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Who knew boneless, skinless chicken could be so crispy?! Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and ready in under 25 minutes!
If you haven't made chicken in the air fryer yet, what are you waiting for?! I realized the other day that I don't have a ton of chicken recipes on my site. There's my sun-dried tomato chicken skillet and my whole30 chicken salad, but I definitely have way more tofu/salmon/beef recipes, and I felt like that needed to change.
Making air fryer chicken thighs is incredibly simple, and it's an easy way to get chicken to crisp up nicely on the outside, while still being juice on the inside.
Recipe features
- Crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside
- Super flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes
- Can easily use your own favorite spice blend, if you prefer
Ingredient notes:
Chicken thighs - Boneless, skinless. I tested the recipe both ways though, so if you want to use bone-in chicken thighs, see the "notes" section in the recipe card.
Spices - Garlic powder, smoked paprika and oregano.
Nonstick spray - This is a *key* ingredient if you want the chicken to be crispy on the outside. You can use typical nonstick spray, though I tend to prefer either olive oil spray or avocado oil spray.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Dry the chicken. Place chicken onto a plate, then use a paper towel to pat it dry before transferring the chicken to a large bowl.
Step 2: Add the spices. Combine the garlic, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper, then pour the spices over the chicken and use your hands to coat the chicken.
Step 3. Air fry the chicken. Make sure you preheat your air fryer, then add the chicken, spray them with nonstick spray and fry them for 12 minutes on the first side, then 8-10 minutes on the second side.
Expert tips and FAQs
- Use kitchen tongs to easily flip the chicken
- Feel free to cook the chicken for 2 additional minutes if you really want it to be crispy, but be careful not to over-cook it; otherwise, the chicken might be too dry
- If you don't have nonstick/olive oil/avocado oil spray, you can brush the chicken with a little bit of olive oil instead
What should I serve this with?
This air fryer chicken pairs perfectly with my Instant Pot Spanish rice, easy fried brussels sprouts, feta harissa roasted carrots, and/or my skillet roasted potatoes.
Can I use bone-in chicken thighs with skin instead?
Yep! I tested this recipe both ways, so if you're going to use bone-in chicken, I'd air fry the chicken on the first side for 15 minutes, and on the second side for 12. Again, it depends on the size of your chicken thighs, too, but generally bone-in chicken takes a little longer to cook than boneless chicken.
More easy dinner recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs patted dry; see notes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then transfer to a bowl.
- Combine all the seasonings together in a bowl, then pour them into the bowl with the chicken and use your hands to coat the chicken with the spices.
- Preheat your air fryer to 380° (mine took 3 minutes to preheat). Then, place chicken smooth side down into the air fryer, spray with nonstick spray/olive oil spray, and cook at 380° for 12 minutes. NOTE: every air fryer is different, so cook times may vary.
- Once the air fryer beeps, use kitchen tongs to flip the chicken over, and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes on the second side, or until chicken is cooked through.
Billie says
Have used this several times My husband loves this on chicken thighs that it's the best recipe I have used it is very good
Erin says
Thanks Billie! Glad you like the chicken thighs!
Gary says
Excellent and easy. Will do this again
Erin says
Thanks so much Gary! Glad you liked the chicken thighs so much!
Ebony says
Easy. Tender. Delicious. I made these because I wanted something simple with a cut I wasn't thrilled about. You have me excited about chicken thighs now. Paired with roasted veggies, my dinner was a success! Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
Thanks Ebony! Glad you enjoyed the chicken thighs!
Marnell Hartmark says
Could you use boneless skinless chicken breast with same cooking time?
Erin says
I actually have a separate recipe for air fryer chicken breasts -- here it is: https://thealmondeater.com/air-fryer-chicken-breast/
Kay Levesque says
Excellent receipe making for my 2nd time ty
Erin says
Thanks Kay! Glad you enjoyed it so much!
Jessica says
These were so simple to make and so delicious. I add a bit of sweet spicy Tabenero Hot Sauce to the chicken once cooked. It was some of the best chicken I have had in a long time.
Erin says
Thanks Jessica! Glad you loved the chicken thighs so much!
Kimberly says
Spices were on point!
Erin says
Thanks so much Kimberly!
Jackie D says
Easy and delicious. Cool time was spot on. I added a little dried Rosemary and 1tbsp balsamic vinaigrette and omitted spray.
Will definitely make again 😋
Erin says
Thanks Jackie! Great idea!
Renata Strzelczyk says
Amazing !!
My husband loved it
Erin says
That's great! Thanks Renata!
Becky B says
can you make this in an instant pot
Erin says
I don't recommend it, as the texture will be completely different. If you want to make chicken thighs in the instant pot, check out my Instant Pot Chicken Thighs recipe
Gloria says
This recipe turned out so good!
Making again soon.
Erin says
Thanks Gloria!
Amy Klare says
I found this recipe when I googled air fryer chicken thighs and it is so good and simple. I’m making this recipe for the fifth time as I write this! Thank you!
Erin says
Thanks so much Amy! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!