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These air fryer chicken thighs are a crispy, juicy, flavorful protein dish that takes less than 30 minutes to make. No flipping! This recipe uses my homemade chicken dry rub, which also goes great on wings, chicken breasts, drumsticks, or the whole chicken. Pair this easy air fryer chicken dinner with your favorite starches and veggies.
This easy air fryer chicken thighs recipe makes juicy, perfectly seasoned chicken in under 30 minutes. The best part is, you don’t even have to flip them halfway through, and you’ll still get delicious, evenly cooked chicken thighs with crispy skin every time. They’re perfect for meal prep or a back-pocket dinner for busy weeknights and lazy weekends. And if you love this chicken thigh recipe, try my air fryer BBQ chicken thighs and spicy Cajun chicken thighs, too.
Why Make Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
These are some of the best chicken thighs you’ll make. Here’s why:
- Only 2 steps: Season your bone-in chicken thighs and add them to the air fryer to cook.
- Crispy and juicy: The hot air circulating inside the air fryer crisps up the chicken skin while keeping the meat juicy.
- Meal prep-friendly: Chicken thighs are wonderful for meal prep and relatively affordable in most grocery stores. Store this juicy air fryer chicken in the fridge for quick, protein-packed meals.
Ingredients Needed
You’ll find the complete recipe with amounts in the recipe card below, but here are quick notes on what I use to make perfect air fryer chicken thighs.
- Chicken Thighs: I’m using raw, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Chicken Dry Rub: This is my go-to chicken dry rub recipe. It includes common pantry staples like garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. You can see the recipe tips section for other seasoning ideas, including garlic butter.
- Oil: I’m using avocado oil because it has a high smoke point. But you could substitute vegetable oil or melted coconut oil.
Can I Use Boneless Chicken Thighs?
Yes. The only difference between boneless and bone-in chicken thighs is the cooking time. Boneless chicken cooks more quickly. Refer to my air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe if you’re using boneless thighs.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
I tested this recipe in my Ninja Foodi air fryer.
Season the Chicken
For the best flavor, season the meat by drizzling it with oil and rubbing on 2 tablespoons of the dry rub per pound of meat.
Air Fry
For best results, arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer, skin side up, in the air fryer basket. Cook on “Air Crisp” or “Air Fry” for 22-24 minutes.
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How Long Do You Cook Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer?
The exact cooking times will depend on the air fryer you’re using and the size of your chicken thighs. The good news is that chicken thighs are very forgiving. For this chicken thighs recipe, I recommend checking the chicken after 22 minutes. Cook until the chicken hits 165ºF at the thickest part of the thigh.
Easy Variations
- Switch up the spice mix. These chicken thighs taste great with my homemade chicken dry rub, but you can also use BBQ seasoning or Cajun seasoning.
- Use garlic butter. Swap the oil and seasonings with lemon garlic butter sauce, Cajun garlic butter, or garlic herb butter. Follow the cooking directions and steps for my bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, and toss the chicken in the butter halfway through the cooking time.
- Season to taste. I prefer 2 tablespoons per pound of meat, but you can start with 1 tablespoon if you’re unsure. You can always add extra dry rub at the end after cooking (in the same way that you’d use a finishing salt).
- Marinate the chicken. For even more flavor, add a chicken marinade before cooking. Pat the chicken completely dry before you add the seasonings.
What to Serve With These Chicken Thighs
Crispy, seasoned air fryer chicken thighs are great to serve with easy sides like garlic butter rice, cauliflower rice pilaf, and veggies like sautéed spinach or a fresh cucumber onion salad. Or, make them into a meal with any of the following side dish ideas:
Recipe FAQs
Yes! In fact, all of my air fryer chicken recipes include raw meat.
I prefer 400ºF for most chicken cuts.
Not for this recipe! Leave the chicken facing skin side up inside the air fryer until it’s done cooking.
The secret to moist, tender air fryer chicken thighs is to pat the chicken dry before you add the oil and seasonings, and to cook at a high temperature. This helps the skin sear, locking in the flavors.
Sure. If you’d prefer, you can bake bone-in chicken thighs at 425ºF for 35 minutes, then broil the chicken for another 2-3 minutes to crisp up the skin.
How to Store Air-Fried Chicken Thighs
- Refrigerate leftovers. If you have any leftovers from this delicious, crispy chicken thighs recipe, the best way to store them is in an airtight container or wrap them up tightly in aluminum foil for next time. This chicken lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat. You can reheat these chicken thighs in the air fryer at 400ºF until hot throughout. Alternatively, use the microwave.
- Freeze. Another option is to freeze the cooled chicken thighs in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw the chicken in the fridge before reheating.
More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
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Ninja Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken Thighs, bone-in and skin-on
- 2 tablespoons Best Chicken Dry Rub Seasoning, click for recipe
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or olive oil
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Add the chicken to a large bowl or Ziploc bag.
- Add the Chicken Dry Rub seasoning and oil to the bowl with the chicken. Then, evenly coat it with the seasoning and oil.
- Add the chicken to the air fryer cooking basket skin side up.
- Air Crisp the thighs at 400 degrees for 22-24 minutes.
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Recipe Notes
- Switch up the spice mix: these chicken thighs taste great with my homemade chicken dry rub, but you can also use my bbq seasoning or cajun seasoning.
- Swap the oil and spices with a garlic butter: add flavor and cook your air fryer chicken thighs at the same time, by swapping the oil and seasonings for a full flavored garlic butter. Some options from the site are lemon garlic butter sauce, cajun garlic butter, and garlic herb parmesan butter. You can use the same directions and steps from my air fryer garlic butter chicken thighs
- Use 1-2 tablespoons of dry rub: I prefer 2 tablespoons per pound of meat, but you can start with 1 tablespoon if you’re unsure. You can always add extra dry rub at the end after cooking (in the same way that you’d use a finishing salt).
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
