Air Fryer Fried Chicken Thighs

Air fryer fried chicken thighs boneless skinless with no buttermilk is our favorite copycat air fryer Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe that is way healthier than making them deep fried but just as crispy.

If you love KFC you’ll love these air fryer fried chicken thighs. Crunchy battered outer layer with tender juicy meat on the inside. Lightly season or serve with barbecue sauce on top when served. One of our favorite easy air fryer recipes we’ve made this week.

You don’t have to use thighs for this. It could be made with air fryer fried chicken breast but unless cut into smaller pieces that would take longer to cook thru. The breading would work just the same even if you used drumsticks.

You cannot use a wet batter to create the crunchy texture. Using a whisked egg, flour and seasonings is the best alternative. If you want it really thick you can dredge using the instructions below twice.

Ninja Foodi Fried Chicken Thighs

How Long to Cook Fried Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer

Coated with breading like you see here you are going to need 15-18 minutes or so to cook these all the way thru to the center so it reaches a safe 165F. Of course this will vary slightly with how large and thick your pieces are but this is generally perfect to keep them moist.

Can you use bone-in chicken thighs?

Technically yes but I highly recommend that you choose to use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I like these best even though they do cost a bit more. With bone-in the cook time is longer and it is much harder to eat (especially with kids) and the coating sloughs off when getting the meat off the bone.

Just spend the extra few dollars and buy them without. I’m not a huge chicken skin fan but if you are then get them with it on. Just make sure either way that you blot the outsides with paper towels to dry it. If not it won’t get as crunchy.

I mean kinda’. It isn’t “frying”, that is the whole benefit of this machine. You don’t need to submerge your food in calorie and fat laden oil. You’ll want to use some olive oil spray to brown the outsides nicely but beyond that the hot air does the work for you to get that same great texture.

Ingredient Notes

You want to start off with some fresh boneless skinless chicken thighs, but bone in skin on could be used. It may take a few more minutes and vary depending on how thick they are.

Your Egg should be whisked and added at room temperature if possible to keep it light.

1. All purpose flour will work as the breading of sorts
2. Raw or roasted air fryer garlic and/or onion powder will give it flavor, use other seasonings of your choice too
3. Paprika is one of favorites
4. Oregano is optional but a nice add in
5. Celery salt is a hidden gem and if you aren’t familiar with using this in other dishes you should try it.
6. Dry mustard is a nice pop of flavor
7. And a bit of salt and pepper in the flour will make the coating full of flavor. You might want a bit as well as sprinkled on top when serving it.

Can you use frozen chicken thighs?

If your meat is frozen you’ll want to defrost them for these instructions. If yours are still hard and you don’t have time then follow our frozen chicken thighs air fryer directions instead. They turn out great but breading isn’t possible because it won’t stick.

How to Bread Chicken Thighs so They are Crispy

Create an assembly line with the dry ingredients in one and your egg in another. Flour, egg, flour is the way to go and a spray of olive oil at the end to wet the outside so it crisps. In a bowl combine flour with garlic powder, paprika, oregano, celery salt, dry mustard, and salt and pepper. In another deep dish beat the egg.

Dip 1 thigh at a time into the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the flour again Coat each side well each time. Allow excess to fall off. Spray basket with olive oil non stick cooking spray. Place about 4 chicken thighs in the air fryer basket at the time. Spray tops lightly with olive oil spray and air fry.

Do you need to flip them over?

Yes ideally you are going to want to turn them over halfway through cooking time and spray tops again for best results. This will allow for even cooking and a bit of added oil will enhance the crispiness too on both sides.

Remove when internal temp is 165 degrees internal temperature and outsides are as brown as you’d like. If you are cooking a larger batch don’t put them all in at once. You need them to be in one layer so the air can circulate well.

Tips for Success

When you are cooking chicken pieces this way you don’t want them to be extremely thick. If they are the outside edges will get a bit overdone while the insides will remain too pink to consume. Air fryer chicken recipes are easy and delicious once you get the hang of them.

You could load up the flour mixture with other seasonings like Old Bay if you’re a fan of that or leave plain and simple with just salt and pepper. But if you’d rather and skip the coating all together to make regular you would need to follow our steps in air fryer chicken thighs.

Don’t let the process frighten you. If you follow our instructions below exactly you will be pleased for sure. These are always a hit with the kids because they can just pick them up with their fingers and dip into sauces for dinner. A printable recipe card with details and nutritional information is provided below.

Side Dishes

Traditionally you would find side dishes like mashed potatoes, macaroni salad, and/or different sauces. If you bring these to a potluck have others bring a salad and bread to complete the meal. Those are a given but you can go all out with other selections too.

Here are a few side dishes for chicken we love: Our smoked bread recipe gets thumbs up by kids and adults alike. If you want to use the same machine though you can try our air fryer bread instead. Vegetables are my family’s favorite when I make anything really. If you’re like us you might enjoy cauliflower in air fryer.

How do you save fried chicken?

That’s the million dollar question right?? It never seems as good as the first day that is true BUT if you use your Cosori or AirWave the next day it is as good as you’re gonna’ get. If you have leftovers make sure they are put into a freezer bag and suck all the air out of it. Store in the fridge and reheat within the next 2 days.

You can warm in the microwave to get the middle hot for about 1 minute. Then air fry once it’s preheated for 5 minutes at 400 for about 4 minutes to crisp the skin back up. That is the best two part method I have found and swear by. Try it yourself and see if you are now a believer!

If you still aren’t a huge fan of the texture then instead of wasting it, dice it up and throw it on top of a bowl of rice or vegetables.