Pull those bone in, skin on chicken thighs out of the refrigerator and make these air fryer crispy chicken thighs tonight! In under 30 minutes you will have a delicious family friendly dinner.
Related: I get all of my grass fed beef and pasture raised chicken from Butcher Box. Read my honest review here.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
This is the perfect way to cook chicken thighs for that extra crispy skin and no need to heat up the oven.
- Just 5 ingredients – chicken thighs, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and onions powder (plus salt and pepper but those don’t count!)
- Cooks quickly thanks to the air fryer – These take about 25 minutes in the air fryer…which is great!
- No splatter on the stove top!
Personally, I think the air fryer is the best invention besides a home coffee maker. I use mine just about everyday!
I love to make burgers, pork tenderloin, crispy pork chops, and even crispy Brussels sprouts.
My method for crispy chicken thigh skin
I start by pre-heating the air fryer before I spray with cooking spray. I do this only when I want my food to be really crispy.
I make sure the chicken thighs are patted dry and any excess skin is cut away.
Then I mix the chicken thighs with all of the seasonings.
Now we can place the chicken thighs in the air fryer basket skin side down.
I do this so the skin can start to render the fat without browning the skin too much.
I also do this with my Air fryer whole chicken recipe.
My Air fryer has a 6 quart basket so 4 chicken thighs fit perfectly.
If your air fryer is smaller you would need to cook these in batches.
After the chicken thighs cook skin side down, we can flip them over and continue to cook them until the skin is nice and crispy and the internal temperature is 165F.
Making this a complete meal
I like to serve these air fryer chicken thighs with cauliflower Mac and cheese, keto green beans with bacon, or a broccoli salad.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs - Super Crispy!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Bone in, skin on chicken thighs, trimed of excess fat and skin
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your air fryer to 380F for 5 minutes. After pre-heating, spray with cooking spray.
- Add the chicken thighs to a large zip-top bag or a bowl with a lid. Top with the kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano and onion powder. Shake to coat.
- Place the chicken thighs in the air fryer, skin side down, for 12 minutes.
- Turn your chicken thighs skin side up and cook for 10 minutes more. If you would like your chicken thighs super crispy. Cook for 4 minutes increments to get your desired crispness.
- Thighs are done when an internal meat thermometer reads 165F. Serve.
Cindy garza says
Soooo delish!. Super glad I saw this and tried it. Currently on a keto diet and it looked keto friendly. Either way, it definitely hit the spot. Keeping it in my favorites. Thank you.
Anna B says
This recipe is AMAZING! My husband, super picky 8 year, and I all LOVE it and have had it in our weekly rotation for a few months now. My husband and I have been living a Whole30 lifestyle for a couple years now and this is one of the best Whole30 approved foods we’ve EVER had. I recommend it to all my Whole30 friends…AND anyone that owns an air fryer!
Mary Duffy says
Absolutely delicious! Have made this recipe at least 5 times. So easy to make. The family loves it.
Barbara Roe says
Delicious, and easy.
Davina Garcia says
This is my second air fryer recipe and it was easy and delicious. The chicken was tasty and juicy. Thank you
Yogandi says
The chicken thighs came out perfectly. Thank you
Jack Massielo says
Have used this recipe a few times, it is easy to follow and the chicken thighs turn out crispy and delicious.
Jennifer says
Quick, easy, juicy and yummy.
Kara says
Loved this! The only thing I did differently is that I used dried onions instead of onion powder. Just couldn’t find my onion powder! Also had to cook it for 5 extra minutes after I flipped it. Definitely a keeper!!!
Joann says
I made it exactly as you said and it was fantastic!!! The seasonings were so savory and the thighs were moist and tender. Perfect just as written!
Emmett Taylor says
Absolutely delicious. My wife likes chicken breast but now she is hooked on chicken thighs
Holly D says
Wow! Best airfryer chicken recipe I’ve ever tried! The skin was very crispy, and the seasoning was the perfect blend! I’ll be making this on a regular basis now. Thank you for posting this recipe!!
Kristopher says
These were amazing!!! My wife and I loved them, but what is even more amazing is that my 7,5and 3 year old loved them! My 7 year old said it was the best chicken she has ever had. She does not usually like chicken. This will be added to our regular rotation!!
Kris says
Wowzers!! Just made this and finished eating it. Sooo delicious and crispy! No breading or flour needed!
Marsha says
thank you. can I replace minced garlic for garlic powder?
Ada says
I just tried this recipe and i must say that the meat was done and juicy. I will be using this recipe more often. This is the first time using my air fryer.
Tony Salvucci says
Hello Jennifer,
I just bought my Air Fryer and had no idea of how to use it. Your recipe and instructions were a big help.
Tony
Elizabeth says
I made this with garlic powder, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and bread dip seasoning.30 minutes great!
Sandy says
I made these a week ago, with my own seasoning, and my husband has been asking when I would be making another batch. They are cooking right now. I forgot the amount of time you recommended, so I came back here to check. My friend calls the air fryer the Magic Box and I tend to agree. I have the same one that you linked to in the blog. I have not tried bugers in it yet, but that is coming soon. I needed some input on trying thighs and want to thank your for the informative post.
Jennifer Hambarsumian says
We had these for dinner tonight with some gorgeous heirloom chicken thighs. It was the best chicken I’ve had in a long time. My 12 year old who doesn’t like meat ate an entire half of a piece, which for her is huge…she complains every time I cook chicken. She testified that it was way better than she thought it would be…high praise indeed. I also printed the recipe to add to my go to collection. It is so fast and easy on clean up. Just perfect for a teacher and mother during these times of working from home.
Jessica says
I will try this over the weekend my daughter just bought me a ninja air fryer. So it’s 380 temp 25 min flip after 12 minutes…
Cathy says
It took twice the amount of time to sir fry. Granted the thighs were fairly large. But they were moist and tasty
Alicia says
Do you have to spray it with cooking spray? I’ve heard that it can make your air fryer chip? Can you brush the chicken with butter or oil before seasoning?
jenniferbanz says
Yes, you can brush with butter
Hildur Tarumoto says
Haven’t had my air fryer long. This is the third recipe I’ve tried and it was really good. The skin was super crispy, the chicken was well done but still moist and delicious. Can’t wait to cook more recipes.
Tracy Reynolds says
So easy to prepare and delicious.
Rodney Barfield says
Can I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs
jenniferbanz says
Yes but the cooking time will be much less
Cris says
WOW WOW WOW
These came out amazing. Followed your recipe exactly. I think preheating makes a difference. Printed out to go in my quick and tasty recipe collection.
Katie says
Love this recipe! So easy and fast!
Judy Malone says
Could you make it possible to send this recipe to a friend by email? Great recipe!
jenniferbanz says
You can copy the link URL and paste it in an email
Sue Manber says
This was my maiden voyage with my new air fryer and came out perfectly. Yum crispy skin and moist as can be. Will definitely make again.
Kathy Chernicky says
What temperature do you cook them on? 380?
jenniferbanz says
yes
Tami says
Absolutely amazing! I don’t normally like thighs, but this was so good! Will definitely make again and again.
Annemiek says
Awesome recipe. Thank you for publishing it. Made it as written* and timing worked great for my airfryer and the seasonings were amazing. (*the paprika I used was smoked but, I’m sure it would’ve been fab with regular paprika too.)
Annemiek Gersten says
Awesome recipe. Thank you for publishing it.
Julie Simpson says
Only change I made was brined chicken for 2 hours in pickle juice, then followed the recipe exactly. I think with my air fryer I could cook a little less. LOVED THIS! THANK YOU!
Katie says
This was soooo yummy! My chicken was done in less time, crispy and moist! I will definitely make this dish over and over,thank you!
John Pavliga says
When you refer to four-minute increments, does that mean turn the thighs over every four minutes? Thanks a million!
jenniferbanz says
Just check them for crispiness every 4 minutes. Don’t flip
Jane says
Excellent recipe. Crispy skin and juicy chicken. And no billowing smoke in my kitchen! Thank you!
Amy says
Just bought a new Ninja Foodi and this was the first thing I made in it. The chicken was juicy but crispy and the flavor was amazing. My whole family loved it! This recipe will be in high rotation, for sure. Thank you for the recipe.
Sandi says
I Followed these directions to a T and my one chicken thigh was bloody. I ended up air frying it an additional 25 minutes at 5 minute increments before it finally stopped bleeding. Once done, the thigh was perfect!
jenniferbanz says
All air fryers cook differently that’s why I have step 5 that says: Thighs are done when an internal meat thermometer reads 165F. Serve.
KC says
Really good and flavorful! First time I made fried chicken in the air fryer and certainly won’t be the last. Thank you for the recipe—spot on!
Denise says
So good!!
So easy!!
Bruce Paulsen says
Tried this recipe in my Instant Pot Air Fryer for the first time. Excellent! I used chicken thighs and they were so tender. I threw in some Brussel sprouts in the last five minutes. Wow! Thanks for the recipe!
Satri says
HOLY SCHNIKEY! This recipe is awesome!
David says
Oh my gosh, talk about perfectly crispy skin. I’ll never bbq or deep fry again. Chicken was so juicy and tender and the spice flavor was right on the money. I can’t wait to try doing some wings, so looking forward to some crispy teriyaki wings,hmmmmmmm.
LisaT says
Nice & crispy chicken. I only made 3 thighs and felt the seasoning was too little. I added some more seasoning. Otherwise, timing pretty good.
Yumino Snyder says
Super delicious and so easy to make!!! Thank you for this great recipe!!! Amazing!!!
Rosa says
Just pulled this out of my PC air fryer. It is simply amazing! My mind is blown!
Lupe says
Hello and thanks.
Do you spray the baskets? Do you place the baking pan underneath?
The spice mixture is on point. Thanks
J. S. Payer says
To what Temperature is the air fryer set?
Mt guess is 400F… Is this correct?
jenniferbanz says
380F
Heather says
Just made this recipe! WOW! Never want to eat chicken another way again.
Beth says
I love this recipe. It tastes better than any fried chicken I have ever had. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes. Prior to this recipe, the only otehr thing that I have liked in my air fryer was asparagus. Looks like I’ll be using it much more
Carrie says
This is the best chicken! I got my air fryer but had not really been using it but my husband and I will be using it and this recipe frequently now! I did add a little bit of Thyme to the rub. Make sure you don’t overdo on the salt as some of your other spices can be salty. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Sondra says
12 minutes each side, skin was nice & crispy, meat was perfection.
Karesha says
I made the chicken last night and my family loved it….,Thank you
Pat says
I made this chicken tonight. It was so good! I air fried it 12 minutes on each side, perfect! Thank you!
Clare says
Is the time different for boneless thighs?
jenniferbanz says
Yes, much less
Granni says
I have been cooking chicken thighs for too many years to count These are the best non deep fried ones we have ever eaten Thanks for sharing and this is going into our rotation.. Kids, grandkids and us everyone approved … Make lots cause they will go quickly Our air fryer has three wire shelves so we can make 12 at a time which really does help…
Meredith says
These were fabulous! The chicken was so juicy and tender while the skin was incredible and crispy! My husband isn’t a big chicken lover but he licked his plate and asked if I could make another batch tomorrow 🙂
Nancy says
This is the recipe I’ve been searching for years. Definitely my go to chicken recipe from now on. Juicy, crispy, delicious and super easy. What more could you ask for.
Paula says
Great taste and crispier than expected!
Linda says
This will be my go-to chicken…so delicious! Thanks, Jennifer.
Nita says
These were simply delicious & so easy to make. I m doing my second batch of them tonight.
Leslie says
The chicken came out fabulous. Nice and juicy. I served this with your cauliflower mac and cheese with bacon. Both recipes were a big hit with the family. Thank you so much for your wonderful website. It makes the low carb lifestyle easy to do.