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This ultra crispy air fryer chicken thighs recipe is quick and simple to prepare, perfectly seasoned, and makes the juiciest, most flavorful chicken! The crispy skin is just the best.
You may also like my Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings or Easy Baked Chicken Thighs.
Why you’ll love it
Air fryers are magical little appliances that can make “fried” chicken without all the mess and fuss of deep frying. There’s very little oil in this air fryer chicken thighs recipe, so they’re much healthier. And tastier. This will absolutely be your new fave way to cook chicken!
Pantry ingredients make up the irresistible seasoning rub in this easy air fryer chicken thigh recipe. You don’t need much to let the chicken shine! Chicken thighs are more flavorful than chicken breast, and this makes a great weeknight dinner. That crispy skin. Mmm…
What you’ll need
- Chicken thighs – we’re using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Olive oil – a little goes a long way in an air fryer to make the skin crisped up and golden
- Seasoning – our simple rub includes Italian seasoning (a blend of delicious dried herbs in a single jar), onion powder, and garlic powder along with salt & pepper
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is my air fryer model. The hot air circulates like a little convection oven for even cooking. I use kitchen tongs to turn the chicken.
- An inexpensive instant read meat thermometer ensures it’s at least 165F in the thickest part (but I like chicken thighs to be 175F or more since it makes them more tender).
- I love to clean the air fryer basket with Dawn Powerwash.
How to make air fryer chicken thighs
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Spray your air fryer with cooking spray, and preheat it. Dry the chicken with paper towel, and add to a prep bowl. Rub with olive oil, and toss with the seasoning. Add the thighs, skin-side down, to the basket. Cook, flipping halfway. Let rest before serving.
Helpful tips
- Air fryers and the size of chicken thighs can vary, so if your air fryer runs hot or you’ve got smaller chicken thighs, you may want to test them for doneness a bit earlier than the recipe timing suggests so that they’re not overcooked.
- Often, the basket air fryers cook a bit slower than the oven-style ones. This recipe has been tested in a basket-style air fryer. Luckily, chicken thighs are more forgiving than chicken breasts, so a bit of overcooking isn’t a bad thing!
Substitutions and variations
- I use a sea salt grinder for most of my cooking, but sometimes I like to switch it out with Tony’s seasoning or seasoning salt.
- You could swap the seasoning rub for your favorite jarred variety. Some ingredients like brown sugar and paprika can burn, though, so be mindful of timing.
- If you want to make this with boneless skinless chicken thighs, they will cook faster. Try 12-14 minutes total at 400F.
What to serve with air fryer chicken thighs
- These are so versatile. A creamy side like my Creamy Penne Pasta or Creamy Pesto Gnocchi makes a great pairing.
- Try my Stick of Butter Rice or a big pile of my Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. with Garlic Sautéed Mushrooms.
- For salad options, I like this Easy Potato Salad with Bacon, my Easy Greek Pasta Salad, or mixed greens with my homemade Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store for 3-4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 375F for about 4-6 minutes, or more depending on size and how cold they are. Let them sit for a couple of minutes or so to redistribute the juices.
- You can freeze them for 3 months, but keep in mind that the skin won’t be as crispy when it’s thawed as originally.
More easy chicken recipes
If you made these chicken thighs in the air fryer, please leave a star rating and review below! I’m also on Instagram if you want to tag me so that I can see your S&L creations.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large bone-in skin-on chicken thighs about 1.5-2 lbs. total
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray and preheat your air fryer to 400F.
- Dry the chicken thighs with paper towels and add them to a fairly large prep bowl. Toss/rub them with the olive oil, salt & pepper (I'm generous with both), Italian seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Add the chicken thighs (skin side down) to your air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 12 minutes then flip (use tongs to make it easy) and cook for another 10 minutes or until crispy and cooked through. If your chicken thighs are particularly small or large, you may need to adjust cooking time, and keep in mind air fryers can vary in their wattage.
- Let the chicken rest for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Air fryers can vary a lot, so if you know yours runs hot, for example, check on the chicken a couple of minutes prior to the cooking time elapsing to see if it’s done. If your air fryer isn’t as powerful, simply add on some extra time if it’s not cooked yet.
- Chicken is cooked at 165F internal temp, but I prefer chicken thighs to be at least 175F to be tender, and I like to give the skin time to crisp up. They don’t dry out the same way as chicken breasts do so don’t worry if yours go over.
- If you’re doubling or tripling the recipe, you will need to cook the chicken in batches. Don’t crowd the air fryer basket or the skin won’t be nice and crispy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was SOOO good and so easy! My husband picked every little bit off the bone! This will definitely be added to our weeknight rotation. 2 questions: 1.If I double it next time, do you have any tips/tricks for how to keep the 1st batch warm? 2. Can you use all chicken parts (thighs, drumsticks, breasts) for this? If so would they cook the same time/temp?
Hi Madison! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! That’s awesome. You could loosely tend some foil over top. Or perhaps keep it warm in a warming drawer in the oven? I think using various chicken parts would be fine, but I would probably use a meat thermometer the first couple times at least just to make sure that they’re fully cooked so you get an idea of the general timing. I am actually working on a recipe for air fried chicken breasts. They’re a little trickier because they dry out more easily, so I will be testing timing with various sizes.
Hands down the best recipe. I love crispy chicken and this is easy and delicious. Cater the spices to your liking- I did Natasha’s recommendation for my kids, and added cayenne and paprika to mine.
Thank you, Elizabeth!!
Excellent!
Thank you so much!
This recipe was ridiculously easy and delicious. The spices on the chicken were very flavorful. The chicken was juicy and the skin was crispy perfection. My whole family liked it so much we had it two nights in a row!
Aww I love that!! 😀
Oh so good!
Thank you so much, Penny!! 😀