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.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
This is the perfect way to cook juicy 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 avocado oil cooking spray. I do this only when I want my food to be really crispy.
I make sure the chicken thighs are patted dry with a paper towel 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 preheated air fryer basket in a single layer skin side down.
I do this so the skin can start to render the fat without browning the skin too much. It gives the best results!
I also do this with my Air fryer whole chicken recipe.
My Air fryer has a 6 quart basket so 4 bone-in chicken thighs fit perfectly.
If your air fryer is smaller you would need to cook these in batches.
After the bone-in 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 using an instant read thermometer.
The result is the juiciest chicken with the crispiest skin.
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!
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Ingredients
- 4 Bone in, skin on chicken thighs,, trimed of excess fat and skin
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380F for 5 minutes. After pre-heating, spray with cooking spray, if desired.
- 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.
- Remove from the bag and place the chicken thighs in the air fryer, skin side down, for 12 minutes.
- Turn your chicken thighs skin side up and cook for 10-15 minutes more. If you would like your chicken thighs super crispy. Cook for 4 minutes increments to get your desired crispness.
- The crispy air fryer chicken thighs are done when an internal meat thermometer reads 165F inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken thighs and the wattage of your air fryer. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy only. Please re-calculate on your own with the ingredients and amounts you used for the most accurate data.
Dietra says
Thank you
Andrew J Zibuck says
Easily the best oven-baked chicken I've ever had.
Tom says
Nice and juicy. I did this in my convection oven and it turned out great!
Thuy says
FOOLPROOF juicy & crispy chicken thighs!!
I have the instapot vortex air fryer. 12 min skin down then 10 min on other side was perfect cooking time. I left seasoned chicken thighs in covered bowl on kitchen counter for 15 min so that chicken isn’t too cold (personal preference).
Will definitely use this recipe over & over!
Anna says
This is my go-to air fryer chicken thighs recipe. I've made them multiple times and they always try turn out moist & juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Super yummy 😋
Cara says
The guys loved it!
Lynette Krueger says
That recipe isn't enough to cover 4 thighs if you use the bag. Next time I will sprinkle the seasoning over the thighs or make the seasonings 4 times what it says.
SonRay says
These sound delicious! Question when you turn the thighs over after 12 minutes skin down, would 12 minutes be enough cooking time for juicy things? My air fryer is powerful! I bet these would be delicious with bbq sauce on the side!
Anne says
Delicious! I've made this recipe with various sides a number of times and it is loved by all every time. So easy to time out with side dishes.
Mia says
I just made these but with 1 pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs from trader Joe's. Absolutely delicious! I'm so surprised because I only left the chicken in the ziplock bag with the seasoning in the fridge for ten minutes then put it in the air fryer. It took about 20 mins to cook but my family loved it! My 1 year old ate it up! This will be in my rotation. Oh and I served it with lil potatoes and asparagus.
Brenda Bee says
These are absolutely delicious. I removed the chicken skin before adding the spices. I can see this recipe being my go-to recipe for thighs in the air fryer.
Claire says
I don't eat chicken thighs but I made for my husband and used chicken wings for me. Came out delicious. The wings were so crispy.
Jus says
Just came here to get the timing for cooking some pre-marinated bone-in chicken thighs. They turned out perfectly crispy with your timing, so thank you! 🙂
Sandra says
Excellent!!! Crispy and juicy… love this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Mary Monroe says
This chicken tonight in the air fryer very good. Will definitely make it again. Thank you.
Carol says
My husband made these last night and they were fantastic! A regular now in our rotation. Would highly recommend.
Jan says
Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs are cheap. I'd cook them various ways; they were...okay. Then I saw this recipe, air fryer's on the counter, I just bought thighs, what the heck. I thought, too much smoked paprika and oregano, but followed the recipe exactly, NO changes, and, WOW! It's my first time ever commenting on an online recipe...this is the BEST, most DELICIOUS way to season & cook thighs! I'll be looking at all your recipes Jennifer, thank you!
Laura says
Crispy with good flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
David J Abernathy says
I've made this chicken 3 times and each time turns out fantastic. My family loves it!
Jill says
A truly wonderful recipe and oh, so easy! I can hardly wait to make it again. It will surely become one of my favorite go-to recipes.
Jessica says
Perfect recipe. Topped my chicken off with lemon zest. Thank you for sharing.
Kay says
It’s my go to Air Fryer recipe for chicken thighs! Always comes out crispy, tender and simply delicious!
Karen says
These came out absolutely perfect and smelled amazing while they were cooking! Super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I often use a liner but decided not to because I didn’t want the juices to pool and make the thighs soggy. I think that was the better decision, aside from the clean up afterward. Hahaha
Pat says
Internal temp after following recipe was 190!
Jennifer Banz says
It is actually best to let chicken thighs go over 165F. That is when they are most tender. Chicken breast is 165F. https://www.thespruceeats.com/temperature-for-chicken-breasts-995349#:~:text=Chicken%20thighs%20and%20all%20chicken,melts%20and%20turns%20to%20gelatin.
Cheryl Lynn Palmer says
I just made this dir my husband for dinner and he told me to Save the Recipe!! Amazing, super moist chicken. Thanks so much!!