These Chicken Thighs Are a New House Favorite!
Guys, I’ve been holding myself back from making these chicken thighs every single night. They’re so good. They go with almost anything, they’re extra juicy and crisped, and the kids and adults in my family BOTH approve!
I love them with so many things:
- roasted potato wedges and a cucumber salad
- a creamy pasta
- a wrap, sandwich, or salad
- a baked potato and some roasted veggies
- just eating straight with a side of your favorite sauce! (all my favorite sauces here!)
The chicken is so so flavor-crusted and so finger-licking yummy that I still can hardly believe you can make it in the air fryer.
I have to fight my kids not to eat it all off the cutting board before it even makes it to the table.
If you’ve made our air fryer chicken breasts (also amazing), the flavor on these chicken thighs is more savory. The OG chicken breast recipe has a brown sugar and smoked paprika base, whereas this one has paprika, garlic and onion, and a bit of oregano.
I have been LOVING these with a smoky paprika aioli (I’ll include that in the recipe notes – it is so yummy). I am making myself hungry just thinking about it.
Hope you guys love it!
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
1
Trim Chicken Thighs.
Optional, but I often cut off any little bits of fat that are on the edges of the chicken thighs.
2
Toss with Spices!
Get those chicken thighs totally coated! Like so.
3
Air Fry for 11-13 Minutes.
Place in a single layer in the air fryer to cook evenly!
4
It’s done!
Do a quick temp check – the inside should reach a minimum of 165 degrees (I use this meat thermometer to check).
5
Cut and Serve!
My daughter and my husband couldn’t wait for me to finish the photos. 🙂 I like to chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and squeeze a bit of lemon over the whole thing! So yummy.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Description
These air fryer chicken thighs are SO good. Super juicy, deeply golden, and ready in 15 minutes! Such an easy recipe that my whole family loves.
Ingredients
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (I’ve been using a fine-grained table salt for this)
- a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- squeeze of lemon to finish
Instructions
- Trim the Chicken Thighs: Optional, but I usually cut off the little bits of fat (the chunkier white strips) from the edges of the chicken thighs.
- Season the Chicken: Toss the chicken thighs with the spices and olive oil. For the best flavor, let it marinate anywhere from 15 minutes to 2-3 hours in the fridge. (Also fine to skip if you’re short on time!)
- Air Fry Chicken: Air fry at 375 for 11-13 minutes, until deeply golden and a bit crisped on the outside, and at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit on the inside. (I use a meat thermometer to check!)
- Slice Chicken: Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest for a few minutes; cut into bite-sized pieces. Squeeze lemon over the top if you want.
- Serve: Serve with your favorite sauce (see notes for a smoky aioli that I love), baked potato or roasted veggies, in a rice bowl, or on a salad!
Notes
Smoky Paprika Aioli (my current favorite sauce with this): Whisk 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1 clove freshly grated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste).
Spice Coverage on The Chicken: Every package of chicken thighs is a slightly different size, so if your package is 1.5 pounds or more (or if you love a lot of spices), you may want to add a few extra shakes of spices to get more complete spice coverage!
Preheating the Air Fryer: I do not preheat my air fryer. I just put the chicken in, turn the air fryer on, and then make sure to use a meat thermometer to check that it’s completely cooked.
Lining the Air Fryer: I also don’t line the air fryer basket with anything. I just put the chicken thighs directly onto the grill grate.
Flipping the Chicken: I also do not flip the chicken thighs halfway through. I’ve tried it, but I like the texture better with just the top being crispy and the underside being a bit juicy. If you think you want both the top and bottom to be crisped up a bit, you can air fry for 8-9 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes to get both sides a bit crisped.
Category: Dinner
Method: Air Fryer
Cuisine: American
Keywords: air fryer chicken, air fryer chicken thighs, air fryer recipe
Frequently Asked Questions For This Recipe
Yes! I would suggest cutting them horizontally into thinner pieces (follow the directions in this recipe) and then air frying them at 375 for 9-10 minutes.
Yes! Bake on a small sheet pan at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. To get extra browning on the chicken thighs, turn on the broil setting for the last few minutes of cooking and move the pan closer to the top of the oven.
I would not recommend using frozen chicken thighs.
I don’t. I just put the chicken right in, turn the air fryer on, and then make sure to use a meat thermometer to check that it’s completely cooked.
When it reaches 165 degrees, you’re good to go! This is the thermometer I use. (affiliate link) I use this thing all the time. Highly recommend.
I use both avocado oil and olive oil.
This is my favorite air fryer! The Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL. (affiliate link) Love this for so many recipes!
More Air Fryer Proteins
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