Free Dinner Recipes E-book!   Download Now

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Almond Eater logo

  • Browse Recipes
    • Recipes by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • Meet Erin
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Browse Recipes +
    • Recipes by Course +
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet +
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • About Erin
  • Contact

Home » Recipes » Dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

By Erin · September 17, 2020 · Updated September 27, 2021 · 151 Comments

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
  • Share
  • Tweet
Gluten FreeDairy FreeWhole30Paleo
cooked chicken with text overlay

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! 

crispy chicken thighs on a plate

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

raw chicken thighs on a plate

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.

marinated chicken in a bowl

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.

chicken thighs in an air fryer

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.

chicken and salad on a plate

More easy dinner recipes

  • Spicy Lamb Meatballs
  • Quinoa Crusted Salmon
  • Blackened Salmon Fajitas

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

chicken thighs in an air fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Who knew boneless, skinless chicken could be so crispy?! Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside, and ready in under 25 minutes! 
4.99 from 135 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 thighs
Author: Erin

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.

Video

Notes

*Calories are an estimation and are per chicken thigh
*NOTE: every air fryer is different, so cook times may vary
*I tested this recipe with both boneless/skinless chicken, and with bone-in skin on chicken. Personally, I preferred the boneless/skinless version, but if you want to use chicken thighs with skin, just note that you'll probably have to cook the chicken for approx. 5 more minutes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!
« Broccoli Rice Stir Fry
Easy Vegan Cinnamon Rolls »

About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol Asalon says

    March 20, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe turned out as it had claimed - the chicken was very tender on the inside. I added a cajun spices which gave it a wonderful flavor. This recipe was easy and absolutely scrumptious! This will be my go to recipe for chicken thighs!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 22, 2023 at 8:33 am

      Thanks for the positive review, Carol!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

girl in kitchen

Hi, I'm Erin!

I share recipes for ALL diet types because I believe that healthy food should be incredibly delicious without being complicated. Learn more

Seasonal Picks

pasta salad made with mediterranean ingredients

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

bowl with lemon orzo salad beside a small dish of chopped fresh basil

Lemon Orzo Salad

cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out

Vegan Carrot Cake

berries and ice cream in a bowl

Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp

Popular Recipes

pasta, peas and sausage in a skillet

Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta

bowl with ground pork and vegetables

Banh Mi Bowl (Paleo, Whole30)

a bowl of pasta with lentils and red sauce

Lentil Bolognese Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)

sweet potato brownies

Flourless Sweet Potato Brownies

dog eating cake

Mini Dog Birthday Cake

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash | squash filled with onions, mushrooms and kale for a healthy, vegetarian meal | thealmondeater.com

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash

As Featured On

Footer

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge

Copyright© 2023 | The Almond Eater. Site Credit

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter