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If you want a reusable, dishwasher-safe skewer set that turns your air fryer into a vertical kebab machine, choose Leefasy 10; if you need a sweet Caribbean dry rub that does the flavor work on air fryer bbq chicken, choose Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ.
• Leefasy 10 — biggest strength: ten stainless steel vertical skewers that stand upright so heat circulates evenly around the food instead of letting it sit flat in the basket.
• Leefasy 10 — biggest trade-off: it's a tool, not a flavor. It does nothing for taste on its own, and at 3.94 inches it's sized for smaller air fryers and ovens.
• Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ — biggest strength: a sweet, Caribbean-leaning dry rub blend (cane sugar, paprika, garlic, chili, black pepper, onion, cayenne, thyme) that's gluten free, low sodium, no MSG and made in small batches in the USA.
• Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ — biggest trade-off: it's a consumable 6-ounce bottle of seasoning, not a reusable piece of gear, so it runs out.
• Who each is for: Leefasy 10 is for someone who wants the hardware to cook air fryer bbq chicken evenly; Pirate Jonny's is for someone who already has the hardware and wants the seasoning.
The Leefasy 10 is a ten-piece set of 3.94-inch stainless steel skewers built to stand upright. That vertical design is the whole point. When chicken pieces sit flat in an air fryer basket, the side touching the basket steams while the exposed side crisps, so you end up flipping constantly. Standing the food up lets hot air move around it, which is the kind of even heat distribution that matters most with bbq chicken thighs and wings, where you want the fat rendering on all sides.
The materials story is straightforward: all stainless steel, no bamboo or wood, so nothing to soak, nothing to splinter, nothing to throw away after one cook. They're dishwasher safe, and the spec sheet notes they hold up fine with a warm-water rinse and a wipe down. Each skewer has a large opening at the top, which means you can hang them for storage rather than hunting for drawer space — and they fold down, so they pack small.
There's a sizing catch worth understanding before you buy. The sheet gives a simple rule: for an oven, the height from the grill to the baking tray minus about 2 cm should roughly equal the skewer size; for an air fryer, the inner tank height minus about 1 cm should roughly equal it. At 3.94 inches, these are petite skewers. That's exactly what you want in a compact air fryer or a small countertop oven, and exactly what you don't want if you're loading a full-size kettle grill with big chunks of meat. Buy the Leefasy 10 if you cook chicken, meat and vegetables in a home air fryer or oven and you're tired of flat, uneven results. Skip it if you need long skewers for a full-size grill or you're looking for something that adds flavor.
Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ is a sweet dry rub built around granulated cane sugar juice, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, thyme and other spices. The ingredient list reads like a balanced sweet-heat profile: sugar and paprika up front, garlic and onion underneath, a little cayenne and chili for warmth. The brand sources spices from around the Caribbean and blends in small batches in Clearwater, Florida.
The label claims are the practical part. Gluten free, low sodium, no preservatives, no MSG, all natural — that combination is hard to find in a sweet barbecue rub, because sweet rubs usually lean on salt and anti-caking agents. If you're watching sodium or reading labels, this is a meaningful difference. The bottle ships with a secure liner under a shaker cap, which keeps the blend from clumping between cooks.
The brand markets it for chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, salad, vegetables, popcorn and more, and works across grill, griddle, smoker, air fryer and oven. For air fryer bbq chicken specifically, a dry rub is often easier than a wet sauce: it sticks to the surface, doesn't pool in the basket, and doesn't burn as fast at high heat. That makes this a genuinely useful pick for wings, thighs and breasts.
Buy Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ if you want a sweet, slightly spicy Caribbean-style rub you can use on chicken, shrimp, vegetables and even popcorn, and you care about clean-label ingredients. Skip it if you prefer a wet, sticky barbecue sauce, or if you want a savory, no-sugar rub — this one is explicitly sweet.
• Best for even air fryer cooking → Leefasy 10. Vertical skewers let hot air reach all sides of chicken thighs and wings.
• Best for flavor on air fryer bbq chicken → Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ. A dry rub seasons the surface without pooling or burning.
• Best for a one-time purchase → Leefasy 10. Stainless steel, dishwasher safe, reusable, nothing to restock.
• Best for a consumable you'll rebuy → Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ. It's a 6-ounce bottle of seasoning, so it depletes as you cook.
• Best for small air fryers and countertop ovens → Leefasy 10. The 3.94-inch length is sized for compact cavities.
• Best for clean-label eating → Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ. Gluten free, low sodium, no MSG, no preservatives.
• Best for cooking for a crowd → Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ. Seasoning scales with however much chicken you're cooking; ten short skewers don't.
• Best if you want both → buy both. Rub the chicken, then stack it on the skewers before it goes in the basket.
If I were buying for a single purpose — getting better air fryer bbq chicken — I'd start with Pirate Jonny's Sweet Island BBQ. Seasoning fixes the flavor problem on the first cook, it works on wings, thighs, breasts, shrimp and vegetables, and the low-sodium, gluten-free, no-MSG formulation is a real advantage in a sweet rub. The Leefasy 10 is the better long-term purchase because it never runs out, and in my opinion it's the smarter add-on if you already own a rub you like. But if you're choosing one right now and your air fryer chicken tastes flat, the rub is the faster win. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit either way.
FAQ
how to air fry bbq chicken breast
Pat the breasts dry, coat them evenly with the rub, and preheat the air fryer so the surface sears instead of steaming. Cook until the thickest part reaches a safe internal temperature, flipping once. Let them rest a few minutes before slicing so the juices stay in.
how to air fry bbq chicken thighs
Thighs have more fat, so they tolerate higher heat and longer cook times than breasts without drying out. Season all sides with the rub, then arrange them standing up on a vertical skewer like the Leefasy 10 so the fat renders evenly. Flip or rotate once for consistent browning.
Dry the wings thoroughly so the rub adheres and the skin crisps. Toss them with the seasoning, then stand them upright on skewers to keep them from crowding the basket. Cook in a single layer with space between pieces, shaking or turning partway through.
how to air fry bbq chicken
The core method is the same for every cut: dry the surface, season generously with a dry rub, keep pieces separated so air circulates, and flip once. A vertical skewer set helps here because it lifts food off the basket floor. Always cook poultry to a safe internal temperature rather than by time alone.
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