Ingredients For Air Fryer Bone In Chicken Thighs
This recipe is for 4 chicken thighs, so youll need 4 skin on, bone in chicken thighs. You can also do this for 2 thighs, which is what we often do for quick weeknight dinners. Simply half the spices called for!
Aside from the chicken thighs, only a few spices are called for, which really makes this recipe so simple and easy. Youll need a bit of olive oil, or avocado oil, or oil spray. The spices that are used include salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and oregano.
All of these ingredients are easily accessible at grocery stores, and we love cooking with bone in chicken thighs because they are almost always less expensive than chicken breasts. Not only are they more flavorful, but because bone in thighs require less processing than breasts, theyre cheaper!
Can I Cook Them From Frozen
Yes, you can cook frozen chicken thighs in the air fryer, especially when they are skinless. But I dont advice to make skin-on chicken thighs in the air fryer because the skin wont get as crispy as when the chicken is thawed. The excess water in the frozen chicken is the main barrier to achieve crispness.
Moreover, either the chicken thighs are bone-in or boneless, it will take more time to cook from frozen.
Tools Used To Make This Recipe
Air fryer.Perfect for making fried food with little to no oil and also gives you the convenience of a small convection oven.
Mixing bowls. This set has a cover, which makes it double function as a mixing bowl and storage container.
Instant Meat Thermometer: Takes the temperature in just 2 to 3 seconds.
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What Can I Eat This Recipe With
This chicken thigh recipe is excellent as a standalone dish when paired with your favorite sauce. Some great options are buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce, or African pepper sauce. You can also drizzle some keto gravy on it.
Enjoy this air fryer bone-in chicken thighs recipe with some coleslaw or veggies like broccoli.
Air Fryer Bone In Chicken Thighs Ingredients
Chicken thighs: Use large chicken thighs bone in, skin on. Rinse chicken well and trim the excess fat and skin.
Olive oil: It helps to make your chicken skin crispy.
Garlic powder and onion powder: They add a delicious taste to this recipe.
Black pepper: It adds a unique spicy taste to your chicken thighs.
Paprika: It gives an authentic flavor and a beautiful red color to chicken thighs.
Creole seasoning: You can use homemade creole seasoning or you can buy it. It gives your food a major boost in flavor.
Salt: It tenderizes the chicken and improves the flavor.
Parsley fresh or dry: Adding parsley is optional.
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Good Food, Good Mood!
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Why You Will Love These Air Fryer Chicken Thighs:
How To Air Fry Chicken Thighs
Here is an overview of how to cook chicken thighs in the air fryer. Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions below.
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Making Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Every Time
Super simple, super delicious! Perfect for those weekdays that super busy and super crazy. Instead of ordering out you can have a homemade healthy meal in no time. This is so easy your family can help you! Kids love to mix up the spices. Have them use a large spoon to toss the chicken. The more my kids help in the kitchen, the more they tend to eat!
Favorite Air Fryer Chicken Thigh Recipe
Looking for a super simple dinner idea thats tender on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside? Look no further than air fryer chicken thighs.
We are huge fans of chicken thighs in general at Fit Foodie Finds because a little bit of dark meat can do the soul good. Chicken thighs typically come out so much juicier than chicken breasts and they really are tasty.
Now, if you are used to whipping up baked chicken thighs or grilled chicken thighs to get them nice and crispy, the air fryer is going to change your life. When I say these are so crispy, I mean it!
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Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Bone
These Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are bone-in and skin-on! Crispy chicken thighs with a delicious seasoning blend cooked to perfection in the air fryer.
If you love our air fryer boneless chicken thighs youre going to love our new air fryer chicken thigh recipe with bone-in and skin-on! The chicken skin is crispy, flavorful, and perfect with your favorite side dishes.
How To Cook Bone In Chicken Thighs In Air Fryer
Use a paper towel to pat dry the chicken thighs.
In a bowl, add paprika, garlic powder, parsley, thyme, ginger, vegetable oil, black pepper, and salt. Mix well till combined.
Brush the seasoning mix all over the chicken thighs.
Arrange the chicken thighs in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Don’t stack them.
Air fry chicken thighs at a temperature of 200C/400F for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, use a tong to flip the thighs and continue to air fry at 400F/200C for another 12 minutes or till they are cooked.
When they are cooked, bring them out of the air fryer. Let them rest for a few minutes, then serve.
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Tips For Making Crispy And Yet Juicy Air Fryer Thighs:
Pat chicken dry. Before seasoning the chicken thighs, please ensure to pat dry the thighs very well. Use paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible!
Start cooking at a high temperature, . Please note that air fryers do differ. But typically, starting at a higher temperature helps the meat crisp up.
Use oil. Some people may argue that these thighs have skin on them, so why add the oil. Well, why not? Uniquely, rubbing olive to the thigh creates shine and crispness that makes them appear fried.
Flip the chicken halfway! Usually, I flip them every 7 10 minutes. Fortunately, the air fryer reminds you to turn the food with the un-missable beeping sound!
Start cooking with the skin up. I know many air fryer thigh recipes call for you to start cooking with the skin down I do the opposite and start cooking with the skin up. For one thing, I need the skin to fry and crisp as much as possible. This is because I still want a fried thigh beyond the skin.
Recipe Note: pay attention to the thighs while cooking and do what works for you. Check your chicken thighs after 7 minutes, and decide if you want to reduce the heat or flip to the other side. Most importantly, have a meat thermometer on hand to ensure you do not overcook the chicken thighs!
I Forgot To Marinate The Chicken Thighs Can I Still Make This
Im a busy mom of two little ones, so I get it. Whiletesting this recipe, I made versions without it being marinated because I knowit will happen to me once or twice in the future too.
Just simply toss the chicken thighs in half the marinade andlet it sit for 5 minutes while the air fryer preheats then cook as normal.
While the marinade wont seep into the chicken thighs asmuch, the additional honey soy marinade added at the end will help bring theflavor out.
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Why Homemade Seasoning
We like to make our own homemade seasonings for most things! Our pork rub, fajita seasoning, and homemade chili seasoning are some of our favorites. Homemade seasoning recipes are the best because:
Salt control: you get to control how much salt you put in your spice blends! When you buy store-bought blends they end to having a lot of salt and sometimes even fillers!
Heat: Having control over the spice level and sweetness of spice blends is so helpful! You can make it your own!
Make-Ahead: Once you find a mix you like, you can make a double or a triple batch and have it on hand!
How To Make Bone
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Tips For Crispy Chicken Thighs
Using an air fryer, makes this super simple. This recipe is the perfect but you can vary it as you desire. Its so versatile and easy to customize. There are a few tips I have discovered in cooking this recipe that will help it turn out gorgeous!
- Seasoning: Because the air fryer uses circulating air to cook the chicken, you dont want your spices to go flying off the chicken. That why we use a tiny bit of oil to help the spices adhere to the chicken. Only use enough to have the seasoning stick.
- Over Crowd: Since the air is circulating you dont want to over crowd your air fryer and overlap the chicken too much. It will prevent the air from being able to circulate around all the chicken and it wont get done evenly. You may have to cook it in batches. Keep the other batches warm by covering them with foil.
- Know your Air Fryer: Every air fryer is a little different. Make sure you read your instruction manual and follow their suggestions for cooking. My suggestions are just that, suggestions. Adapt the time and temperature as necessary for your particular make and model.
- Make sure its done: No matter what you temp or how long you cook it at, make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Use an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh to check.
- Vary the Seasoning: Vary the seasoning for your tastes and purposes.
How Long To Cook Bone In Chicken Thighs In The Air Fryer
You can have these tasty air fryer chicken thighs prepared in no time. In an air fryer heated to 380 degree F, you can cook thighs for 12 minutes on one side before flipping and cooking for an additional 6 to 7 minutes.
This means your chicken will be done in 18 to 19 minutes. Thats fast!
I recommend using an Instant Read thermometer to pull the chicken out as soon as it hits 165 degrees for the juiciest chicken thighs.
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How To Make Air Fryer Whole Chicken
This recipe is super easy but I have a few tricks that will ensure that your chicken does not dry out before it is cooked all of the way through.
I started with a chicken that was approximately 5 pounds and I use my 5.7 quart air fryer. You can use a smaller chicken but the cooking time would need to be reduced.
I removed all of the stuff from the cavity and seasoned it generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried basil, dried oregano, and dried thyme.
Now its time to put the chicken in the air fryer basket breast side down. After experimenting, I discovered that if I left the legs up then it was hard to get the basket to open and the chicken legs got way over cooked. Breast Side down for the first 50 minutes of cook time keeps everything nice and moist.
I cooked the chicken at 360F for 50 minutes breast side down, then I flipped it and did 10 more minutes. It is important to make sure the internal temperature of the breast is 165F. Continue cooking until the temperature is reached.
I am telling you now, you will not believe how delicious and juicy this chicken is.
Can I Bake Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs In The Oven:
Absolutely! If you dont own an air fryer or if you simply prefer baking chicken thighs in the oven, feel free to do so.
Transfer the chicken thighs to a large casserole dish and bake at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes, or until the chicken thighs reach 165 degrees F on the inside.
For crispy chicken thighs, turn on the broil setting and select High. Broil for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are crispy on top.
If you love cooking boneless skinless chicken thighs, also check out my Asian Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs recipe!
Enjoy this simple, flavorful boneless chicken thighs recipe!
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Tips For Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Bone In
- After seasoning the chicken, if you have the time let it marinate in the fridge for 60 minutes or more.
- Adjust the pepper and salt quantity recommended to your preference.
- You can use any of your favorite chicken seasoning, or spice rub to season the chicken thighs.
- Don’t stack the chicken in the air fryer basket. Arrange them in a single layer.
- If the chicken thighs doesn’t fit in the air fryer basket, cook them in batches.
- After air frying the chicken, let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting into them.
- Air fryer brands vary with their temperature settings, so you might have to adjust the cooking time.
Why This Recipe Works
- Super moist drumsticks in air fryer. I was incredibly surprised at how moist these chicken legs are! The air fryer cooks them perfectly without loosing that delicious moisture in the meat.
- Crispy exterior. These crispy air fryer chicken legs do not disappoint! The outside is nice and crispy thanks to the seasoning rub and the air frying method. Its the perfect combination to create crispy air fryer chicken drumsticks!
- Easy dinner recipe. Youll want to keep this easy recipe on hand for those nights when dinner has gotten away from you. Air fryer drumsticks are easy to prepare and quick to cook up!
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How To Make Frozen Chicken Thighs In The Air Fryer:
In order to make frozen chicken thighs in the air fryer, they must be individually frozen and not stuck together.
When frozen meat is stuck together, it wont cook evenly resulting in overcooked and undercooked chicken at the same time.
NOTE: If you would like a deeper golden brown crusting, you can turn your air fryer to 400 degrees for the final 1-2 minutes of cooking. I find my chicken thighs get golden brown with this marinade without this step.
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