These Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are moist inside and crispy outside! This 30-minute meal is a family favorite made from simple pantry staples.
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.
In other words, you are becoming an air fryer expert!
How to make Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
This simple three-seasoning mixture is great for all cuts of chicken!
- Trim chicken thighs as needed. Wash and pat dry.
- Mix paprika, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
- Season all sides of 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 chicken halfway through cooking.
- Serve and enjoy!
Is dark meat unhealthy?
While white meat chicken — breasts and wings — are leaner and lower in fat, thighs and legs are richer in nutrients such as iron and zinc.
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.
Can I use frozen chicken thighs?
You can definitely 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 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.
More yummy air fryer recipes
We have so many air fryer recipes to choose from!
If you are having trouble figuring out which one to try next, we suggest: Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Baked Potato, Shrimp in the Air Fryer, Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings and Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Looking for purchase an air fryer? Wondering which air fryer is right for you?
Here are my TOP picks of air fryers on the market today!
Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven.
If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the "Air Fry" function.
Meat Air Fryer Resources - We have a Meat/Veg Air Fryer Newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. We also have several Air Fryer Facebook Groups that you can join (see below for links).
Vegetarian Air Fryer Resources – We have a vegetarian air fryer newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. We also have a specific vegetarian air fryer recipes group on facebook.
If you are looking for vegetarian recipes beyond air fryer ones, we have a Vegetarian Newsletter as well as a Vegetarian Recipes facebook group. This newsletter and FB group offers up recipes that on the stove, in the oven, on the grill, in the instant pot and more!
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Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Air fryer
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
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Beth
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!
Cindy
Fantastic news Beth! So glad you loved the air fryer thighs!
Ben
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.
Cindy
HI Ben, so glad you came across the recipe, tried it and liked it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Andrea Metlika
Simple and delicious,, my kind of meal. Love the crispy skin on the thighs!
Cindy
HI Andrea! Thanks for letting us know that you tried and liked the air fryer chicken thighs!
Denay DeGuzman
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.
Cindy
Yay, I am so excited you tried and liked our air fryer chicken thighs!
Who Noms the World
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!
Cindy
Ha, we need to get you an air fryer! Come back and let us know when you get one!
Mahy
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! 😉
Cindy
Hope that you enjoy, please come back and let us know!
Michelle
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! 🙂
Cindy
Thank you Michelle! Yes, do come back and let us know!
Sue
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])
Cindy
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!!! 🙂
Paula
Hi, the chicken thighs look delicious. I was wonder if you use boneless things do you change the cooking time?
Cindy
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 🙂
Marcia Mayo
Fixed for our supper. Turned out great. Will now be our go to recipe for chicken.
Cindy
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!
Marcia Mayo
Just wanted to let you know, this is our go to recipe for chicken. Have made it several times over the last 4 months.
Cindy
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!
Kevin
This is literally such a great recipe for air fryer chicken thighs! I made these last night and my whole family loved them
Cindy
Hi Kevin, so glad you loved the air fryer chicken thighs, glad to hear its your favorite recipes!