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’m going to try this tonight. Do I notice correctly that you “unfold” the thighs and lay them out that way (rather than the sort of “folded over” way they come packaged)?
Yes, you should lay them flat if possible!
I usually buy chicken breast but decided to buy thighs. I’m so glad I came across this recipe. It was perfect!! Very tasty and juicy!! Will definitely be using this recipe again. Thanks for sharing!
I tried the boneless skinless chicken and it turned out great.
Wish I could post a picture of it👍
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Always looking for new air fryer recipes for chicken, we eat a lot of chicken! This is tasty, simple and quick , thank you!
Thanks Lisa — appreciate the positive review!
I did not like chicken thighs whatsoever. Now after trying this out, its quick and easy, delicious, spices are just right, its absolutely a favorite and I’m so happy to come across this.
I made this for my dinner tonight, it was delicious and juicy with the boneless, skinless thighs. I will definitely make this again.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! I’ve made it a few times and my family loves it! Thank you!!
I’m so glad! Thanks for the positive review 🙂
Best recipe ever. This is how I will cook chicken thighs from now on. My leftover uncooked thighs from two nights ago been marinating in the frig for 2 days in teriyaki sauce. I am going to cook them today the same way.
Quick and tasty recipe. Chicken came out crisp and tender and not over spiced. Thank you!
Thanks for the positive review, Andy — happy you enjoyed it!
Just tried this today and it was SO GOOD! Will definitely be a regular in our house. We consume a LOT of food very quickly and I’m wondering how this can be made ahead and just reheated. I was thinking either pre-marinated, frozen, then air fried when ready to eat? Is that possible? Thanks!
I’m so glad everyone liked it! Yes, I think that would work, though if you’re air frying the chicken frozen (straight from the freezer to your air fryer), you’ll most likely have to cook it for a bit longer, just FYI.
Made this last night. This came out really good!
If there are leftovers, what is the best way to reheat this, without overdrying the chicken?
Great question! You should be able to reheat the chicken in your air fryer at 350 for 3-4 minutes without drying it out.