It’s easy to make Chicken thighs in the Ninja Foodi! Ninja Foodi Chicken Thighs are air fried in the foodi to make them tender and juicy with perfectly crispy skin.
“I've made this today! Hubby & I loved how juicy the thighs were, and the seasoning is just perfect. Thank you Cindy - this will certainly be making another appearance very soon!”
Recipe Overview
Using the Ninja Foodi as an air fryer is the best and easiest way to cook up crispy chicken thighs that the whole family will love. This recipe will for sure be a favorite for busy weeknights, served up with Ninja Foodi Baked Potatoes, or your other favorite air fryer side dishes.
We’ve tested this recipe specifically using the Ninja Foodi, because we understand that it can cook a bit differently than other air fryers. You can see how we cook Air Fryer Chicken Thighs in other machines too.
Chicken thighs are an inexpensive protein to cook in the Ninja Foodi, and they don’t take long at all.
The best part about cooking chicken thighs in the Ninja Foodi? The crispy skin! You’ll never get crispy chicken thighs like this if you cook them in the oven. Only the air fryer can make this magic happen.
Love cooking chicken in the air fryer? Try Air Fryer Orange Chicken or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders next.
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs – This recipe is for bone-in chicken thighs. I love this cut of chicken because it is inexpensive. Cooking chicken with bones still in is so simple in the Ninja foodi.
- Olive Oil – A bit of oil helps to get the skin of our chicken thighs super crispy in the Ninja Foodi air fryer, plus it helps hold all of our seasonings onto the chicken.
- Onion Powder – We’ll create a simple seasoning blend for Ninja Foodi chicken thighs, starting with savory onion powder.
- Garlic Salt – This blend of garlic powder and salt is a great shortcut to have in the kitchen, and delicious on chicken.
- Basil – Add herby flavor with dried basil flakes.
- Oregano – Along with the basil and garlic, oregano creates the most delicious spice blend.
- Red Pepper Flakes – I love the bit of spice that red pepper flakes give this chicken recipe. Reduce the amount or leave it out if you want a milder dish.
Steps to Make
- Collect and measure your ingredients, mixing the onion powder, garlic salt, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes together to create a spice rub. Pre-heat the Ninja Foodi to 390°F/199°C on the air fryer setting. (pre-heating is important in this recipe, it’s what gives us super crispy chicken skin!)
- Rub each chicken thigh with a thin layer of olive oil, then sprinkle the spice mix over the top of each thigh.
- Place two chicken thighs in the air fryer, skin side up, and cook at 390F for 18 minutes flipping them at the halfway mark. Check on the chicken every 5 minutes or so to ensure that the skin does not burn.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes to finish cooking. Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.
Tips and Tricks
- Cooking only two thighs at a time will ensure that the chicken has enough room to really crisp up. Don’t crowd the air fryer.
- Cook the thighs in the Ninja Foodi skin side up so that the skin can crisp.
- Pay attention to your chicken as it’s cooking in the Foodi. If it seems that the skin is getting too browned, but the meat still needs time to cook, cover the chicken with foil to avoid burning.
- Be sure that your chicken is cooked to 165°F/74°C before consuming. Use an instant-read thermometer to be sure.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your preferences.
Side Dish Ideas
The best part about these chicken thighs is that they can be enjoyed in so many ways! The simple seasoning means that they go well with any of your favorite side dishes.
Chicken Thighs with potatoes are always a great dinner, and the air fryer makes potatoes in so many delicious ways. Try making Frozen Sweet Potao Fries in the Air Fryer, or crispy Air Fryer Potato Wedges.
Add a veggie side like Crispy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts or Air Fryer Corn on the Cob.
Add the meat from this recipe to a bowl of greens and top with some Air Fryer Croutons for a delicious and healthy salad.
More Ninja Foodi Recipes
Our collection of Ninja Foodi recipes is growing! Try these easy dinners in your foodi this week.
Ninja Foodi Salmon is by far the easiest way to cook salmon filets, and they are tender and flavorful in a short amount of time.
Cooking a weekend meal for the family? They will love this classic Meatloaf made in the Ninja Foodi.
Make Ninja Foodi Bacon for breakfast, or for adding to your sandwiches and salads. It’s easy!
Want to cook a different type of chicken in your Foodi? Check out our recipes for Ninja Foodi Frozen Chicken Breasts, Ninja Foodi Chicken Wings, and Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken.
FAQs
I am a huge fan of the mix used here! We combine onion powder, garlic salt, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes to make a savory, Italian-inspired seasoning for chicken thighs.
I also like using lemon pepper seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or a simple salt and pepper seasoning. Chicken is so versatile.
You can cook these thighs and keep them in the refridgerator for 3-5 days. If you like to meal prep, this recipe is great for meal prep lunches.
Yes, it is! Cooking chicken in the air fryer uses much less oil than other cooking methods like pan frying, plus using the air fryer basket allows the fat to drain away from the meat as it cooks. This recipe for crispy Ninja Foodi chicken thighs has no breading, making it low carb and keto-friendly too.
You can make healthy chicken in the air fryer using the Ninja Foodi, including Air Fryer Chicken Breasts and Ninja Foodi Whole Chicken.
The ninja foodi does both of these things well, but for chicken thighs, you only need to use the air fryer function of the ninja foodi. Save the pressure cooker function for a different recipe, like chicken thighs in white wine sauce.
Ninja Foodi Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Ninja Foodi
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Thighs bone-in, skin on
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Collect and measure your ingredients, mixing the onion powder, garlic salt, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes together to create a spice rub.
- Pre-heat the Ninja Foodi to 390°F/199°C on the air fryer setting. (pre-heating is important in this recipe, it's what gives us super crispy chicken skin!)
- Rub each chicken thigh with a thin layer of olive oil, then sprinkle the spice mix over the top of each thigh.
- Place two chicken thighs in the air fryer and cook at 390°F/199°C for 18 minutes. Check on the chicken every 5 minutes or so to ensure that the skin does not burn.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes to finish cooking. Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.
Notes
- If your chicken becomes too crispy before the internal temperature reaches 160°F you can cover the chicken with foil to avoid the skin burning. You can also reduce the temperature of the Ninja Foodi to 375°F t0 finish the cooking time.
- Red pepper flakes give this chicken a delicious mild amount of heat, but you can leave it out if you prefer your chicken to be less spicy.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings on your ninja foodi chicken thighs. Paprika, dill, chili powder, or cumin are all delicious with chicken.
- Store leftover chicken in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- 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.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition
I’ve made this today! Hubby & I loved how juicy the thighs were, and the seasoning is just perfect. Thank you Cindy – this will certainly be making another appearance very soon!
So glad you and your hubby enjoyed it!
Great! We loved them. I did 3 and 3 again and all turned out perfect.
This was in my 8 qt Ninja. Next time, I’m going to try them in my toaster
oven Ninja.
YUM! Thanks for letting us know you enjoyed them! And thanks for the tip about your Foodi – that could help some of our other readers 🙂