Best bone in air fryer chicken thighs with dry rub is an easy way to cook crispy chicken in Ninja Foodi thatโs tender and juicy inside. For this youโll need defrosted meat, if not follow our air fryer frozen chicken thighs timing.
These air fryer chicken thighs bone-in were our latest meal. Yes, I have been obsessed with creating easy air fryer recipes lately! For breakfast, lunch and dinner our handy crisping machine comes out great. Using our sweet dry rub, everyone gave it a thumbs up. (affiliate links present)
Table of Contents
- Ninja Foodi Bone-in Chicken Thighs
- Can you air fry frozen bone-in chicken thighs?
- Why we love air fryer chicken thighs
- Ingredients
- Variations
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Dry Rub
- What temperature do you cook chicken in an air fryer?
- How Long to Cook Bone-In Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
- How to Cook Bone In Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer No Breading
- Can you reheat leftover chicken thighs in the air fryer?
- Bone in Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ninja Foodi Bone-in Chicken Thighs
Yes you can use your Ninja Foodi pot as well to make these. It doesnโt matter what brand you have, they all basically work the same. Chicken thigh recipes are cheap and so flavorful.
That is what we started with and now we have a few different machines. Yes it is true. I like to try out different sizes and brands so that I can honestly say whether it works for them all. The only real difference is how many pieces you can fit in at the same time. For this 4-5 is about right for each round.
If you love extra crispy food and quick recipes, here are some resources to start with:
- My Favorite models are this Cosori or for a dual machine, the Foodi.
- You can find more Ninja Foodi recipes here as well; bookmark them both!
- It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. this is how to preheat air fryer first.
- Hereโs a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
Can you air fry frozen bone-in chicken thighs?
Yes! We go over Cooking Frozen Chicken Thighs to Tender a number of different ways and this is one of our favorites. With a lower temperature at the beginning the meat can defrost and then cook right in the same basket, crisping at the end!
I didnโt do quarters, rather just thighs and separately cooked air fryer chicken legs another time. If you cook together it takes approx. 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
I prefer to defrost first but you can at 360 degrees F for 25 minutes, then 5 minutes at 400 to crisp skin. Air fryer frozen wings work out quite well though.
Why we love air fryer chicken thighs
- Thighs are really cheap
- The meat inside is super moist
- If you use bone-in with the skin on the tops will get deliciously crispy
- Theyโre done start to finish in about 30 minutes which makes for a quick and delicious meal for sure.
This is what we started with here. I bought basic store brand bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on. They are the cheapest cuts of chicken ever and overlooked a lot I feel. Once theyโre done theyโll be packed with flavor, tender on the inside and crispy skins on the outside. No breadcrumbs required here.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs โ can use more but 4 fit perfectly without overlapping. If using boneless minutes would need to be adjusted for less time
- Olive oil will help seasonings stick and crisp the outsides
- Spices, se what you normally would use to coat a whole chicken and bake it.
Variations
We also have a recipe below for a sweet brown sugar dry rub you can try, or use our marinated chicken air fryer sauce. I love using an air fryer grill pan too sometimes.
- Brown sugar โ optional
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Black pepper can be added too if you like
If making our brown sugar chicken rub the top skin will get dark brown because the sugar is going to caramelize. Not to worry. We did 10 minutes time once the skin was facing up and everyone in the house agreed that they were amazing!!
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Dry Rub
Rub thighs with olive oil, then mix together our amazing chicken wing dry rub you can use on thighs, or the few items we have listed below. Massage chicken thighs with olive oil, then use:
- Salt free seasoning
- Or mix even amounts of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- Another option is to go simple with a sprinkle of Lawryโs seasoning
- Marinating is great too.
Soak your thighs in your favorite type overnight in the fridge.
What temperature do you cook chicken in an air fryer?
It depends but this one is perfect set to 375 degrees. Other Ninja Foodi chicken recipes may be set to a bit lower or higher depending on whether the pieces are breaded or not and how thick they are.
How Long to Cook Bone-In Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
- Total cook time for our chicken thigh recipe was 25 minutes. Timing will vary slightly depending on how large each piece is. Our total weight for 4 pcs. was 2.3 lbs.
- For boneless skinless it is closer to 16 minutes for boneless.
Something like a Cornish hen in air fryer takes longer since it is a whole bird, but much smaller. Use this air fryer cook times printable for more info.
Here is a quick rundown of how to air fry thighs easily. I have a printable version at the bottom of this post as well.
How to Cook Bone In Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer No Breading
- Mix brown sugar and all spices together well in a bowl. (or if you want to just sprinkle with salt and pepper, skip this step)
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees for at least 5 minutes.
Trim any excess fat hanging off the sides of your chicken thighs (ours were bone-in with skin on). Rub olive oil on each thigh. - Rub herbs and spices on top and bottom. Any youโd like. If you want to try our brown sugar mixture, first rub olive oil on outside of each, press meat on to rub so it sticks, do this on both sides.
- Place thigh on to trivet that has been sprayed with non stick spray turned upside down, with skin side down. Do this for all 4 thighs. Try not to overlap in the air fryer.
- Always ensure your chicken reaches a safe 165 degrees internal temperature before eating.
- Set to 375 degrees and cook for 15 minutes. Then open lid and flip all chicken thighs over so skin side is now facing up.
- Cook at 375 degrees for an additional 8-12 minutes.
It is important to flip them halfway through so you get a nice golden brown on both sides. Always ensure the internal temperature of your piece of chicken is at least 165. Similar to air fryer chicken leg quarters. A great choice if you want larger pieces. The air fryer cooks fried chicken without oil which we love!
Can you reheat leftover chicken thighs in the air fryer?
Yes, with chicken breast recipes you can do the same thing but add more time since those are thicker. We love all the parts and pieces of this bird in our hot air fryer! This is how to reheat chicken in air fryer to crisp up the outside so the texture is pleasant again.
Other easy thigh recipes youโll love
- Oven baked thighs are great, as well as our Instant Pot frozen chicken thighs.
- If you have a smoker I would make our Traeger smoked chicken thighs with a teriyaki marinade for dinner.
- Youโll find more Foodi air fryer recipes here too.
I havenโt found many at all myself other than some models have a pretty small basket. I like large air fryer with shelves, itโs perfect for large families.
Absolutely! It requires less oil than if you deep fried the pieces or whole bird. This makes the pieces generally healthier than oil immersed counterparts. Using an air fryer to cook bone in chicken thighs can cut calories and fat content.
If you want really crispy skin the key is olive oil spray. You can add another minute or so after re-spraying to get it really really golden brown to your liking but keep a close eye on them as it doesnโt take long once you hit 165 internally for it to dry out.
Below is a printable recipe that lists nutritional information as well. Calories, saturated fat and other amounts will vary depending on the cuts you choose, and size.
Bone in Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 air fryer or ninja foodi
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs, approx 2 lbs, bone-in with skin on is what we used
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Chicken Thigh Dry Rub
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 c brown sugar, optional if you want sweetness, can omit
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Mix brown sugar and all spices together well in a bowl. (or if you want to just sprinkle with salt and pepper, skip this step)Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees for at least 5 minutes.
- Trim any excess fat hanging off the sides of your chicken thighs (ours were bone-in with skin on).
- Rub olive oil on each thigh and put herbs and spices on top and bottom. Any you'd like. If you want to try our brown sugar mixture shown above then: Pour spice mixture on to a plate. Rub olive oil on outside of each chicken thigh, top and bottom.
- Press thigh on to plate so spice mixture sticks, do this on both sides. Place thigh on to trivet that has been sprayed with non stick spray turned upside down, with skin side down.
- Do this for all 4 thighs. Try not to overlap in the air fryer.
- Set to 375 degrees again and cook for 15 minutes. Then open lid and flip all chicken thighs over so skin side is now facing up. Cook at 375 degrees for an additional 8-12 minutes. Check at 8 minutes to see if you want it browner and/or chicken is done inside.
- ** You can brush on bbq sauce the last few minutes to caramelize if you like.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a great quick recipe. My husband loved them. They are moist and tender, with a crispy skin. I left out the brown sugar and used onion powder instead of garlic. Will be making again. Thank you!
So glad you loved them
Very good simple sweet rub. Thank you.
Made this tonight but used Kansas City steak seasoning on the chicken! It was delicious. Had never made chicken in the air fryer before but needed a quick option!
Iโm new to this gadget so Iโm confused with what button to press to cook itโฆam I Bake/roasting the chicken 1st or strictly cooking it using the Air Crisp? Sorry if Iโm not quite understanding, thereโs just so many ways to use this and when I use the Air Crisp it was just to crisp up the skin after using the pressure cooker. Thank you in advance.
If youโre referring to a Ninja Foodi you use the air crisp function with the lid that is attached to make air fryer recipes.
Thank you for asking this question because I was perplexed as well!
We tried this recipe tonight and it turned out really good! I used a harissa rub that I made a paste out of by infusing with olive oil to marinate the chicken. Came out juicy and tender, used skin on bone in thighs. Paired it with some sheet pan yukon potatoes and kale. Excellent! Very versatile recipe! Thanks for sharing ๐
Yay!
Were the green beans canned or fresh
Green beans addedโฆ
This sounds really weird, but just before I turned the 4 pieces of chicken, I pull out the basket, threw a bunch of green beans in the bottom, replaced the chicken and basket, and cooked it all a remaining 10 minutes. The green beans cook in the seasoned fat from the chicken rub at the bottom. They cook to the the point of crispy. I put them in paper towels, like I would with bacon, to absorb a lot of the fat. Throw salt on them. Like I said, it sounds weird, but my husband and I both love the taste and texture.
Yay great idea!!
These turned out awesome! A prefect quick weeknight meal. Iโm always looking for new ways to use my Foodi. I canโt wait to try some of your other recipes.
Yay, so glad they were a hit!
Iโve been very skeptical about the air fryer. Itโs so big and bulky and cooks small portions. That being said this chicken was delicious. I threw some potatoes in when I turned the chicken. Iโll be more open minded!
Yay!!! It took me a while to get into it too but now I love it! Hope my recipes help you love it too.
Calories from Fat is a high percentage
Are you aware of how chicken thighs work? Clearly the fat didnโt come from the ingredients in the recipe other than the thighs.
Whatโs your point? Donโt make it if you donโt want to.
Itโs perfect for my keto self.