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Lemon and Garlic Chicken in Airfryer

📍 Spain
⏱️Prep: 10 min
🔥Cook: 25 min
Total: 35 min
🍽️2 servings
Difficulty: Easy

Chicken thighs marinated in lemon juice and zest, garlic and Mediterranean herbs, then cooked in the air fryer until the skin is golden and crisp and the meat stays juicy inside. The air fryer delivers oven-roasted results in half the time, with no preheating and minimal washing up. Simple, bright and full of flavour.

🛒 Ingredients

2 servings
  • 4 chicken thighs with skin
  • 2 lemons (juice and zest)
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Thyme, rosemary, oregano
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper

👨‍🍳 Step-by-step instructions

  1. Make deep cuts in the thighs so the marinade can penetrate.

  2. Mix all the marinade ingredients.

  3. Marinate for at least 1 hour (better overnight).

  4. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.

  5. Place skin side up. Cook for 20 minutes.

  6. Increase to 210°C for the last 5 minutes for crispy skin.

💡 Chef's tip

The chicken skin will be crisper if you dry it thoroughly before marinating and avoid adding too much oil. Pat completely dry with kitchen paper and leave uncovered in the fridge for 20 minutes before cooking.

📝 Our take

Lemon and garlic chicken in the air fryer achieves in 25 minutes what the oven takes 45. The key is the marinade: the lemon acid slightly breaks down the surface proteins and the result is crispy skin with very juicy meat. If the chicken comes out dry, either it was left too long or the skin was not dried properly beforehand.

🍷 Wine & food pairing

A fresh Mediterranean white: Verdejo, Albariño or Italian Greco di Tufo. The lemon acidity in the dish needs a wine with similar freshness to match rather than clash.

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