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GET IT NOWOh, air fryer chicken, you’ve saved me at dinnertime so many times! I’ve got lots of ways to cook this protein (a.k.a. my go-to protein) in this amazing little appliance (a.k.a. my daily appliance of choice 😉), but these air fryer chicken thighs are one of my simplest staples I return to again and again. They’re super easy, affordable, and the flavor of bone-in, skin-on chicken is hard to match. If you’re staring at a package of it right now and wondering what to do with it, make these air fried chicken thighs with me and thank me later!
Why You Need My Air Fryer Chicken Thigh Recipe
- Flavorful, juicy chicken with crispy skin – Nothing does it better than your air fryer. These are next-level juicy, and have so much flavor with just a few simple spices. And of course, they have that crisp skin we all love!
- Fastest way to cook – Ready in just 20 minutes from start to finish, these are faster than grilled chicken thighs, cast iron chicken thighs, or oven baked chicken thighs. And if I’m being honest, I think they taste even better.
- Simple, no-fuss recipe – Drizzle with oil, sprinkle on a few simple spices, pop your chicken thighs in the air fryer, and you’ll have an easy, healthy dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes. It doesn’t get any easier!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my air fried chicken thighs recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken Thighs – I love bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for their flavor and crispy skin, but you can also use boneless ones or even quarters (the thigh and drumstick combined). See my air fryer boneless chicken thighs and air fryer chicken quarters recipes for timing!
- Oil – You can get away with less when air frying chicken thighs compared to other methods, but you still need to helps the skin get crispy and for the seasonings to stick. Avocado oil or olive oil works great.
- Spices – Dried thyme (or you can swap in oregano or rosemary), smoked paprika (sweet paprika works too), garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper. If you like a little heat, a pinch of cayenne is a great addition.
Spice Variations:
Italian herbs, lemon pepper, or Cajun seasoning are all tasty on air fryer chicken thighs (just not all at once, lol). If your seasoning blend doesn’t have salt, add 1/2 teaspoon per pound. Or for something different, try my balsamic chicken marinade—it’s sweet, tangy, and so good!
How To Cook Chicken Thighs In The Air Fryer
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season the chicken. Toss it in a bowl and pat dry with paper towels. (This is important for the skin to crisp up!) Drizzle with avocado oil and mix to coat. Sprinkle on the thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix again.
- Air fry until crispy. Place the chicken thighs in the air fryer basket, in a single layer with space between the pieces. Air fry, flipping halfway through for even cooking. (See my tips below for timing recommendations.)
- Let them rest. Wait 5 minutes before digging in, to let the juices settle.
My Recipe Tips
- For faster prep, mix the seasoning mixture in a small bowl first. You can just season one-by-one, but then I find I’m washing my hands 50 times between flipping and seasoning (so the spices don’t stick to my hands).
- Want even crispier skin? Add a teaspoon of baking powder to the spices. It’ll absorb extra moisture on the skin as it cooks. I use this trick for chicken wings a lot!
- Tongs are the easiest way to mix. You can try a spoon or your hands, but I think tongs are so much easier! These are my favorite and won’t scratch your bowls.
- Don’t crowd the air fryer basket. My air fryer is big enough to fit all the chicken thighs in one go, but if yours is smaller, you’ll need to cook in batches. It’s important to leave some space between the pieces so the skin gets nice and crispy — and for the cook time here to be accurate.
- Which side goes down first? It doesn’t really matter, but I prefer to air fry chicken thighs skin side down first and finish skin side up. The skin gets more crispy that way.
- Can you skip flipping? Yes, you can. In that case, place the chicken thighs in the air fryer skin side up. I don’t notice that much difference in juiciness, but prefer the even browning you get if you flip.
- Check the internal temperature. It’s hard to dry out dark meat, but here you actually want a minimum target temp (rather than a max for white meat) for the juiciest result. Aim for at least 170 degrees F — even though they’re safe at 165 degrees F, this extra bit makes them much more tender. I use this probe thermometer and the cable sticks out of my air fryer just fine, but this meat thermometer works well, too.
- Forgot to thaw your chicken? I don’t usually recommend cooking frozen proteins, but it actually works for air fryer chicken thighs in a similar way to my air fried frozen wings! Air fry for 8-10 minutes first to thaw, without any seasonings. Transfer to a bowl, pat dry, season, and then proceed to air fry for the full time as usual.
Serving Ideas
These air fryer chicken thighs are very much a I-don’t-know-what-dinner-is-tonight kind of meal for me, so I usually opt for simple, healthy sides to use what I have. If you’re the same way, here are some ideas:
- Air Fryer Vegetables – I recommend quick options like air fryer broccoli or air fryer green beans, so you can cook them fast while the chicken rests.
- Other Veggies – If you prefer to cook them while you’ve got the chicken thighs in the air fryer, try my garlicky sauteed mushrooms, crispy smashed brussels sprouts, or for oven options, roasted cauliflower or roasted cabbage.
- Potatoes – Make it cozy with my air fried baked potatoes, or serve the thighs over air fried crispy potatoes. Just cook the spuds before the chicken and cover in foil.
- Salads – For a lighter, less-cooking kind of meal, pair your air fryer chicken thighs with my simple cucumber tomato salad, creamy cucumber salad, or 5-ingredient BLT salad.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs (Crispy, Juicy, Fast!)
These air fryer chicken thighs are flavorful and juicy with crispy skin, in just 20 minutes! All you need is avocado oil, herbs, and spices.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Place the chicken thighs into a large bowl and pat dry with paper towels. Drizzle with avocado oil and mix to coat.
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Season the chicken with salt, dried thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Mix again to coat.
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Place the chicken thighs in the air fryer in a single layer, so that they are only minimally touching each other, if at all. (Do this in batches if needed; do not crowd the air fryer basket.)
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Air fry bone-in chicken thighs for 15-20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches at least 170 degrees F. (Alternatively, for boneless chicken thighs, air fry for 12-14 minutes.)
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Remove the chicken from the air fryer and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken thigh
- Tips: Check out my recipes tips above to help you the juiciest chicken with the crispiest skin, shortcuts for easy seasoning and mixing, notes on flipping, and even how to make this recipe using frozen chicken.
- Store: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I like to shred them and toss in mason jar salads!
- Reheat: Pop the chicken thighs in the air fryer again, this time at 350 degrees F. I usually add them without preheating and set it to 2 minutes — they’re done by the time the timer goes off!
- Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. While I have a shortcut above to cook these from frozen initially, I do recommend thawing them first before reheating.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Freezer Meal System, Healthy Ebook Bundle, and Healthy Air Fryer Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
51 Comments
Rikesha
1OMG! Another good one, Maya! I absolutely love this seasoning mix. I am thinking of quadrupling putting it in a single container so I can use it as my go-to for chicken.
ANNA JENKINSON
0Greetings from South Africa. I have chicken thighs that are enormous and am battling to prepare succulent air fried thighs that are fully cooked and not tough. I tried to get more info and did the following: soaked in brine water for a few hours, marinaded overnight. Yet, the result is disappointing. I even tried a longer frying period at a lower temperature. Perhaps you could give me advice in this regard, PLEASE?!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Anna, I can’t tell from your comment if you made my recipe or not? These should come out quite juicy. I also recommend using a meat thermometer and ensure that your chicken thighs reach over 170 degrees F. That’s when the collagen in dark meat breaks down and gets tender. Hope this helps.
Evelynne Gnatek
0Hi – what is the cooking information for boneless chicken thighs? Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Evelynne, You can find my air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe here.
Vivien Lou Relos
0one of the best recipes of chicken i have encountered in the internet
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Wow, thank you, Vivien! That means a lot!
Leti
0Absolutely loved it. Added baking powder to the spice mixture to make it extra crispy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Leti! Great idea with the baking powder – I do this for my air fryer chicken wings, but should do it for thighs, too.
Kristina
0Was a surprising hit across the board (I personally loved it, but my family is more finicky when it comes to chicken) I served it on a plate of rice with a side of mixed veggies… was sooo good I’m making it again tonight ? and I didn’t have thyme so I used an Italian seasoning that had thyme in it.
Marjorie Heard
0Help! why can I not get my chicken to crisp up in my air fryer/toaster oven? Marj
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Hi Marjorie, This can be for a few reasons. It could be that you didn’t pat the chicken dry well enough, that it was too crowded in the basket, or that it needed to cook for longer. Also, make sure you’re cooking skin side down first and skin side up last. Hope this helps!
Joyce
0This recipe is awesome. The flavor is great and the chicken was juicy. My granddaughter gave me her approval.
Katy
0These were delicious! I’m still very new to air fryers, so I think I overcooked the thighs; also, some (I made 5) browned up much more beautifully than others…. Was that because they were not fully dry? Thanks again, Maya, for a wonderful recipe! Strawberry muffins tomorrow!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you enjoyed them, Katy! It’s pretty hard to overcook chicken thighs, but I do recommend using a meat thermometer and aiming for an internal temp of 170 degrees F. It can vary depending on their size. Yes, browning is very much affected by how well you dry them, so make sure to dry well next time. Hope this helps, and that you like the muffins, too!
Glenda
0Juicy, crispy deliciousness! Loved the thyme and smoked paprika. They really amped up the flavor.
Sara
0Sooooo good. I could eat skin-on chicken thighs every single day! These cooked perfectly in my air fryer, and we served them with some cauliflower mash.
Traci
0The chicken skin was so nice and crispy and the inside of the chicken was incredibly juicy! It turned out incredible! Will be making again! Also yes get the air fryer liners! Such a lifesaver!
Bella B
0I made these along with your air fryer carrots for dinner last night. It all turned out great! Thanks for the easy to follow recipes!
Jo Keohane
0These thighs are absolutely perfectly cooked. Great recipe and so fast!! Juicy chicken too.
rita
0Yes, you can buy the parchment air fryer liners for square are round ones I love them, especially the ones made like bowls all the grease goes in them no mess at all try them I think you will love them flat ones are great also.
Carol Kent
0I’m wondering how you keep the air fryer from filling up w the drippings. Last time I cooked air fryer chicken thighs, I had a LOT of drippings left behind. What a mess to clean up! ?
Kristina
1I use a silicone liner I got off Temu, washable and it has ridges so that it catches the juice and allows for easy pour if you want to use the juice for flavoring.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Kristina! That sounds similar to this liner set that I’m thinking about getting now.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carol, It’s normal for the bottom of the air fryer to have drippings. You can discard them, or use them to make gravy. What issue did you have with cleaning the basket? Mine is pretty easy. Some people buy liners, so you could try that, but the skin won’t get very crispy if the chicken is sitting in the drippings.
Teresa Virrey
0Just love your recipe for the air fried chicken thighs. Made it, and will make again.
Kathie Murphy
0Fabulous recipe! Thanks for posting!
Eric Branson
0Maya, can I do breasts and thighs together?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Eric, I wouldn’t recommend this just because the cook times are different, and so the timing to flip is also different. You could do it I suppose, but you’d have to time both correctly, so you’d flip the chicken breasts sooner and pull them out of the air fryer sooner.
Judith
0Worked perfectly, done from frozen.
Kathie Murphy
0Delicious Recipe! My husband and I have made this a weekly go to! Thanks for sharing!
Eddie
0Nice and easy. I enjoyed this simple recipe, the chicken came out juicy and flavorful.
George S Horn
0Mixing dry ingredients together, beforehand, will give an even coating, and assure flavor profile is same throughout. The use of the lemon as garnish is a good idea, because dark meat can be bitter and the lemon can help to cut bitterness. Maybe you should explain the lemon so others can either use or omit.-GSH
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi George, Thanks for your comment. It’s old but I’m reviewing old comments now and wanted to address anything that other readers might find helpful. For what it’s worth, I don’t find this chicken to be bitter at all, even without the lemon. Are you adding something to yours that makes it bitter? Lemon does add brightness to finish though, so can be a nice garnish for that reason.
Dana
0You gave a 2 star because of preference for mixing spices and lemon? Ouch… you’re a bit harsh, especially without mentioning anything about the quality of how it tasted or anything that mattered about the recipe. Try harder to be more kind and less critical.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for your kindness, Dana! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Kathie Murphy
0This recipe came out so well, it will be a weekly item. I used boneless thighs and it was great!
Cheryl
0Wow! Thanks! I was wondering about boneless 🙂
Lynn
0This was so delicious! My kids could not stop eating it!!
Jennifer
0Loved the flavor of these – the spices were perfect! And so easy to make in the air fryer – I’ll be making these again for sure!
Glenda
0The best thing about fried chicken is the crispy skin. Thanks so much for showing me just how to achieve that in my air fryer! This chicken was delicious!
Shelby
0My kiddos love munching on these because the outside is so crispy!
Sherry
0I love this Air Fryer Chicken recipe!! With your step by step instructions, my chicken thighs turned out perfect and they were so easy to make.
Kristyn
0My picky eaters love this!! It’s tasty & juicy! The air fryer makes it so easy!
Melissa
0Yum- so juicy and delicious. Easy to make – I recommend this recipe!
Taylor
0Just got a new air fryer and this recipe was first on my list to make! It was SO delicious. The skin was super flavorful and crispy and the chicken was perfectly moist and tender on the inside. Definitely making again!
Scarlet
0What a great way to cook chicken thighs. The excess oil dripped off and they were perfectly tender and juicy.
Jenni
0These chicken thighs are the best! Loved how easy they were to make, and they were so crispy and flavorful!
Kristyn
0Perfectly tender, juicy, & they are so tasty!! Good thing I have a ton of chicken…on the menu this week!
Taylor
0This recipe has the perfect balance of crispy outside and juicy inside, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Toni
0I love that this is quick and so easy to make! It is so tasty and delicious!