Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
This air fryer chicken thighs recipe is pure, tasty comfort food! This recipe serves up juicy and flavorful chicken every single time, with minimal cleanup. Plus it takes less than 30 minutes to cook, so you can treat yourself and your family with this delicious dish without spending all night in the kitchen.
I love my air fryer so much that I use it several times weekly. And making this chicken thigh recipe makes me love it even more. One of the things I most enjoy about it other than it being super easy to use, is how crispy the skin gets on poultry.
I’m not a fan of deep-fried meals, though I have been known to devour a good seafood platter. This recipe allows for a crispy yet moist chicken without the guilt of deep frying it.
And did you know that this recipe doesn’t use any olive oil? It doesn’t, which means crispy chicken thighs without any oil.
I’m excited to help you make chicken thighs in the air fryer.
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helpful
Tips
- Please don’t wash your poultry before cooking because it increases the risk of spreading bacteria around the sink, on the counters, and even on your hands. What I do is after I unpackage it, I take paper towels and pat and blot the chicken dry.
- Tarragon goes so well with chicken; if you’ve read my blog for a while, you will see I use it a lot. You can substitute basil or parsley if you don’t have the herb.
- When adding the chicken to the air fryer, make sure they aren’t touching each other so they crisp up better.
- I don’t recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs are better.
- This recipe works with both an oven type of air fryer or the basket type. The timing and temperature are the same. The only difference is with the type that has trays, you’ll remove them before pre-heating, add the food to the trays and place them in the oven when the air fryer comes to temperature.
- You will preheat the basket-type with the air fryer basket inside and add the food once the air fryer reaches temperature.
- You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also store the thighs in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to make air fryer chicken
Pre-step
Get out your air fryer and a mixing bowl.
Step one
Get the ingredients – bone-in chicken thighs and herbs, spices, salt, and pepper.
Step two
Add the thighs to a mixing bowl and get a rubber spatula. (A)
Step three
Measure out the herbs and spices – smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, tarragon, parsley, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper. (B)
Step four
Add the spices and herbs to a small bowl. (C)
Step five
Use either a fork or a small whisk to mix the herbs and spices. (D)
Step six
Sprinkle the herb mixture over the chicken. (E)
Step seven
Take the spatula and thoroughly mix the chicken so all the spice mixture coats the chicken thighs.
Step eight
Plugin the air fryer, remove the trays if you have the type I have, preheat at 380 degrees Fahrenheit, and set the timer for 23 minutes.
Step nine
Add the thighs skin-side up to the air fryer trays or wait for the air fryer to preheat if you have the basket type. (F)
Step ten
When your air fryer beeps that it is done preheating, add the trays to the oven or chicken to the basket, ensuring they don’t touch.
Step eleven
Halfway through the air fry cooking time, I transfer the top tray to the bottom and the bottom tray to the top.
And if you have the basket-type air fryer, you’ll have to flip the chicken halfway through cook time.
Use a meat thermometer to check if the chicken is done. It should read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Time to plate a piece.
Time to cut into the crispy skin chicken thigh.
The flavor is outstanding, and the meat is moist and delicious.
Chomp.
So good.
I hope you enjoyed this air fryer chicken thighs recipe as much as we love to eat them. Check out my air fryer French toast recipe! It’s so good.
Other chicken recipes
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place chicken in the mixing bowl.4 chicken thighs
- In a small mixing bowl, add the herbs and spices and mix with a whisk.1 teaspoon tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- Sprinkle the herbs and spices over the chicken and use a spatula to thorougly mix together until the chicken is covered.
- If you have an air fryer with trays, remove them before preheating the oven at 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the time for 23 minutes. If you have the basket type, preheat as usual.
- Add the chicken to the trays, making sure they don't touch each other. If you have the basket type, wait until the air fryer have finished pre-heating before adding the meat.
- Once the air fryer beeps that it has come to temperature, add the trays of chicken to the oven or the chicken to the basket.
- Halfway through the cooking time, I move the bottom tray to the top and the top to the bottom. In a basket type of air fryer, you will flip the thighs.
- When the air fryer beeps that it is finished cooking, check the internal temperature of the thighs. I use a digital thermometer – and it should read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve
- Eat
- Smile
- Enjoy
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- Don’t wash your poultry before cooking because it creates a higher risk of spreading bacteria around the sink, on the counters, and even on your hands. What I do is after I un-package it, I take paper towels and blot the chicken dry.
- Tarragon goes so well with chicken and if you’ve been reading my blog for a time, you will see I use it a lot. If you don’t have the herb, you can substitute basil or parsley.
- When adding the chicken to the air fryer, make sure they aren’t touching each other so they crisp up better.
- This recipe works with both an oven type of air fryer or the basket type. The timing and temperature are the same. The only difference is with the type that has trays, you’ll remove them before pre-heating, add the food to the trays and place them in the oven when the air fryer comes to temperature.
- With the basket type air fryer, you will preheat it with the basket in and add the food once it comes to temperature.
Nutrition
From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.
Chicken thighs are the best part. Cooking them in the air fryer is much better than oil for sure. This is a great weeknight winner.
Thank you Gloria! I love quick and easy on a weeknight. And that there is less oil than frying.
I love chicken recipes a lot and this sounds like one I would really like trying. I will be trying it in the next few days. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Natalia! I hope you do try it and enjoy it. Let me know how it goes.
Thighs are the best part of the chicken and using your air fryer recipe was a great idea. Crispy skin and juicy meat. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Marta. I think thighs are the best part of the chicken. I hope you make it and see how easy and delicious this recipe is.
Easy and flavorful are the words to describe these chicken thighs. Plus, a recipe we all need to make often!
I’m so glad to hear that Linda. Thanks for letting me know. 😊
I am loving all of these air fryer recipes!
Thanks Liz. I do too. I use it multiple times a week.
Easy, fast, delicious, what is not to love? Great combination of herbs. The thighs were moist and so flavourful we will be making this recipe over and over again.
Thanks so much Silvia. I’m so glad to hear that. 😊
We love crispy skin on our chicken, so this is perfect for us! The preparation doesn’t take too long, thanks for the recipe!
Us too Farrukh. Thanks so much for commenting and rating!
Made this for a bbq recently and it was a hit! My friends and family loved it!
I’m so happy to hear that Maren!! Thanks for letting me know.
This recipe was wonderful! Our chicken thighs turned were juicy with crispy skin, just the way we like it. Thank you very much.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that Kate!! 🙂 And you’re welcome. Thanks for commenting.
Tarragon on chicken thighs sounds amazing. Yum! I’m excited to give this recipe a try. Chicken is always a winner in my house.
Here too. Thanks Natalie. I hope you enjoy it when you try it!