What You Will Need To Make Fried Chicken In The Air Fryer
Chicken: you can use your favorite cuts of chicken. Whether its half or whole chicken , or chicken wings, legs, or your favorite cut of chicken.
Buttermilk: The buttermilk is used to tenderize the chicken and break down the protein which will result is juicy flavorful chicken. If you do not have buttermilk on hand, scroll down for a 5 minute DIY buttermilk recipe.
Flour & Corn Starch: The chicken is breaded with a mixture of flour and cornstarch to ensure a super crispy exterior. The cornstarch helps the chicken brown on the outside and creates a seal that will keep the juices inside the chicken. If you dont have cornstarch on hand, you can use just flour until next time.
Spices: Spices are essential in this recipe because they bring out the flavor of the chicken and will make the chicken taste like your favorite fried chicken restaurants. It might seem like we are using a lot of spices but trust me, the result is amazing and worth every bite!
Hot sauce: Hot sauce adds flavor and color to the chicken and gives it an extra kick of spice. Its completely optional but highly recommended for maximum flavor! Use your favorite hot sauce or opt-in for Franks.
Why Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Also known as Southern fried chicken, Fried Chicken is definitely one of the best comfort foods that originated in the US.
These are delicious chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried or deep fried.
The breading helps keep the juices inside while giving that crisp we all want.
When it comes to fried food, I have a weakness for fried chicken.
Nowadays, its common to have fried chicken be pressure fried or air fried.
So, of course, Im making air fryer fried chicken!
This is huge especially since I typically prefer beef, lamb and pork over chicken when it comes to meat.
But theres just something about fried chicken..
I have had a LOT of fried chicken growing up in Manila, and one of my favourites was Kipps Chicken.
And I remember this unique and amazing one I had in Florida where the chicken was smoked first before deep fried.
And lets not forget Nashville hot fried chicken for some seriously spicy yet flavourful fried chicken!
And in Asia, Korean fried chicken and Taiwanese popcorn chicken tend to dominate!
Now that I can make fried chicken in an air fryer, it is definitely dangerous because I know Ill be making a lot.
I hope you enjoy this air fryer chicken recipe!
How To Make Crispy Air Fryer Chicken
This is pretty straightforward. The spray oil is used to help any coating that doesnt get fried get cooked. No one wants to bite into a mouthful of flour. In step 6 youll open the basket to flip the chicken, you can spray any dry spots then.
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I Dont Have Buttermilk So Can I Use Something Else
Fried chicken without buttermilk just isnt as tasty, but its easy to make your own! Simply combine the milk of your choosing with vinegar or lemon juice. Stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Youll want to use 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 cup of milk.
I love using homemade buttermilk in recipes like these air fryer fried chicken thighs, as well as these air fryer ravioli!
The Man Objectives To The Perfect Air Fryer Fried Chicken Were:
- The crunch: The chicken must be crispy & crunchy on the outside with lots of spices.
- Juicy: It must be cooked through and tender and juicy on the inside with flavor and spice.
- Save time: be able to get the chicken on the table from start to finish in under an hour.
- Healthy: have all the above without deep frying.
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Adjust The Temperature For Certain Foods
It can sometimes be tempting to crank the heat for the Air Fryer to the highest temp to let it run but be careful as some foods can dry out quickly. A good rule of thumb is to modify the temperature and time from how long you would typically make it in the oven. I like to go 30 degrees below and cut the time by about 20%. For example, if you cooked brownies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes in the oven, cut the degrees on the Air Fryer to 320 degrees and cook for about 16 minutes.
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Fries
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F.
STEP TWO: Place a single layer of chicken fries in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time.
STEP THREE: Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
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Cooking A Whole Chicken In An Air Fryer
We probably cook a whole chicken at least once a week in our house. Even if we are not having a full-on Sunday Roast, we like to cook a chicken to have with other meals its also a really economical way to eat chicken, you can use up all the bits for different meals.
When I first got our air fryer it was pretty much with the sole intention of making air fryer chips and our own KFC chicken pieces at home I never imagined though that I would be able to make so many air fryer recipes!
My first air fryer purchase was the smallest Phillips Air Fryer. It was a great first air fryer but with us being a family of 5 I soon realised we would be needing a larger sized one if we were to be making big enough meals. Now we use a Power Air Fryer XL which is more than suitable for our needs.
In fact, it can fit in a whole chicken, as you will soon see!
I honestly cant remember the last time we cooked a roast chicken in the oven. We either use our slow cooker usually if we are going to be out for the day, or the air fryer. We do occasionally use an electric pressure cooker for a whole chicken, but that isnt too often.
Can You Use Frozen Chicken
Although you can cook chicken from frozen in an air fryer, I dont recommend it for this recipe. Frozen chicken wont hold the seasonings and breading as well as thawed chicken will.
If all you have is frozen chicken, I recommend thawing it first. You can either thaw it overnight in the fridge or follow these steps to quickly thaw it:
- Place the frozen chicken breasts into a large ziplock bag.
- Set the bag into a bowl filled with room temperature water.
- Let the chicken sit in the water, changing the water out every 20 minutes or so, until it has fully thawed.
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Adding Oil And Seasoning To Air Fryer Chicken
You can just pop the chicken straight in the air fryer and it will cook just fine, it will also taste just fine but if you want super tasting chicken I really recommend adding a little oil and some of your favourite seasonings.
You really dont need to add much oil I used 1tbsp of olive oil and I pasted it on with a pastry brush to make sure it was coated all over. You can add what seasoning you prefer, my usual includes
- 1tsp smoked paprika
- 1tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1tsp garlic salt/granules
I mix it all together in a small pot and then sprinkle it over the oiled chicken, either using the pastry brush, or my hands, to rub it in all over.
Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
Cooking chicken breasts in the fryer is just as easy as cooking any other pieces, except that chicken breast can dry out faster. Its better to use a batter-like my recipe to seal in the moisture. If you use skin off you can be prepared for dryer chicken, so if you dont want to eat the skin simply cook the chicken breast with the skin on and then remove it before eating.
- Prepare the skin-on chicken breasts in the batter according to the recipe
- Cook the chicken breast in the Air Fryer for 25 minutes depending on how thick the chicken breasts are.
- If you have large ones they will take longer.
- Chicken breasts should be cooked until 165 °F.
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Tender Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe
This is how I make basic Air Fryer chicken breast. These are great with a couple simple sides for a quick dinner, and they also work great for meal prep.
News flash! Your trusty air fryer is good for more than just breaded things, yall. This recipe shows how to make air fryer chicken breast without flour or breading. It resembles a grilled chicken breast, but without a grill.
I am loving making this basic air fryer chicken breast. Tender, juicy, delicious and perfect to eat over salads, with rice and veggies or on sandwiches. So versatile and simple! It is our familys most used chicken recipe.
After testing this recipe many, many times I think I finally cracked the code.
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. See my full affiliate disclosure policy here.
How To Make Crispy Air Fryer Fried Chicken Legs
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The Best Crispy Air Fried Chicken
There are a few steps that you can take to help your homemade fried chicken become extra crispy in the air fryer:
- Add cornstarch to the flour mixture. A cornstarch coating is great for making foods crispy. I also use this trick in my Sweet Potato Fries recipe.
- Double dip the chicken in the flour mixture: coating the chicken in the seasoned flour and cornstarch, then buttermilk, and then the flour mixture once more helps more of the breading to stick.
- Spray the chicken with an oil spray. This ensures that the batter crisps up as the chicken cooks.
- Cook the chicken long enough to crisp the coating and skin. Bone-in thighs and drumsticks can be cooked above 165° F and still remain moist and juicy. I cook mine a few minutes past 165° for the crispiest air fried chicken.
- Flip the chicken pieces over halfway through the cooking time to cook all sides evenly.
What To Serve With Air
Since these air-fried wings are dry-rubbed, theyre great with dipping sauces. Our go-to sauces are ranch, blue cheese salad dressing, Buffalo sauce and barbecue sauce, but any sauce you like will work well. You can even toss the wings in additional seasonings to make lemon-pepper wings, peach-bourbon wings or garlic parmesan wings. Yum!
Along with an array of sauces, we recommend serving these air-fryer chicken wings with carrot and celery sticks for some crisp crunch.
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Bbq Air Fryer Chicken Breast
This delicious and juicy chicken breast is made right in your Air Fryer after being covered with bbq seasoning. Its perfect as a main course with a side or on a salad.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips/tricks in theblog post.
Chicken breast have always been a staple in my kitchen. Although thighs tend to be my favorite, as you can see in this Lemon Pepper Chicken Thigh Recipe, I also like to have a good chicken breast recipe in my back pocket.
Since summer is on the horizon, Ive been craving BBQ and have been making this BBQ Chicken Breast recipe in my Air Fryer. Its so quick and easy its ridiculous.
The Air Fryer produces some of the juiciest chicken you will ever try. No more dry over cooked chicken breast if you use the Air Fryer.
I use my homemade bbq seasoning for this recipe. You can change up the seasoning if you like. But if you arent making chicken breast in your Air Fryer, you are totally missing out.
I like to start with using chicken breast that are about the same size, 6 ounces. That ensures that the meat cooks quickly and evenly.
Take Your Next Tailgate Watch Party Or Weeknight Dinner To The Next Level By Learning How To Make Air
When it comes to game day appetizers, it doesnt get much better than chicken wings. Crunchy, meaty and sometimes sticky, wings are the perfect way to kick off a football game.
But chicken wings can also be a bit intimidating to make at home. Luckily, we have the perfect solution: Use your air fryer. This mostly hands-off cooking method results in all the crunch and flavor of traditional chicken wings without having to heat up a big pot of oil.
Follow along as we walk through how to air-fry chicken wings. And since you have your air fryer out, check out some of our other favorite air-fryer recipes.
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Do You Have To Use Buttermilk
Yes, I definitely recommend using buttermilk. Not only does it add flavor, but the acidity helps break down the meat for more tender and juicy chicken.
If you dont have buttermilk, you can easily make your own. To do so, whisk together the ¾ cups of milk with 2 ¼ teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar. Let that mixture sit for 10 minutes, then its good to go!
How Long To Cook Chicken Breast In Air Fryer
You will make your chicken in the air fryer from now on. Its so easy and fail proof. Never wonder whats for dinner again!
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How To Make Air Fryer Wings From Frozen Chicken Wings
I found that in order to get my frozen chicken wings crispy in the Air Fryer I had to do a little extra work. Fact is frozen wings have a ton of excess water and once you start Air Frying, that water leaks into the bottom of the basket, causing a lot of steam in the Air Fryer. Thats not the optimal environment for crispiness. In order to get frozen wings crispy, I do the following.
Lay the frozen wings in the Air Fryer basket and start cooking on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes turning every 5-7 minutes.
Halfway through cooking, remove the Air Fryer basket and drain the excess liquid. Make sure the basket is placed over a large bowl so you dont leak chicken juice everywhere. Once all the liquid in the bottom of the basket has drained, return the basket to the base and start Air Frying again. Cook until your wings are fully cooked and your desired crispiness.
Additional Note: The draining of the liquid is an optional step and it truly depends on the Air Fryer basket. In my Phillips Air Fryer, the wings can get crispy even with the additional liquid in the basket. However, in my Bella Pro Air Fryer, I have to drain the liquid to get it crispy.
Toss in your favorite dry rub or sauce.
And there you have it, perfectly crisp and delicious Air Fryer chicken wings from frozen.
How To Make Crispy Fried Chicken In The Air Fryer
The secret to making air fried chicken that tastes just as good as frying is to marinate the chicken with buttermilk and spices and to bread it with a mixture of flour and corn starch.
The 2nd must is to generously spray it with cooking spray to ensure all the flour is coated with oil.
This combo will ensure air fried chicken that is tender and juicy on the inside and crispy crunchy on the outside with so much flavor and texture that we promise you will never go back to deep frying chicken.
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