30 minutes before. I like to throw them in the cold water first thing and let them soak as I prepare the chicken.
No! You can totally leave these chicken skewers plain or smother them in another sauce such as bang bang sauce, buffalo sauce or any other of your favorite sauces.
Once the chicken skewers are cooled, transfer them to an airtight container or bag and store them in the fridge. The chicken can be enjoyed for 3-4 days. (You can leave the chicken on the skewers or remove them from the skewer, whatever you prefer.)
You can reheat the chicken in the microwave, air fryer, or oven.
OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES TO TRY-
If you love chicken, try my other delicious chicken recipes:
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
Chicken-
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
Garlic Parmesan Sauce-
- 4 Tbsp unsalted or salted butter melted
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
Air Fryer Skewers-
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, cut the wooden skewers so that they fit in the air fryer. To prevent the skewers from burning, soak them in cold water for 25-30 minutes.
- Cut the chicken thighs into 1½-2-inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Add the oil and seasonings to the chicken and toss until well combined.1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, 2 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- Working one skewer at a time, slide the marinated chicken cubes onto the skewers, threading about 6-8 chicken cubes onto each skewer. (Do not overstuff the chicken on the skewers, and don’t push them so close together, leave some space between each piece. This ensures even cooking.)
- Repeat until all the chicken is on skewers.
- Combine all the ingredients for the garlic parmesan sauce in a bowl.4 Tbsp unsalted or salted butter , melted, 4 garlic cloves minced, 1/4 cup parsley , finely chopped, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese , freshly grated
- Spray the air fryer basket with baking spray and add the skewers into the basket. Do not overcrowd the basket. (Depending on your air fryer size, you might have to do it in batches.)
- Air fry the skewers at 400°F for 7 minutes, then brush all the chicken skewers with sauce, flip, and cook for another 7-8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove the skewers from the air fryer and brush with the rest of the garlic parm sauce. Top with additional parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately with desired sides.
Grilled Skewers-
- Soak the wooden skewers in cold water for 25-30 minutes before grilling. (This helps the skewers from burning and catching fire when grilling.)
- Cube the chicken into 1½-2-inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Add the oil and seasonings to the bowl and mix until the chicken is fully coated.1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, 2 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and clean the grates.
- Working one skewer at a time, slide the marinated chicken cubes onto the skewers, threading about 6-8 chicken cubes onto each skewer. (Do not overstuff the chicken on the skewers, and don’t push them so close together, leave some space between each piece. This ensures even cooking.)
- Repeat until all the chicken is on skewers.
- Combine all the ingredients for the garlic parmesan sauce in a bowl.4 Tbsp unsalted or salted butter , melted, 4 garlic cloves minced, 1/4 cup parsley , finely chopped, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese , freshly grated
- Carefully add the chicken skewers onto the preheated grill. Grill on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- As the skewers cook, rotate the chicken and brush with the garlic parmesan sauce, allowing the sauce to caramelize and soak into the chicken.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the skewers from the grill and brush them one final time with the rest of the sauce.
- Top with freshly chopped greens and shredded parmesan cheese and serve with desired sides.
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