These Air Fryer Cajun Chicken Skewers are juicy, spicy, and savory, and brushed with garlic butter for an extra punch of flavor. An easy appetizer that’s perfect for dinner, parties, and potlucks.
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During Ramadan in Malaysia, there are multiple bazaars with rows of food stalls that you can choose from. Chances are, one of the stalls will have some billowing smoke from the grilling of satay (aka sate), which is skewered seasoned meat served with peanut sauce.
Inspired by that, for Day 4 of my Ramadan Series 2026 I made some chicken skewers (chicken kebabs or kabobs) of my own, but with a cajun garlic butter twist.
What Is Cajun Chicken Skewers?
These chicken skewers are of chicken thighs cut into uniform bite-sized chunks, marinated with aromatic and Cajun seasonings, then skewered before air frying. The final step is to have some garlic butter sauce brushed on for an extra layer of flavor and moisture.
We end up with juicy chicken that’s smoky and spicy with a rich, glossy and buttery finish.
With this easy air fryer recipe, you don’t need to wait for the summer cookout to fire up the grill to enjoy delicious skewers! It’s also meal prep friendly, which makes it perfect for weeknight dinners. And scale it up to make appetizer platters for parties and potlucks!
Ingredients You’ll Need
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
Chicken marinade
- Chicken: Boneless chicken thighs are preferred as they remain tender and juicy even after frying due to its higher fat content.
- Cajun seasoning: Cajun seasoning is a spice blend that contains ingredients such as cayenne pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and paprika. It’s smoky, bold, spicy, and savory.
- Seasonings: Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.
- Sugar
- Lemon
- Oil
- Wooden skewers
Garlic butter
- Butter
- Salt
- Sugar
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Black pepper
How To Make Easy Cajun Chicken Skewers in Air Fryer
1. In a large bowl or ziploc bag, add the chicken and all the other ingredients. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Dip the wooden skewers in water until ready to be used.
3. Once the chicken is marinated, thread the chicken onto the skewers. Air fry for 10 minutes at 400 F then flip and another 8-10 minutes at 375 F. Alternatively, you can also pan fry the chicken.
4. While cooking, make the garlic butter by adding butter to a pan over medium low heat. Once the butter starts melting, add the minced garlic and stir. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and adjust to taste.
5. Once the chicken is cooked, brush the garlic butter on to the chicken skewers and serve. Best eaten while hot with a side of extra garlic butter. Enjoy!
How To Serve Cajun Chicken Skewers
- With a side of rice. So simple, but always delicious.
- As a protein add-on for salads.
- With vegetables like lettuce in wraps.
- For a summer spread, perhaps with Cajun Seafood Boil.
Notes & Tips For Garlic Butter Cajun Chicken Skewers
- Air frying alternatives: The chicken skewers can also be baked in the oven, grilled, or pan fried. If baking, bake at 425 F for 15-20 minutes and flip halfway. But I recommend air frying it.
- Make ahead: You can marinate the chicken in the fridge up to one day ahead, which makes it great for meal prepping.
- Storage: Once cooked, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Adjust seasonings: Some cajun seasonings are spicier and saltier than others. Adjust accordingly.
- Juicy chicken: Cut the chicken into uniform bite sized pieces so that it cooks evenly.
- Soak the skewers: We need to soak the skewers in water before using as it prevents from burning while cooking.
- Don’t have skewers? Don’t fret, just air fry them loose like normal chicken bites.
- Vegetable add-ons: Add on some sliced vegetables in between the sliced chicken like in shish kebabs. Options include bell peppers, red onions, zucchini, and mushrooms.
More Chicken Recipes
- Malaysian Chicken Satay (With Peanut Sauce)
- Spicy Honey Garlic Wings (Air Fryer)
- Soy Garlic Wings (Air Fry/Oven bake)
- Creamy Cajun Chicken
- Crispy Thai Chicken Wings
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Air Fryer Cajun Chicken Skewers with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- 3 boneless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp oil
- wooden skewers
Garlic butter
- 1 stick of butter 8 tbsp or 1/2 cup
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp parsley minced
- 4 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl or ziploc bag, add the chicken and all the other ingredients. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Dip the wooden skewers in water until ready to be used.
- Once the chicken is marinated, thread the chicken onto the skewers. Air fry for 10 minutes at 400 F then flip and another 8-10 minutes at 375 F.
- While cooking, make the garlic butter by adding butter to a pan over medium low heat. Once the butter starts melting, add the minced garlic and stir. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and adjust to taste.
- Once the chicken is cooked, brush the garlic butter on to the chicken skewers and serve. Best eaten while hot with a side of extra garlic butter. Enjoy!
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