Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and brush the skin-side of each piece with olive oil. Place chicken thighs, skin-side down, in a single layer on a plate.
• Combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl and sprinkle half the seasoning mixture evenly over the 4 chicken thighs. Turn thighs over and evenly sprinkle remaining seasoning mixture on top. Place chicken thighs in the air fryer basket in a single layer, skin-side up.
• Fry in the preheated air fryer until chicken is brown and juices run clear, about 18 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Steps:

• Preheat air-fryer to 375°. Brush chicken with oil. Combine remaining ingredients; sprinkle over chicken. Place chicken, skin side up, in a single layer on tray in air-fryer basket. Cook until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175°, 15-17 minutes.

Steps:

• Mix together the granulated garlic, onion powder, thyme, paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry and add to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil and half of the spice mix, then toss to combine.
• Add the flour to the remaining spice mix and stir to combine. Transfer the flour mixture to a large resealable bag. Add the seasoned thighs to the bag, seal well and toss until the chicken is fully coated in the flour.
• Preheat a 3.5-quart air fryer to 400 degrees F. Add the chicken thighs to the air fryer basket, skin-side down and without touching. Cook, flipping skin-side up halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part (avoiding the bone) reads 165 degrees F, about 18 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Toss the chicken thighs in the oil, making sure they are all well-coated.
• Mix the flour with the seasoning, then toss with the chicken thighs - it will be a very light coating, but you can double the flour and seasoning if you prefer a thicker coating.
• Arrange the chicken in one layer on the tray of an air fryer without a paddle, and program to cook for 35 mins. Check the thighs are cooked by pulling the flesh on the underside of one away from the bone - it should come away easily and there should be no pink remaining. Cook for another 5-10 mins if needed. The skin should have bubbled and crisped up, and any excess fat from the chicken will have dripped into the base of the fryer (you can discard this). Don't leave the chicken in the fryer, or the steam will make the skin soft again.

Steps:

• If using skin-on chicken, trim any excess fat from the edges, or remove it completely, and season both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Go light on the salt, as Old Bay is essentially a seasoned salt.
• Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chicken pieces and push the down to submerge them in the liquid. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• Line a platter or large plate with foil or wax paper. Add the flour and Old Bay Seasoning to a large plastic storage bag and shake it to combine the mixture.
• Drop one piece of chicken into the flour mixture and shake the bag to coat the chicken well, shaking off any excess flour. Transfer the coated chicken to the foil-lined dish and repeat the process with remaining chicken. Let the coated chicken rest while you preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F for 5 minutes.
• When air fryer is preheated, use an oil mister to lightly coat the bottom of the air fryer basket with oil. Lightly coat both sides of the chicken with oil and transfer them to the preheated air fryer. It's okay if the chicken is touching but the pieces should not overlap. Set the air fryer to 390 degrees F for 25 minutes, see note.
• Check on the chicken about halfway through the cooking time and spray any dry spots with additional oil.
• The internal temperature of the fried chicken should read at least 165 degrees F at the end of the cooking.
• Note1: I had no buttermilk at home, so used some plain yogurt thinned out with milk. You could also use plain kefir.
• Note2: I found 3 tbl of Old Bay too salty, but use your own best judgement. I think you could also use any number of other seasonings, Italian and Cajun come to mind.
• Note3: I could only fit two thighs into my basket, so I had space around them. They were fully cooked in 20 minutes. I did not bother turning over the second batch and these were nicely crispy on both sides. The time to cook will depend on how many pieces you cook, how crowded they are in the basket, what chicken pieces you use. My photo is of bone-in, skin-on thighs.
• Note4: I called this four servings, as some thighs are large enough to be a serving, but you might want two drumsticks, if that's what you are using. Don't whine about it.

Steps:

• Combine the paprika in a bowl with the herbs and garlic granules, if using, together with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Scatter onto a plate. Rub the chicken thighs with the oil, then coat in the spice mix.
• Put in the basket of your air fryer and cook, skin-side down, for 10 mins at 180C. Turn over and cook for a further 10-15 mins until cooked through and the skin is crispy. To check they are cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a knife to see if the juices run clear. Remove from the air fryer immediately to stop the skin from softening.