Best Air Fryer Chicken Thighs – Juicy & Easy
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are rich, flavorful, and surprisingly fail proof! They’re rich in vitamins and healthy fats, and perfect for family dinners, meal prepping, and leftovers alike.
How to make chicken thighs in the air fryer
You’ll want to season your chicken, then add it to a hot air fryer (take care not to let the pieces overlap!). Flip each piece once during cooking. Thankfully, because chicken thighs are dark meat, they’re incredibly juicy and hard to dry out. And because they have more fat than chicken breasts, they’re more tender and flavorful.
How long to air fry chicken thighs
Chicken thighs cook super quickly in the air fryer- 400º for 11-17 minutes. The smaller ones take about 10 minutes, and the larger, thicker pieces took me 17 minutes.
Be sure to cook your chicken thighs until an instant read thermometer reaches 165º at the thickest point of each thigh.
Other ways to season air fryer chicken thighs
Much like Air Fryer Chicken Breasts, these thighs are a base recipe that can transform into a thousand different variations. I’ve seasoned these chicken thighs simply with salt, pepper, garlic pepper seasoning, and paprika, but you can really use any dry seasoning on them!
You can experiment with your own blends, or you can buy them premixed—Trader Joe’s always has interesting new blends, as do most local grocery stores. HomeGoods and boutique grocery stores often have particularly unique or local spice blends to try.
You can even marinate your chicken thighs in your favorite marinade before air frying. Just make sure you leave a little bit of reserved marinade (not the stuff your raw chicken was in!) for basting afterwards.
Best Air Fryer Chicken Thighs – Juicy & Easy
2
servings5
minutes17
minutes463
kcalIngredients
4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 teaspoons seasoning blend lemon pepper, bbq seasoning, or a mix of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
Directions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400º.
- Season the chicken with your favorite blend or salt/pepper mix. You can also air fryer marinated chicken thighs.
- Place the chicken into the basket to allow as much air flow around each piece as possible. I can fit 4-5 pieces in my air fryer. Do not overlap the chicken.
- Cook for 11-17 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking. Smaller pieces will cook in as little ast 10-12 minutes, while larger pieces can take up to 20. Always check the temperature of your chicken in the thickest portion. It should register a minimum of 165º for safely cooked chicken.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer and let rest 2-4 minutes and serve.
Notes
- I do not add extra oil or grease to my chicken thighs, as they already have a lot of fat in the cut of meat itself. I don’t find that I need it for flavor or for appearance. You may spritz or brush your chicken with some extra virgin olive oil before cooking and seasoning, if you desire.
