Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Thighs

A surprisingly easy yet mindblowingly delicious recipe is on offer for you all today! These stunning lemony garlic parmesan chicken thighs cooked to perfection in an air fryer or baked in a conventional oven will be on repeat in your weekly meals!

I hope you all are having a great weekend so far and I am here now to make it even greater! How?

Of course by sharing another scrumptious recipe, garlic parmesan chicken thighs, that will make you stick to your healthy eating habits in your fitness/wellness journey!

Look at these attractive chicken thighs baked to perfection with crispy bits of garlic and parmesan sticking to them making them oh-so-tempting!

Who said healthy meals are boring!

Chicken thighs are already my weakness and with such a wonderful lemony-garlic-parmesan marinade it becomes absolutely irresistible!

What are garlic parmesan chicken thighs?

Let’s see if I can decode these garlic parmesan chicken thighs! This is not just another ordinary chicken thigh recipe and you will know why!

The secret of these garlic parmesan chicken thighs is in the marinade.

I know you need quite a few items to create this magical marinade, but trust me on this, you will be simply amazed when you taste the final result!

Loads of freshly grated or minced garlic & a generous amount of grated parmesan mixed with a good quality extra virgin olive oil & freshly squeezed lemon juice makes up the marinade.

This immensely flavorful marinating mixture topped with a couple of spices & herbs transforms the bland chicken into a feat of taste that seems almost incredible!

And that’s your garlic parmesan chicken thighs which you will keep coming back to every week!

Ingredients for garlic parmesan chicken thighs

Chicken thighs: This dish has to be made with chicken thighs! Non-negotiable!

That supremely flavorful lemony garlic parmesan marinade clings to the nooks & crannies of chicken thighs so beautifully that there is simply no way for these chicken thighs than to convert themselves to a strikingly delicious dish!

You can use boneless or bone-in chicken thighs for this dish. Skin of the chicken is not necessary to retain as the oil and cheese will keep the meat juicy & tender.

Pro tip: I know how tempting these chicken thighs are! But being a little high on oil and cheese, do not forget to control your portion of this garlic parmesan chicken thighs as otherwise you may end up consuming more fat than necessary!

Parmesan cheese: This recipe of garlic parmesan chicken thighs is a multi-starrer blockbuster which hosts multiple superstars one of which undoubtedly being Parmesan cheese!

This hard Italian cheese is generously used in the marinade and when baked/air fried becomes crispy & clings to the chicken thighs making them beautifully golden & supremely attractive.

Garlic: Another superstar of this recipe of garlic parmesan chicken thighs is my most favorite cooking ingredient of all time – garlic!

You may feel that the amount of garlic used in this recipe is insane; but just trust me on this once and you won’t regret it!

These garlic parmesan chicken thighs need a hefty amount of minced garlic for the flavors to penetrate deep inside the dark meat of the bird.

I bet you will thank me for it once you try it and get hooked to it!

Extra virgin olive oil: We are not done with the list of superstars in my gorgeous recipe today!

The classic extra virgin olive oil is the heart of the marinate which extracts the flavors of all the other ingredients – the aromatics, the spices and the seasoning!

Use a good quality of olive oil for churning out the best garlic parmesan chicken thighs every time!

Onion powder: Since the flavor of garlic has to play the key character in this recipe, we used freshly minced garlic here; however its twin sister is also present as a side character!

Use just a dash of onion powder to complete the flavor profile of the aromatics!

Spices: The spices in my garlic parmesan chicken thighs were very simple!

I have used a dash of red chilli flakes for that much needed kick and my holy grail Italian seasoning for the herby flavor without making it too much overpowering!

Lemon: To round up all flavors from all the strong ingredients – the aromatics, cheese and spices – you will need about one fourth of a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

The tartness of the lemon juice beautifully complements the strong flavors while imparting a natural freshness of its own to the chicken thighs.

Seasoning: While seasoning your chicken with salt & pepper, do keep in mind that the Parmesan cheese is quite salty!

So use salt sparingly, else you will end up over-seasoning your garlic parmesan chicken thighs.

You can use as little or as much freshly crushed black pepper powder as you like!

How to make garlic parmesan chicken thighs?

Step 1: Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs. I have used boneless and skinless chicken thighs as they cook fast, hence fits to my weeknight meals perfectly!

Step 2: Take the chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl and set them aside until you make the garlic parmesan marinade.

Step 3: In a mixing bowl add all the marinating ingredients – extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, onion powder, paprika/red chilli pepper, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes, grated Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper.

Step 4: Give a good whisk to combine everything evenly. If the mixture seems too thick, add more olive oil and lemon juice. Mix again.

Step 5: Reserving about 2 tablespoons of the prepared marinade, add the rest to the chicken thighs.

Step 6: Preferably using your hand, start massaging the chicken thighs with the marinade to coat each piece evenly.

Pro tip: Make sure all sides, nooks & crannies of the chicken thighs are deeply infused with the marinade as that will only ensure your garlic parmesan chicken thighs come out supremely flavorful. Be patient at this step.

Step 7: Once you are happy with the marination, leave the marinated chicken thighs at room temperature for at least 1 hour to let the meat absorb maximum flavor.

Pro tip: You can also marinate the chicken thighs a night prior and chill them in the refrigerator overnight.

Step 8: When you are ready to air fry, preheat the fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 15 minutes.

Step 9: Once preheated, take the fryer basket out, spray the bottom of the basket with olive oil and place the marinated chicken thighs inside the basket in a single layer.

Step 10: Air fry the chicken thighs flipping them once halfway through the cooking time or when your air fryer prompts you to.

Step 11: Check the doneness of the chicken by poking one piece with the edge of a sharp knife; if the inside of the meat is completely white with no traces of pink, your chicken is cooked through.

Step 12: Take out the chicken thighs and serve on a platter. Garnish the dish with fresh herbs like parsley or rosemary.

Step 13: Mix the reserved marinade with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to make a quick dip.

Step 14: Serve the garlic parmesan chicken thighs warm with the dip on the side! Enjoy!

More delicious chicken thigh recipes from Flavor Quotient

Recipe inspired from: Hungry Happens

Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Thighs | How to Make Lemony Garlic Parmesan Chicken Thighs?

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Priyanka

Recipe type: Main

Serves: 6 Servings

Ingredients

Chicken thighs - 1 kg, boneless & skinless
Olive oil - ½ cup
Lemon juice - ¼ cup
Minced / grated garlic - ¾ cup
Onion powder - 1 tsp
Paprika / red chilli powder - ½ tsp
Italian seasoning - 1 & ½ tsp
Chilli flakes - 1 tsp
Parmesan cheese - ½ cup grated
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs. I have used boneless and skinless chicken thighs as they cook fast, hence fits to my weeknight meals perfectly!
Take the chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl and set them aside until you make the garlic parmesan marinade.
In a mixing bowl add all the marinating ingredients - extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, onion powder, paprika/red chilli pepper, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes, grated Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper.
Give a good whisk to combine everything evenly. If the mixture seems too thick, add more olive oil and lemon juice. Mix again.
Reserving about 2 tablespoons of the prepared marinade, add the rest to the chicken thighs.
Preferably using your hand, start massaging the chicken thighs with the marinade to coat each piece evenly.
Once you are happy with the marination, leave the marinated chicken thighs at room temperature for at least 1 hour to let the meat absorb maximum flavor.**
When you are ready to air fry, preheat the fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 15 minutes.
Once preheated, take the fryer basket out, spray the bottom of the basket with olive oil and place the marinated chicken thighs inside the basket in a single layer.
Air fry the chicken thighs flipping them once halfway through the cooking time or when your air fryer prompts you to.
Check the doneness of the chicken by poking one piece with the edge of a sharp knife; if the inside of the meat is completely white with no traces of pink, your chicken is cooked through.
Take out the chicken thighs and serve on a platter. Garnish the dish with fresh herbs like parsley or rosemary.
Mix the reserved marinade with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to make a quick dip.
Serve the garlic parmesan chicken thighs warm with the dip on the side! Enjoy!