🍗 Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Juicy • Crispy • Easy
Air fryer chicken thighs are crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.
🧾 Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or boneless if preferred)
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Optional: ½ tsp smoked paprika or cayenne for extra flavor
🔥 Instructions
- Prep the chicken
- Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
- Rub olive oil evenly over each piece.
- Season
- In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Rub the seasoning mixture evenly over all sides of the chicken.
- Preheat air fryer
- Set to 400°F (200°C) for 3–5 minutes.
- Cook the chicken
- Place chicken thighs skin-side down in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Cook 10 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 8–12 minutes, depending on size.
- Internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).
- Rest & serve
- Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with your favorite veggies, salad, or roasted sides.
💡 Tips for Juicy Chicken Thighs
- Pat the skin dry to make it extra crispy.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket—cook in batches if necessary.
- Bone-in, skin-on gives the juiciest results, but boneless works too.
- Optional: marinate 30 minutes in olive oil, lemon, and herbs for extra flavor.
🔁 Variations
- Spicy Cajun: add ½ tsp cayenne + 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Garlic Herb: sprinkle with dried rosemary, thyme, and minced garlic
- Lemon Pepper: squeeze fresh lemon juice over chicken after cooking
📊 Nutrition (per thigh, approx, bone-in, skin-on)
- Calories: 250–270 kcal
- Protein: 22–24g
- Fat: 17–19g
- Carbs: 0–1g
