Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe (Bone-In, Skin-On)

When it comes to making bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, it doesn’t get much better than this Air Fryer Chicken Thighs recipe. They always turn out nice and crispy on the outside and the meat is moist and tender on the inside.

Not to mention, they are super easy to make and require only 5 basic ingredients! A true, budget-friendly meal that will have dinner on your table in less than 45 minutes! It will surely become one of your favorite weeknight meals.

Serve them as a stand alone main dish with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes. Or make extra thighs and use the meat in your lunch time salad, sandwich or wrap.

Although I love to make Instant Pot Crispy Chicken Thighs when I am starting with frozen chicken, I find it much easier to make fresh chicken thighs in my Power 360 Air Fryer.

But the best part about this recipe is that the thighs required no breading to turn out crispy. With a simple homemade seasoning, the skin will begin to bubble up and turn golden brown in color at the end of the cooking process.

So the next time that you are looking for a quick and easy, low-carb dinner recipe, be sure to make these chicken thighs in your air fryer!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

Chicken Thighs – Of course, you will need chicken thighs to make this recipe. However, be sure to purchase bone-in, skin-on thighs.

Even if you don’t eat the skin, the added flavor that it provides to the meat is worth it. Skin is essentially fat and fat equals flavor. As the chicken cooks the fat will drip down into the meat adding a little extra flavor to the meat.

However, more importantly the skin serves another purpose. The chicken skin helps protect the meat from overcooking and helps the meat retain moisture.

Kosher Salt – I always use Kosher salt when seasoning meats. However, if you use table salt in place of Kosher salt, be sure to slightly reduce the amount, as table salt is more concentrated.

Ground Black Pepper – Fresh ground black pepper will provide the chicken with the most flavor.

Garlic Powder – Garlic powder is a classic ingredient in any dry rub recipe. I use it all the time and even in my Air Fryer Salmon Recipe.

Onion powder – Another classic dry rub ingredient.

Dry Italian Seasoning – The simple combination of classic Italian flavors provides the chicken with amazing flavor. Oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme and parsley are typically included in the seasoning mixture.

Smoked Paprika – This single ingredient is one of my favorites! I use it in place of sweet paprika in most of my recipes, and it is a staple ingredient in all of my dry rubs. I actually purchase a 1 pound bag of Smoked Paprika because I use it that often.

HOW TO TELL WHEN CHICKEN THIGHS ARE DONE

The only sure way to tell when the chicken thighs are done and ready to come out of the air fryer is to use an instant read digital thermometer. Insert the tip into the thickest section of each chicken thigh, being sure not to touch the bone.

Chicken thighs are safe to consume when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). However, I find that the chicken is even more tender and delicious when they are cooked to an internal temperature of 180°F (82°C).

Because chicken thighs contain more fat, the meat won’t dry out when cooked to this higher temperature. However, if you are cooking leaner chicken breasts, be sure to cook them just until they reach the safe temperature of 165°F.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER CHICKEN THIGHS

Chicken thighs can be served and enjoyed in a variety of ways. Use the chicken as a main dish and serve with one of the side dishes suggested below. Or remove the meat from the bone and serve it on your favorite salad or in a sandwich or wrap.

• Hash Brown Potato Casserole
• Amish Potato Salad
• Southwestern Potato Salad
• Dill Pickle Potato Salad
• Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
• Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes
• Garlic Green Beans
• Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Baked Beans
• Keto Cauliflower Casserole

AIR FRYER CHICKEN THIGHS RECIPE

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making chicken thighs in the air fryer is to preheat it for at least 5 minutes. Although not all brands require preheating, it is important to do so for this recipe.

That is because when you put your chicken in the basket, you want the air fryer to already be nice and hot so the cooking process can begin immediately.

While the air fryer is preheating, trim any excess skin off of the chicken. Then add the thighs to a large resealable bag and set aside.

In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and smoked paprika. If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can use Hungarian or sweet paprika instead.

However, I highly suggest you purchase smoked paprika in the future. I use this spice in a lot of my recipes and it adds a ton of flavor to the dishes!

Once the seasonings have been combined add the spice mixture to the chicken and shake to coat the thighs.

After the air fryer has been preheated remove the basket and spray it with a high heat oil such as olive or avocado oil. Place the chicken thighs in the basket, skin side down, and cook for 12 minutes.

Flip The Chicken Over

Then flip your chicken thighs over and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Continue to cook until the exterior is at the desired crispness level. For me, it took an additional 6 minutes in the air fryer to get the chicken thighs super crispy.

Check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. The chicken is cooked when the internal thermometer reads 165°F (74°C). Although if you want the meat to be fall off the bone tender, continue to cook until it reaches 180°F.

Remove the chicken from the air fryer and let it rest a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy! Mary

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OTHER GREAT CHICKEN THIGH RECIPES

• Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
• Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
• Crock Pot Chicken & Noodles
• Chicken Paprikash
• Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables
• Instant Pot Cajun Chicken (aka. Drunken Chicken)
• Instant Pot Orange Honey Bourbon Chicken

OTHER AIR FRYER CHICKEN RECIPES

• Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs
• Chicken Fried Steak
• Mini Chicken Sandwiches (copycat Chick-fil-A)
• Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (gluten free option included)
• Chicken Kabobs
• Chicken Parmesan
• Homemade Chicken Nuggets
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Chicken Wings
• ‘Grilled’ Chicken Breast
• Chicken Chimichangas