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    Home » Air Fryer » Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

    Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

    Last updated on October 10, 2021. Originally posted on September 6, 2021 By Elaine 20 Comments

    123 shares
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    Air Fryer Chicken Thighs for Pinterest 6

    Do you love crispy skin on your chicken? This air fryer chicken thighs recipe fits the bill. The blend of spices and herbs make the skin and meat so delicious you’re going to love eating every last bit of it.

    four cooked chicken thighs in a white deep dish with a metal plate behind it

    I love my air fryer so much that I use it a few times a week. And making this chicken thigh recipe made me love it even more. One of the things I most enjoy about it other than it be 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. Making this recipe allows for a crispy yet moist chicken without the guilt of deep frying it.

    I’m excited to help you make chicken thighs in the air fryer.

    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and buy something. You can read my disclosure here.

    Helpful tips

    • 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 inside and add the food once the air fryer comes to temperature.

    How to make air fryer chicken

    Pre-step

    Get out your air fryer and a mixing bowl.

    Step one

    Get the ingredients – chicken thighs and herbs, spices and salt.

    A white plate with raw chicken thighs with spices in the background

    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, tarragon, parsley, chipotle powder and salt. (B)

    Left - glass bowl with raw chicken thighs. Right - herbs and spices in a white dish with the bottles in the back

    Step four

    Add the spices and herbs to a small mixing bowl. (C)

    Step five

    Use either a fork or small whisk to mix the herbs and spices together. (D)

    Left - glass bowl with the herbs and spices added. Right - herbs and spices mixed together

    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 is coating all of the chicken thighs.

    Step eight

    Plugin the air fryer, remove the trays if you have the type that I have and preheat at 380 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 23 minutes.

    Step nine

    Add the thighs to the air fryer trays or wait for the air fryer to preheat if you have the basket type. (F)

    Left - herbs and spices added to the chicken thighs. Right - trays with the coated chicken on them

    Step ten

    When your air fryer beeps that it is done preheating, add the trays to the oven or add the chicken to the basket, making sure they don’t touch.

    Step eleven

    Halfway through the cook 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 thermometer to check if the chicken is done. It should read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

    four cooked chicken thighs in a white deep dish

    Time to plate a piece.

    A cooked chicken thigh with crispy skin on a metal plate with more thighs in the background

    Time to cut into the crispy skin chicken thigh.

    A fork with a piece of chicken taken from the thigh behind it

    Moist and delicious.

    Chomp.

    A juicy chicken thigh with a slice taken out of it

    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

    • Air fryer chicken drumsticks
    • Wings
    • Chicken bake
    • Cordon bleu

    And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

    If you’ve tried thisrecipe, 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!

    four cooked chicken thighs in a white deep dish - square

    Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

    Do you love crispy skin on your chicken? This air fryer chicken thighs recipe fits the bill. The blend of spices and herbs make the skin and meat so delicious you're going to love eating every last bit of it.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: air fryer chicken thighs, air fryer recipes, chicken thighs
    Prep Time: 7 minutes
    Cook Time: 23 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4 thighs
    Calories: 140kcal
    Author: Elaine Benoit

    Ingredients

    • 4 chicken thighs (bone in and skin on – dry the chicken with paper towels – do not wash)
    • 1 teaspoon tarragon (ground)
    • ½ teaspoon parsley (ground)
    • ½ teaspoon cumin (ground)
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

    Instructions

    • Place chicken in the mixing bowl.
    • In a small mixing bowl, add the herbs and spices and mix with a whisk.
    • 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

    Equipment

    air fryer vortex pro
    glass bowl
    whisk
    rubber spatula
    See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!

    Notes

    Helpful tips
    • 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

    Serving: 1thigh | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
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    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission, at no additional cost to you,  if you click the link and buy. You can read my disclosure here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gloria

      September 06, 2021 at 10:48 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 09, 2021 at 8:02 am

        Thank you Gloria! I love quick and easy on a weeknight. And that there is less oil than frying.

        Reply
    2. Natalia

      September 06, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 09, 2021 at 8:04 am

        Thank you Natalia! I hope you do try it and enjoy it. Let me know how it goes.

        Reply
    3. Marta

      September 06, 2021 at 10:12 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 09, 2021 at 8:03 am

        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.

        Reply
    4. Linda

      September 10, 2021 at 1:00 am

      Easy and flavorful are the words to describe these chicken thighs. Plus, a recipe we all need to make often!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 14, 2021 at 9:48 am

        I’m so glad to hear that Linda. Thanks for letting me know. 😊

        Reply
    5. Liz

      September 10, 2021 at 10:15 am

      I am loving all of these air fryer recipes!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 16, 2021 at 4:41 pm

        Thanks Liz. I do too. I use it multiple times a week.

        Reply
    6. silvia

      September 11, 2021 at 9:50 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 14, 2021 at 9:41 am

        Thanks so much Silvia. I’m so glad to hear that. 😊

        Reply
    7. Farrukh Aziz

      September 12, 2021 at 5:40 am

      We love crispy skin on our chicken, so this is perfect for us! The preparation doesn’t take too long, thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 16, 2021 at 4:41 pm

        Us too Farrukh. Thanks so much for commenting and rating!

        Reply
    8. Maren

      September 12, 2021 at 8:19 am

      Made this for a bbq recently and it was a hit! My friends and family loved it!

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 16, 2021 at 4:42 pm

        I’m so happy to hear that Maren!! Thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    9. Kate

      September 12, 2021 at 4:40 pm

      This recipe was wonderful! Our chicken thighs turned were juicy with crispy skin, just the way we like it. Thank you very much.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 16, 2021 at 4:42 pm

        Yay! I’m so glad to hear that Kate!! 🙂 And you’re welcome. Thanks for commenting.

        Reply
    10. Natalie

      September 13, 2021 at 5:10 am

      Tarragon on chicken thighs sounds amazing. Yum! I’m excited to give this recipe a try. Chicken is always a winner in my house.

      Reply
      • Elaine

        September 16, 2021 at 4:43 pm

        Here too. Thanks Natalie. I hope you enjoy it when you try it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Elaine! I'm so glad you stopped by. Here you will find lots of tasty cocktails, comforting food and inspiration for your next meal. I LOVE chocolate, almost all foods, blogging, photography and spending time with my hubby!

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