These Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are moist inside and crispy outside! This 30-minute meal is a family favorite made from simple pantry staples.
“This is literally such a great recipe for air fryer chicken thighs! I made these last night and my whole family loved them”
Chicken thighs are the most flavorful cut of the bird and these Air Fryer Chicken Thighs deliver on flavor.
Just three pantry staple spices and a spritz of spray oil is all you need to take your chicken thighs in the air fryer from raw to ready in half an hour!
Got more cuts of chicken? Try our Air Fryer Fried Chicken for your bone-in pieces, our Air Fryer Chicken Breast for a speedy yet juicy boneless breast cut, and our Air Fryer Chicken Wings for game night or date night.
What You’ll Need
- Chicken thighs bone-in. See details on using frozen thighs below.
- Spray oil: I prefer avocado oil, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Paprika
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
How to Make Them
This simple three-seasoning mixture is great for all cuts of chicken!
- Trim the chicken thighs as needed. Wash and pat dry.
- Mix paprika, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Season all sides of the chicken thighs. Seasoning not sticking well? Spray your chicken with a little oil before seasoning!
- Place chicken thighs in air fryer basket. Want to reduce cleanup? Line your basket with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Cook chicken thighs at 400°F or 200°C for about 18 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway through cooking.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips for Frozen Thighs
You can use previously frozen thighs that have been thawed, but the seasoning will not stick well to frozen meat.
Put your frozen chicken thighs in the refrigerator for 1-2 nights before cooking.
Forgot to thaw the thighs? Pop them in a ziplock bag and submerge them in a cold water bath in a bowl or plugged sink.
Change the water every half hour to keep chicken at a safe temperature (always less than 40°F or more than 140°F) to avoid bacterial growth.
Whole 30 Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
We often get a lot of questions, if our recipes are Whole 30 compliant. Some of our recipes are Whole 30 Air Fryer Recipes and some do not fit that category.
This Whole 30 Air Fryer Chicken Thighs recipe is compliant with the typical recommendations.
The whole 30 way of eating emphasizes whole foods and the elimination of sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy.
FAQs
Dark meat is slightly higher in fat content, but chicken in general is lower in saturated fats than salmon and leaner than pot roast, ground beef, pork chops, and sirloin steaks.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Small bowl
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs bone-in
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Spray oil
Instructions
- Trim chicken thighs as needed. Wash and pat dry.
- Mix paprika, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a small bowl. Combine well.
- Spray chicken thighs with oil (optional) to help spices stick. Pat spice mixture onto both sides of chicken thighs.
- Place chicken thighs in air fryer basket. To help with cleanup, line basket with parchment paper or aluminum foil first.
- Cook chicken thighs for about 18 minutes at 400°F/200°C. Flip chicken after 9 minutes.
Nutrition
We love our air fryer and I have been making lots of delicious things with it. These thighs are certainly not an exception. So juicy, flavorful and delicious. I’m going to be making them all of the time this way. Thanks!
Fantastic news Beth! So glad you loved the air fryer thighs!
I am so glad I came across this recipe. I am single so cooking small portions is needed. I was able to cut the recipe in half easily to fit my needs.
HI Ben, so glad you came across the recipe, tried it and liked it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Simple and delicious,, my kind of meal. Love the crispy skin on the thighs!
HI Andrea! Thanks for letting us know that you tried and liked the air fryer chicken thighs!
I love using my air fryer for healthy appetizers and meals. I just tried your air fryer chicken thighs, and they came out so delicious! I love this easy recipe.
Yay, I am so excited you tried and liked our air fryer chicken thighs!
Really frustrated now that I don’t have an air fryer haha. But this looks fantastic and might be just the reason I get one. The seasonings are perfect and simple, even for non-air fryer chicken!
Ha, we need to get you an air fryer! Come back and let us know when you get one!
Fantastic chicken thighs to enjoy over the weekend. I have a lot of them in the fridge, and was wondering what to make with them… I know now! 😉
Hope that you enjoy, please come back and let us know!
I haven’t made this yet but I’m planning on making this for dinner tonight! I’ll post pictures and my review of this recipe tomorrow! 🙂
Thank you Michelle! Yes, do come back and let us know!
My air fryer (Ninja) has a crisper plate that goes in the basket. I don’t see or read where you use a crisper plate…so …. does the skin crisp up without this? The crisper plate is a devil to clean up! Thanks, Sue ([email protected])
Hi Sue! I am thinking that the crisper plate is like the inner basket of mine. It raises the food up so air can circulate all around it. The skin does get somewhat crispy. You can spray additional oil to help it crisp more. Yes, those inner baskets/crispers can be very hard to clean!!! 🙂
Hi, the chicken thighs look delicious. I was wonder if you use boneless things do you change the cooking time?
I haven’t tried boneless thighs yet, but it should be similar. You might be able to lessen the cooking time. If you have a meat thermometer I’d check it with that and adjust the time accordingly 🙂
Fixed for our supper. Turned out great. Will now be our go to recipe for chicken.
Hi Marcia! I am so excited you made these and loved them! Thanks for coming back and letting us know. It helps other readers too!
Just wanted to let you know, this is our go to recipe for chicken. Have made it several times over the last 4 months.
That is awesome!! So glad you love the chicken thighs recipe! So glad you’ve made it several times and have enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back and letting us know!
This is literally such a great recipe for air fryer chicken thighs! I made these last night and my whole family loved them
Hi Kevin, so glad you loved the air fryer chicken thighs, glad to hear its your favorite recipes!