This post is all about how to make air fried Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers; juicy chicken pieces that are basted in the most deletable garlic parmesan butter sauce.
Looking to steal the spotlight at your next gathering? These garlic parmesan chicken skewers are the perfect party appetizer or equally amazing for an easy weekday dinner and they’re bound to be one of the best chicken dishes you’ve ever had!
Basted throughout the cooking process, these garlic parmesan chicken skewers are so tender they just fall right off the skewers.
After my Hot Lemon Pepper Chicken Skewers went crazy on social media, I had to give ya’ll with another incredible flavor using the same easy and fail-proof method.
You can easily make these in the air fryer (method used for the photos) or you can bake or grill them. I paired my skewers over warm rice and added some of the leftover garlic-parm butter into the rice for the most incredible meal.
This recipe post is all about how to make air fried Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers.
Key Ingredients in Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
- Chicken Tenders – you can use breast or thighs but I prefer how moist tenders are.
- Butter – one stick of butter is used.
- Garlic – lots of garlic is used, about 8-10 cloves
- Parmesan – grated parm is the best for this recipe as it easily incorporates in the butter sauce.
- Hot sauce – just a tablespoon to give this chicken a little kick without adding too much heat.
- Seasonings – paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
- Fresh Parsley – the fresh parsley adds the perfect herbiness to balance the savory butter sauce.
- Don’t forget the wooden skewers!
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
Step 1: Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
Combine spice mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Prep your chicken by cutting in 3″ pieces. Place them in a bowl and toss in olive oil and the spices, coating well on all sides.
Step 2: Pack the chicken onto each skewer, making sure they are tightly packed with no space in between to ensure maximum juiciness. If needed, snip the top few inches of the skewers to fit in the air fryer after the chicken is skewered
Step 3: Make the garlic parmesan sauce by combining all ingredients into a saucepan over low heat. Scoop out 1/3 of the sauce and use that for basting the chicken as it cooks. Reserve the remaining sauce for basting the cooked chicken so you don’t cross contaminate.
Step 3: Cook 2-3 skewers at a time in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove and flip the skewers and baste with sauce, returning to cook an additional 2 minutes at 400 degrees.
Baste with more sauce and cook another 5-6 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees. A total cook time of 12-14 minutes. Once they are finished cooking, hit them with a final pass of the garlic sauce (the reserved sauce) and sprinkle with some parmesan and serve.
Tools I Use:
Air-Fryer Sized Skewers

Metal Air Fryer Sized Skewers


Stainless Steel BPA-Free Air Fryer



Looking for More Delish Recipes?
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

Fried Chicken Elote Tacos

Hot Lemon Pepper Chicken Skewers

Cajun Firecracker Salmon Bites

I hope you enjoy this easy Air Fryer recipe for Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers. Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback! If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken tenders, thighs or breast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Garlic Parmesan Butter Sauce
- 1 stick butter
- 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
- 1 tbsp hot sauce more if desired
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
Chicken Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Prep and Skewer Chicken
- Before you start, make sure to soak your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
- Start by combining your chicken seasoning mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Prep your chicken by cutting in 3" pieces. Place them in a large bowl or ziptop bag and toss in olive oil and the spices, coating well on all sides.
- Pack the chicken onto each skewer, making sure they are tightly packed with no space in between to ensure maximum juiciness. If needed, snip the top few inches of the skewers to fit in the air fryer after the chicken is skewered.
Make the Garlic Parmesan Butter Sauce
- Add the butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until partially melted. Add in red pepper flakes, hot sauce, parsley, and parmesan. Whisk together until combined. (If sauce separates, add 1-2 tablespoons of softened butter and stir to re-emulsify.)
- Scoop out 1/3 of the sauce and use that for basting the par-cooked chicken. Reserve the remaining sauce for basting the cooked chicken so you don't cross contaminate. Be sure to wash your basting brush in between.
Cook The Chicken
- Cook 2-3 skewers at a time. Place in an air fryer and cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove and flip the skewers, baste with sauce, return to cook an additional 2 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Flip them back, baste with more sauce and cook another 5-6 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Total cook time of 12-14 minutes. This time will vary based on your air fryer.
- Once they are finished cooking, hit them with a final pass of the garlic sauce (the clean reserved sauce) and sprinkle with some extra parmesan and serve.
42 Comments
Nicole
July 10, 2023 at 6:28 pm I’m so trying these tonight! They look amazing and low carb! Thanksbadbatch
July 10, 2023 at 7:40 pm Amazing!! Report back :)MomAndHomeChef
November 3, 2023 at 1:45 am My husband, who is on a don’t-like-chicken kick LOVED this chicken. Great recipe. I can definitively see adapting the flavors and protein for other recipes.Chloe
July 13, 2023 at 9:13 pm Also trying these tonight! They look delish!badbatch
July 14, 2023 at 3:56 pm Hope you enjoyed them!! Thank you for trying :)Rosie
August 25, 2023 at 11:32 am I am making this tonight, 1 stick of butter is 4 ounces. Please clarify is it 1 stick or 8 ounces (2 sticks)?badbatch
August 25, 2023 at 11:43 am Hi there! This was a typo and I will fix immediately. It needs to read, 8 tablespoons (1 stick). Fixing now. Thank you so much for finding this error. Hope you enjoy!!Rosie
August 25, 2023 at 5:56 pm Thank you for your quick response. Cannot wait to eat these tonight!Lauren
July 12, 2023 at 10:54 am Amazing! My family decided this will be added to the rotation!badbatch
July 14, 2023 at 3:56 pm That's so great to hear! You must be an awesome cook to bring these to life so well. Thank you for trying them :)Lindsey
November 12, 2023 at 12:03 am What sides can you recommend with this meal? I’ve added it to the dinner list this week!badbatch
November 21, 2023 at 10:48 pm Hi Lindsey - one of my favorites is warm rice and then add a few spoonfuls of the garlic parmesan butter to it - next level!! We also serve that with roasted veggies like green beans and cauliflower, sweet potatoes, etc. One of my IG followers added them to chicken alfredo pasta and others serve theirs over mashed potatoes with veggies. If you want a lighter version, they are so flavorful over salad!Jennifer
August 1, 2023 at 5:24 am Made these tonight and they were delicious. So flavorful and juicy. Will definitely make these again soon.badbatch
August 14, 2023 at 5:47 pm Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for trusting me!Kelly
August 4, 2023 at 12:56 pm Made this last night and I cant stop thinking about how fantastic they were, amazing flavor combo, easy technique, quick to get on the table. YUM!!badbatch
August 14, 2023 at 5:48 pm That's wonderful! Not all recipes linger with us in memory, so this is such a nice compliment.Dawn Beesley
November 11, 2023 at 8:09 pm Hands down the best ever. The whole family wants it every week now.badbatch
November 21, 2023 at 10:49 pm Hi Dawn - I love that you are as passion for this meal as we are! These could be my death row meal haha how have I lived so long without them? :)Chelsea F
August 8, 2023 at 5:17 pm These were so good! I never comment or review anything and I just had to let you know how much we enjoyed these!badbatch
August 14, 2023 at 5:42 pm Thank you so much Chelsea - that means SO MUCH to me!!!Kathie
August 11, 2023 at 12:48 am Very good chicken. I made them on the grill. Very juicy and packed with flavor. The garlic butter sauce was amazing!badbatch
August 14, 2023 at 5:42 pm Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed themJulie
August 12, 2023 at 1:29 am How do you think these would freeze?badbatch
August 14, 2023 at 5:46 pm I just frozen another chicken skewer recipe I made. I used a food saver bag with the extra air removed (I'm sure a freezer ziplock would work just as well). To reheat, I put them in the air fryer for ~7 minutes at 370 and spread them with a little butter before reheating. They turned out perfect.Margie C
August 17, 2023 at 6:00 pm My Goodness. Speechless! This is a flavor explosion to be reckoned with. My third time making these. Thank you so much for this amazing and easy recipe!badbatch
August 20, 2023 at 8:04 pm I’m so thrilled to hear that Margie! I still think this is one of the best things I’ve made in a long time!! Thank you for trusting me with the recipe ❤️Erin
August 20, 2023 at 4:02 pm How much could I make ahead? I’m thinking the chicken and seasoning prep ahead of time. I want to make it for dinner tomorrow nightbadbatch
August 20, 2023 at 8:03 pm Hi Erin, I would cut the chicken into pieces and season it and place in a zip-top bag or bowl sealed with cling wrap in the fridge overnight. It’ll be even more flavorful! You can also make the garlic parm compound butter and refrigerate that as well and let skewers soak overnight. So tomorrow, just throw the chicken on the skewers and microwave your butter until it’s softened but not fully melted. It’ll be so easy!Chris
August 31, 2023 at 10:34 pm Hi! I am very excited to try these... Quick question... for the grated parmesan, should I grate a block of parmesan or use the kind of grated parmesan that comes in the plastic bottles found in grocery stores?badbatch
September 1, 2023 at 3:16 am Hey! Great question and funny enough, neither of those. I don't like the plastic bottles cause it's a little too fake/cheap tasting. I think it works on pizza better than in this recipe. Instead I use the prepared grated parmesan that you find in the cheese aisle. It usually comes in a tub. Shredded parm can also work if you don't find that, it just doesn't incorporate into the sauce as well as grated. Hope that helps :)Shelley
September 1, 2023 at 11:17 pm Chicken is not my favorite so I was surprised just how much I loved them. these were amazing. We put them on our grill, great flavors!Rachel Beeler
September 2, 2023 at 2:38 pm May I ask which kind of chicken you used in your video?badbatch
September 21, 2023 at 1:40 am I used Bell & Evans air chilled chicken tenders.Tonya metcalf
September 20, 2023 at 12:34 am These were so delicious. Made for supper tonight everyone loved them. Thank you for the awesome recipe.Lisa Bohannon
September 20, 2023 at 1:44 pm Hi! I am excited to try this recipe. Question....Could this be done in the oven or on the grill?badbatch
September 21, 2023 at 1:35 am Hi Lisa - yes! They are amazing on the grill, several people have sent me their photos on Instagram and they've all loved it too. I actually list the instructions in the notes section of my recipe card :) I hope you enjoy!Linda
November 15, 2023 at 12:38 am Cooked these in the oven and OMG delicious and juicy! Company worthy for surebadbatch
November 21, 2023 at 10:31 pm Amazing to hear that feedback, Linda! Thank you so much for sharing, and I agree, company worthy for sure. And if we all have garlic breath, will we even notice? Haha!Elizabeth
November 16, 2023 at 12:25 am I have made these several times and they are SO GOOD!badbatch
November 21, 2023 at 10:30 pm So happy to hear that, Elizabeth! These are one of our favorites for sure.Kailea
November 20, 2023 at 8:00 pm Hi! Any suggestion on what type of hot sauce? Would buffalo sauce be okay?badbatch
November 21, 2023 at 10:28 pm I recommend Texas Pete, Crystal, Louisiana, etc. If buffalo is all you have on hand, this will work great too.