Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
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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
Video
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, patted dry; see notes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp 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.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a huge fan of chicken thighs, so I happy to try this recipe. I really enjoyed the chicken as it ws juicy and the “rub” added a lot of flavor. I did increase the amount as I tend not to measure. Thanks for the recipe and I look forward to others you post
Thanks for this positive review — glad you have a go-to chicken thighs recipe now 🙂
Could I use regular paprika instead of smoked? I don’t think I’ve seen smoked paprika in the stores
That should work!
We have done with boneless thighs bone-in skin-on thighs and even chicken legs. It has been the best recipe. I did cook the chicken legs a little less time. Great recipe
I’m so glad you’re loving this recipe — thanks for the comment!
Wait, so no flour or anything?
Nope! The chicken will get crispy even without flour.
In the article, you state to cook the 2nd side for 8-10 mins but in the full recipe you state 6-8 mins for the 2nd side. Which should I follow?
Hi — apologies for the confusion! Follow the recipe card and cook for 6-8 minutes on the second side 🙂
Just made it and it was so good! Best air fry chicken I’ve had yet. Thank you!
Thanks so much for this comment — happy you liked the chicken!
This recipe is so great & super easy! I have made this multiple times already in just a few weeks – it always comes out juicy yet crispy! This is an absolute go to recipe for me and my husband now. So glad I stumbled upon this recipe – thank you!
Thanks for this kind comment, Victoria — so glad you like the recipe!
Excellent seasoning mix and the timing was accurate. Versatile uses for this chicken. In a salad, as a chicken sandwich with cheese lettuce and tomato for example. We will use this again!
Thanks for the comment, Lynn — glad you enjoyed the chicken!
So I missed something, you never told me a temperature
It says it right in the recipe instructions… 380°.
I cooked this for dinner tonight….:it was SO good! Even my finicky 10 year old talked about how good it was!!
This makes me so happy — love when meals are kid-approved! Thanks for the comment!
Very good – super quick prep time. The smoked paprika gives it a “grilled” flavor.
So happy you enjoyed it — thanks for the review!