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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.
Sharon Turner says
One word....Yummy!!!
Erin says
Thanks Sharon!
Corinne says
This was excellent! My husband already asked for it again!
Erin says
Yay! That's awesome! Thanks Corinne!
Carol says
This was awesome! So flavorful and tender!
Erin says
Thanks so much Carol! Glad you enjoyed them!
Ian Scott says
I'm a VERY fussy eater and not a fan of this cut of meat typically.
Having said that, I made this dish and it was absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend it!
Erin says
Thanks so much Ian! Glad you enjoyed it!
Deborah says
Hi is this recipe 380 F or 380 deg C? my air fryer only goes up to 200 deg C
Thanks
Deb
Erin says
Sorry, it's 380° F!
Elizabeth says
It's 193.5 C
Sonja says
So crispy, juicy, and incredibly easy to make!!
Erin says
Thanks Sonja!
Adair says
YUM!! I make these thighs to add to a soup but I could not stop eating the cooked chicken before adding it to the soup! I will definitely make this again just to eat as a main dish.
Leslie says
Very good and easy.
I have had many asking for me to make it again and I do.
Thank you so much
Erin says
That's great! Glad you liked the recipe!
Tracy Proell says
Great easy dinner night recipe. Adding to the rotation!
Erin says
Thanks so much Tracy!
Val Honderick says
Super quick, easy and delicious
Jean says
I made this tonight. It was delicious! Very easy to make with great flavor.
Erin says
So glad you liked the chicken, Jean!
Steph Fleming says
Amazing spices combo. I’m on a diet and will be making these tomorrow in my air fryer. Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
I hope you liked the chicken!
Patti says
Easy quick and delicious!
Erin says
Thanks for the 5-star rating, Patti!
Bev says
I just made this dish and it is delicious. Nice and easy and not a lot of ingredients. We just had green beans with them.
Erin says
I'm so happy you liked the chicken!
Michelle A says
This was absolutely incredible. Somehow the chicken had the texture of fried chicken. This will definitely be a staple.
Erin says
I'm so happy you liked it!
Angelica says
so exciting, thank you. simple and to the point for busy moms, my 7 year old son will love this.
Erin says
I'm so glad! Thanks for the 5-star review, Angelica!
Maria Giannuzzi says
I too am on a diet--very strict. I like that you did not add any marinade with carbs or sugar to the recipe (although I'm sure that marinades are fine, but I cannot use a marinade with sugar or carbs in it for my diet recipes.
Maria Giannuzzi says
I like your spice/herb combination. Will be trying your recipe tomorrow in my new air fryer. Thanks.
Erin says
Thanks Maria -- let me know how you like the chicken!
Kim says
Excellent recipe! I modified the cook time, and added Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and cumin.
Erin says
Ohhh I need to try that seasoning mix next time -- so happy you liked the chicken!
Susan minkoff says
Outstanding! Am dieting and this recipe is perfect.
The taste is terrific, and it is so easy to make..
Thank you
Erin says
So glad you liked the chicken, Susan!
Buddy says
Oh, yeah.