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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.
Sandra Gonzalez says
Would I be able to try this with chicken breasts? If so, how would I go about doing so? I love this seasoning!
Erin says
Hi Sandra! Sorry I don't have cook times for chicken breast.
Rhonda Cornell says
This was the first time I cooked chicken in our air fryer and I was surprisingly impressed. It’s such an easy & yummy recipe! I made it with rice & cheesy broccoli on the side and it was a hit with my boys. I’m going to try bone in too and compare the two. Thank you for this delicious & easy recipe!
Erin says
Thanks for the comment -- I'm so happy the fam enjoyed it!
Jeanne says
This is my go to chicken thigh recipe! My whole family loves these tasty boneless skinless thighs!!!!
Erin says
This makes me so happy--I'm glad this has become your go-to!
Grandi says
Let’s just say I “consulted” your recipe, then made it my own. I used skinless but bone-in thighs, so appreciated the tip on cooking longer. I used your seasoning guide for amounts, as I tend to under-season, ty en subbed my favorites, rosemary/thyme/garlic. It was yummy!
Erin says
Thanks for the comment -- glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Hannah says
This was easy and delicious! A huge hit at the dinner table tonight.
Erin says
Thanks for the comment, Hannah! So glad you all enjoyed it.
Susie says
Delicious! Quick and easy recipe! Everyone loved it and it was tender and juicy.
Erin says
Woohooo -- so happy you all liked it!
Sonia says
Could you make this recipe in the oven? Thank you!
Florence says
It sure is nice to find a tasty, pantry staple ingredients that doesn't take all day to make. I was in the mood for a simple air fry chicken. Used 2 each bone-in, skin on thighs and legs. Everything came together quickly and was nice to have a hot lunch while taking care of my other household chores. Thank you for creating and sharing. Used the same temperature and time list in your recipe.
Michele says
Which air fryer to you use? I have the ninja toaster air fryer combo, which I have found to be different than the ninja foodi. Can’t wait to give this is a shot today! My daughter loves honey stung wings but eats like one bite out of them, so hoping she will eat more with this awesome recipe!
Erin says
I use the Vremi air fryer -- I agree the toaster air fryer is different, so I'd start by cooking the chicken on the lower end of things (12 mins first side, 6 mins second side) and go from there. Let me know how it turns out!
James C Mobley says
Great dish and definitely juicy...I could use a little more seasoning or just let the chicken marinate overnight. Have you tried any additional seasonings?
Erin says
Hi! I've had a few people on Pinterest tell me they doubled the amount of seasoning -- you could give that a try.
James C Mobley says
ok I will try that and maybe add some others...Thank you!
Sandra says
I simply love this recipe. Follow instructions for boneless, skinless thighs and they came out juicy. Perfect seaming too. Thank you for such an easy recipe.
Erin says
Thanks Sandra -- happy to hear you like the recipe as much as I do!
Vee says
This was my first time using my air fryer. The seasoning was on point but I found the time was way too long for my chicken thighs and dried them up so much. It was nearly inedible. I tried lowering the temp and frying for less time based on another recipe and it was so much better.
Erin says
Hi Vee! Every air fryer is different so cook times vary, but I'm glad that you enjoyed the seasoning.
Denise says
I tried the recipe today, using bone-in thighs, and I was not disappointed! This recipe is a keeper.
Erin says
I'm so glad you liked it!
Julie says
All air fryers are different, i just got one for Christmas, it has a basket a grill pan, and a baking type pan, which do i use for the chicken?
Erin says
Hi Julie! You might want to reference the instruction manual for more info, but I'm guessing the basket/grill pan is what you want to use.
Kevin C says
Loved the air fryer thighs. Seasoning was spot on. Didn’t change a thing. Thanks Erin for the great recipe!
Erin says
Thanks so much for the comment -- I'm glad you liked them!
Charlie says
How long would you do with bone in?
Erin says
Hi! I'd try 12 minutes on the first side (skin side down) and 12-14 on the second and see how that goes. Please let me know how it turns out in case other people want to use bone-in chicken!
kirti says
I just made this and it was so delicious! As a college student, I am always looking for easy, quick, and tasty recipes and this was definitely really good!
Erin says
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
Robin says
Quick question. You mention in the ingredients to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. But then in step 3 of the instructions it says to place the chicken skin side up in the air fryer. So do you use skinless or skin on?
Erin says
Apologies -- wrong choice of words! I used boneless skinless and meant to say put the chicken smooth side down.
Nicole says
Omg so freaking delicious!! Easy and quick. Will be making this many more times.
Erin says
Thanks Nicole!
Nikki says
So tasty! This was my first air fryer meal and I’m so pleased!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Erin says
woohooooo -- I'm happy you enjoyed it!
Valerie says
Honestly this recipes is the reason that I bought an air fryer (and prime day helped 😂). Wow!!! I’m a convert. So flavorful and moist. This was restaurant quality chicken thighs!
Erin says
Ummm that's amazing -- this is my FAVORITE recipe to make in the air fryer too! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
Kim says
Do you only spray 1 side of the chicken with oil? Also, does it have to be single layer? (Assuming so)
Erin says
You spray the chicken before you cook it, then again after you flip it. And yes -- single layer!
Tonna Long says
Thanks Kim for asking this question. I was wondering about the spray also.