Easy, tender, juicy Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Thighs are an absolute delight! Not only do they take very little time to prepare, but they turn out incredibly flavorful with delightfully crispy skin.
If you’re anything like me and have been on a constant prowl for methods to make life as simple as possible, you’ve just stumbled upon a new tool!
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are JUST in the nick of time to make your weeknight eating both easy and finger lickin’ GREAT!
These crispy chicken thighs made in the air fryer are so simple to toss together at a moment’s notice (ideal for those busy evenings after work), and turn out so insanely good!
You’d never guess so little fuss went into the making of them.
All we do is drizzle chicken thighs with oil, season them up, stick them in the air fryer, and BOOM! An entrée from heaven emerges from the magic that is the air fryer drawer.
Let’s chat about ingredients!
Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken Thighs:
Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs: The star of the dope show! We’ve had this conversation in the past, but bone-in skin-on chicken thighs is by far my favorite cut of chicken due to how amazingly crispy the skin gets and how tender the meat is.
Avocado Oil: Used to lubricate the chicken during the cooking process, I use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point. This ensures the oil and chicken don’t burn. All you need is a light coating for the best, most flavorful chicken.
Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sea Salt: This combination of seasonings wins each and every time! I use it on salmon every time I make it, and every form of chicken. I even use it periodically for steak.
Optional: You can change up the seasonings depending on what you like. If you’re into chili powder, Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, ground cumin, curry powder…all of these things will work!
How to Make Easy Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Thighs:
Place the chicken thighs on a plate and drizzle with avocado oil. Use your hands to coat the chicken so that the full surface is lightly coated in oil. Sprinkle both sides with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt.
Place the chicken thighs in the air fryer skin-side down in a single layer. It’s okay if the thighs touch but try to keep them from overlapping.
Press the Bake button (not air fry), and set the temperature for 375 degree Fahrenheit. Set the time for 10 minutes.
Once the time is up, flip the chicken thighs to the other side and Bake again at 375 for 7 to 10 minutes longer, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Serve with your choice of side dishes, and enjoy!
Why Make Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer?:
So why should we make chicken thighs in the air fryer instead of the oven? The timing. You don’t need to spend time preheating the oven and the actual bake time is 5 to 10 minutes less in an air fryer than it is in the oven. Plus, the cleanup is super low-fuss and easy!
Are oven-baked chicken thighs one of my absolute favorites? YES, absolutely! Can I see the appeal of making chicken thighs in the air fryer, especially given how nicely they turn out? 100% yes.
Can I Use a Marinade?:
If you prefer marinating the chicken over using a dry rub, go for it! The bake temperature and time will remain the same. If the chicken is very wet before it goes in the air fryer, you may need to let it go just a couple of minutes longer to get the skin to crisp up, but other than that the method will stay the same.
If you love this chicken recipe, also check out my Baked Lemon Garlic Rosemary Chicken and my Easy Greek Chicken! They’re similarly amazing with an herby lemony twist 🙂
More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
- Crispy Air Fryer Salmon
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Air Fryer Chicken Buffalo Wings
May all your thighs be succulent!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs on a plate and drizzle with avocado oil. Use your hands to coat the chicken so that the full surface is lightly coated in oil. Sprinkle both sides with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt.
- Place the chicken thighs in the air fryer skin-side down in a single layer. It’s okay if the thighs touch but try to keep them from overlapping.
- Press the Bake button (not air fry), and set the temperature for 375 degree Fahrenheit. Set the time for 10 minutes.
- Once the time is up, flip the chicken thighs to the other side and Bake again at 375 for 7 to 10 minutes longer, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- Serve with your choice of side dishes, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Laura
Thursday 30th of September 2021
Does cook time change if I use boneless skinless thighs? My husband and I prefer them.
Laura
Saturday 2nd of October 2021
So... I did not realize my air fryer does not have a bake setting! Only air fry, roast, dehydrate and reheat. So I ended up doing them in the oven. I also used coconut oil because I did not have avocado oil on hand, and added Thyme to the seasoning. It was delicious all the same! Just took a bit longer for the bigger thighs.
Julia
Thursday 30th of September 2021
Hey there!
You can actually follow the same instructions using boneless! They may take 1 to 2 minutes less but the temp and time will be fairly close. You can always go for less time and use a thermometer to check the internal temperature just to be sure. :)
Jo
Thursday 30th of September 2021
I’ve been making air fried chicken thighs for years. I don’t use any oil and I cook for a longer time. They don’t burn and are perfectly crispy.
Julia
Thursday 30th of September 2021
Awesome!