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These air fryer chicken thighs are cooked to juicy perfection with bold seasoning and a browned crust: all in 15 minutes! It’s the weeknight dinner you’ll keep coming back to.
Hello and welcome to my favorite weeknight trick: air fryer chicken thighs! I am not lying when I say this is on my menu at least once a week. Alex and I make this on repeat and simply throw the warm sliced chicken over a salad or grain bowl. Dinner, solved!
The simple spice blend here is so irresistible (with a secret ingredient!), and they come out so delicious and juicy. Usually we add them to a made up creation or a bowl meal like chicken rice bowls, chicken Caesar salad, or Greek chicken bowls. Here’s how to do it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- So fast and hands off: It takes just 20 minutes and there’s no need to watch a skillet
- It’s extremely flavorful: Chicken thighs come out juicy every time and seasoned to perfection (they’re more forgiving than breasts)
- It’s versatile: It works in tacos, bowls, salads, or as a protein with sides
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need when it comes to ingredients: my spice blend really
- Boneless chicken thighs: I like using boneless skinless here: it cooks quickly and is easy to work with.
- My secret spice blend: If you’ve made one of my recipes, these savory spices will be familiar: garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. The secret spice for this one is curry powder: just enough to make it taste interesting without making it taste like curry. Alex tried this one evening and I immediately asked him, “What did you put in this?” You’ve got to try it!
- Olive oil: Just a hint of olive oil helps the spice rub cling to the chicken and make them brown to perfection.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
The method here is so simple! Here’s is the basic idea (or jump to the recipe below for ingredient quantities):
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Season the chicken. Toss the chicken thighs with all the spices and olive oil (see below).
- Arrange in the basket. Place the thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket: they will be snug.
- Cook for 13 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 170°F.
- Rest for 5 minutes before slicing (the rest makes for the juiciest chicken).
⭐ Air fryer recommendation: I use this air fryer, which has a very large basket so you can cook large quantities at once. I love it for this recipe, my air fryer salmon bites, air fryer chicken breast, air fryer sweet potatoes, and air fryer tofu.
Pro Tip on Air Fryer Size
In this recipe, I’ve called for 2 pounds of chicken, enough for 4 servings. You’ll need at least a 6.5 qt air fryer to fit 8 thighs comfortably in a single layer. If you have a smaller basket, cook in two batches for best results. Crowding the basket leads to steaming rather than browning.
How To Serve
This recipe is so versatile, it’s basically part of my meal plan these days. What’s for dinner? Air fryer chicken thighs! You can pair them with anything — here’s some of what I do:
- Over a simple grain or pasta: Serve over rice, farro, couscous, or orzo with a squeeze of lemon
- As part of a bowl: Pair with grains, a sauce, and some greens for an easy weeknight bowl. I love Green Goddess chicken rice bowls, Greek chicken bowls, and farro bowls.
- Sliced over salads: This warm spiced chicken is perfect on salads to make a main dish, like chicken Caesar salad or grilled chicken salad.
- In tacos: Slice and stuff into chicken tacos with your favorite toppings.
- Alongside dense salads like Mediterranean chickpea salad or Mediterranean quinoa salad.
Storage and Reheating
Leftovers store airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days. For reheating, reheat in the air fryer for a few minutes at 350°F.
Cooked chicken also freezes for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then transfer to a sealed container.
Dietary Notes
This air fryer chicken thighs recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free. It also fits the Mediterranean diet.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs (Perfectly Seasoned!)
These air fryer chicken thighs are cooked to juicy perfection with bold seasoning and a browned crust: all in 15 minutes! It’s the weeknight dinner you’ll keep coming back to.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner, Main Dish
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Mediterranean Diet
Ingredients
- 8 large boneless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skin optional, excess fat removed
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken thighs with the kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, curry powder, and olive oil. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket. It’s okay if they’re snug. (For this quantity, you’ll want an air fryer that’s at least 6.5 QT capacity.)
- Cook for 13 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 170°F. (If you want less blackening you can flip halfway through, but I like it blackened.)
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing, if desired.
