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Several chicken thighs in the air fryer with lemon slices.
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5 from 9 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs (Boneless and Bone-In)

Cook these air fryer chicken thighs (bone-in skin-on ­or boneless skinless) in less than 30 minutes for a quick and easy dinner. Find out the simple secret to make them super crispy and delicious!
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:American
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Resting time 3 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Servings 4 thighs
Calories387 kcal
Cost $ 1.00 per person

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on or boneless, skinless (about 1 ½ to 2 pounds
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil or enough nostick cooking spray
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon salt Use 1 teaspoon salt for every pound of chicken
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or another dried herbs of choice such as thyme, oregano, or rosemary

Instructions

  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C). Use preferably thawed chicken and pat dry them very well.
  • Place chicken thighs on a plate and then spray on both sides with non stick spray (or lightly brush with olive oil).
  • Stir together the seasonings and sprinkle over the chicken, pressing on with your hands to get it to stick. Then flip the thighs and repeat the process.
  • Place two chicken thighs in the basket of the air fryer. They must be spread out (and not curled up). If your air fryer has a large basket, you may cook 4 thighs at once. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Then flip them and cook for 4-5 more minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 160°-165°F. If you are cooking them from frozen, cook for 10-12 minutes, then flip and cook for more 10-12 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the air fryer, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  • Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs: To make this air fryer chicken thighs recipe, preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C). Only use thawed chicken thighs and pat them dry very well. Although you can use frozen thighs, the skin won’t get as crispy! But if you don’t care about crispness, it will take about double the time to cook compared to thawed chicken.
  • Place chicken thighs on a plate and then spray on both sides with non stick spray (or lightly brush with olive oil).
  • Stir together the seasonings and sprinkle over the chicken, pressing on with your hands to get the seasoning to stick. Then flip the thighs and repeat the process.
  • Place two chicken thighs in the basket of the air fryer skin side down (fat will render without browning too much). If your air fryer has a large basket, you may cook 4 thighs at once. Do not overlap them! Cook for 10-12 minutes.
  • Then flip them and cook for 8-10 more minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part (do not let touch the bone) reads 160°-165°F.
  • Remove the chicken from the air fryer, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • The cooking times stated above are for our air fryer chicken thighs that weigh about 6 to 8 ounces each.
  • The nutritional facts are also for bone-in skin-on thighs. Boneless thighs will have fewer calories and fat.
  • You may use a slice or a good piece of bread under the basket to absorb the grease from the chicken thighs, reducing the amount of smoking while cooking the chicken.
STORAGE: 
  • FRIDGE: Store air-fried chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
  • FREEZE: If you don’t mind the skin-on chicken thighs to lose some crispness, you may freeze them for up to 3 months. It is one of those easy freezer meals that you will want to make again and again.
  • Reheat them in a preheated air fryer at 390°F/200°C for about 3 minutes (boneless) or 5 minutes (bone-in), or until crispy and heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1276mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

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