Thai · 400°F · 12 min
Air Fryer Thai Basil Chicken
Crispy air-fried chicken tossed in a garlic-chile-basil sauce. Pad krapow energy without a wok blaze.
Air Fryer Chicken Satay
Coconut-turmeric marinade, fast peanut sauce and skewers that pick up grill-adjacent char in the basket. Street-stall flavor on a weeknight without lighting charcoal.
Soak the sticks
Wooden skewers need a 20-minute soak or they scorch at the tips.
Thin strips cook evenly
Pound or slice thighs thin so the marinade hits every bite and the cook stays under 15 minutes.
Sauce on the side
Brush a little peanut sauce at the end if you want gloss; keep most for dipping so the chicken does not go soggy.
Air Fryer Chicken Satay
Prep 30 min · Cook 10 min · Total 40 min · 4 servings
Crowding. Lay skewers in one layer. Trim sticks if they hit the heating element.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow each step in order. Photos show what to look for so the basket finish matches the plate.
Marinate
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 20 minutes so the tips do not burn. Mix coconut milk, soy sauce, turmeric, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Toss with the thin chicken strips and marinate 20-60 minutes.
Thread the chicken onto the skewers without packing the pieces too tightly so heat can reach every side.
Marinated chicken threaded on skewers
Cook
Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (193°C). Cook 5 minutes, turn the skewers and cook 4-5 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through and lightly charred in spots (165°F / 74°C for breast, 175°F / 79°C for thigh).
Chicken satay skewers in the air fryer
Sauce
Whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and chili with enough warm water to make a pourable sauce.
Serve the skewers with the peanut sauce for dipping. Brush on a little sauce at the table if you want gloss, but keep most of it on the side so the chicken stays crisp.
