Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs

These air fryer boneless chicken thighs will become your favorite quick chicken dinner. And it's so great for meal prep too!

If you’re looking for a way to make your chicken crispy without using too much oil, then this air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe is exactly what you need.

❤️ Why you'll love it

• The chicken will stay tender. No one wants to eat dry, stringy chicken. Since it's so easy to overcook poultry meat, this can happen to even experienced home cooks. This boneless chicken thigh recipe will help you ensure that the thighs stay juicy on the inside with the perfect crispy texture on the outside.
• Ready in no time. These crispy chicken thighs are ready in just 15-20 minutes, making this an ideal recipe to throw together a quick and healthy meal anytime.
• Super easy. All you need to do is coat the thighs with your seasoning of choice and then allow the air fryer to work its magic. This is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken thighs!

🥘 Equipment Used

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For this quick meal, you are going to need an air fryer. The air fryer cooks food quickly, and you get the same crispiness you would normally achieve only by using a ton of oil. Thanks to hot air, the ingredients will get cooked uniformly without added fat and carbs.

There are a few main things to bear in mind when using an air fryer:

• As every device is different, you might have to fiddle around a bit with temperature settings to avoid overcooking your chicken.
• Spraying or brushing some oil onto the chicken will help you achieve the desired color and crispiness.
• Ideally, you would want to arrange the ingredients in one layer to ensure that they cook evenly.
• Use kitchen tongs to flip the chicken halfway.

🧾 Ingredients Used

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You only need three ingredients for this easy chicken recipe.

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: You can also use bone-in chicken, but it will need to cook slightly longer (see notes).
• Homemade seasoning: I use my homemade chicken dry rub for this recipe. It is so simple, with common ingredients like black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder, yet it adds layers of flavor.
• Olive oil spray. You can use avocado oil spray or your favorite oil.

🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs

This air fryer chicken recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes.

1. First, preheat the air fryer to 400F.
2. Wash the boneless chicken thighs and pat them dry.
3. Spray them with the oil spray, then rub the seasoning liberally all over the thighs.
4. Place chicken thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway.

🥫 Storing and Reheating

You can store air-fried chicken thighs in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also cook a big batch in advance and store the chicken in the freezer for a couple of months.

To reheat leftover chicken thighs, thaw the chicken in the fridge for about 24 hours and then reheat it in the air fryer for around 5 minutes at 380 degrees F.

💭 Helpful Tips

• If you have some time, marinate the chicken thighs beforehand. Use the homemade seasoning mentioned or your favorite sauce, and marinate the chicken for around 30 minutes at room temperature. This is a great way to add flavor thought-out the entire piece to avoid bland chicken.
• Brush the thighs with your sauce of choice before cooking or right after the chicken is out of the air fryer. Try my keto-friendly bbq sauce or buffalo sauce for take-out flavor without the high cost and excess sugar. Or you can add some harissa paste to make a version of this finger-licking harissa chicken!
• If you use bone-in chicken thighs, cook the chicken for at least five more minutes or until the meat closest to the bone in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F.
• Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes before serving for juicy, tender meat that's full of flavor.
• Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165F.

🍽️ What Can I Eat Chicken Thighs With?

This air fryer chicken thighs recipe goes well with pretty much any vegetable or your favorite sides. You can prepare green beans with bacon, cauliflower mac-and-cheese, or garlic and parmesan brussels sprouts to make your veggies a bit more exciting.

👩‍🍳 Frequently Asked Questions

📖 Recipe