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.
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.