You don’t need a ton of ingredients to make this delicious Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe. These thighs are perfectly seasoned and oh so crispy! Tasty, juicy, and so easy, you can cook up these skin-on chicken thighs in 20 minutes!

If you want an easy family dinner then look no further than these Air Fryer Chicken Thighs! They’re so easy to make, my son loves them, and you won’t believe that it only takes 6 ingredients (plus salt and pepper!) to make. Get dinner on the table fast with this easy air fryer recipe!

Crispy chicken wings in a plate.

These chicken thighs are so juicy and tender and cook up so quickly in the air fryer. Plus it takes way less work than cooking them on the stove top and you don’t heat up the house like you would with the oven! Seriously, you really need to try cooking them up in the air fryer, it’s life changing!

Try this Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe or this Air Fryer Chicken Breast Recipe if you want another air fryer recipe. Don’t have an air fryer and but want a delicious chicken thigh recipe for dinner tonight? Try this Baked Chicken Thighs, Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs, Baked Caprese Chicken and this Chicken and Cauliflower Rice.

How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

  • Chicken Thighs — I suggest using boneless skin-on chicken thighs for ease. This way you don’t have to deal with the bone and can enjoy the crispy skin! Check out ButcherBox for free range organic chicken with no antibiotics or added hormones.
  • Seasoning — I use a mix of dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, ground coriander, cumin, salt, and black pepper to season my air fryer chicken thighs. Feel free to change things up.

Instructions

Prepare the Seasoning

In a small bowl, combine the dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, ground coriander, cumin, salt, and black pepper.

A small bowl of dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, ground coriander, cumin, salt, and black pepper.

Bowl of seasoning with a spoon.

Prepare the Chicken Thighs

  • Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel then add the seasonings on top of the chicken thighs and using your hands toss until fully coated. When you pat the thighs dry, it helps the seasoning stick to the thighs better. Plus the moisture will make the thighs steam up in the air fryer so don’t skip patting them dry!

overhead view of a glass large bowl containing raw chicken thighs.

Air Fry the Thighs

  • Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the basket of the air fryer. Air fry the chicken thighs at 400F degrees for 20 minutes. With tongs, flip them at the 10 minute mark and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until no longer pink and the internal temperature is 165 degrees.

overhead view of raw chicken thighs inside of an air fryer bowl.

overhead view of cooked chicken thighs inside of an air fryer basket.

How to Meal Prep Chicken Thighs

  • Double or triple this air fryer chicken thighs recipe and air fry them in batches.
  • Once cooled, store in an airtight meal prep container either portioned out or in one large container.
  • Keep refrigerated for up to four days.
  • Reheat in the air fryer or microwave when ready to eat.

Recipes That You Can Used Cooked Chicken Thighs For

There are many times that recipes called for cooked chicken. Usually leftover shredded chicken works but for when there’s none in the fridge, throwing some chicken thighs into the air fryer works perfectly. Try these easy salad recipes that pair really well with my air fryer chicken thighs.

How Long Does It Take To Cook Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer

These chicken thighs only take 20 minutes to cook. However, if you have larger thighs, you will have to cook them for longer. Also, if you use chicken thighs with bone-in, it’ll take longer as well. For the most accurate cook time, use an instant read meat thermometer to make sure that the internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Change Things Up

Here are a few seasoning ideas to change things up.

  • Herbes de Provence
  • Italian seasoning
  • BBQ chicken rub
  • Lemon pepper seasoning
  • Chipotle seasoning
  • Mediterranean Dry Rub
  • Cajun seasoning

A white bowl with air fryer chicken thighs.

What Should I Serve This Air Fryer Chicken Thighs With?

These air fryer chicken thighs go well with everything! Here are a few sides to make this into a complete meal:

Tips and Notes

  • Be sure not to overcrowd your chicken thighs in the air fryer basket. Overcrowding will cause it to steam and not get crispy. Cook in multiple batches if needed.
  • Do not stack the chicken thighs. Cook them in a single layer.
  • If your air fryer model needs to be pre-heated, then do so. Different air fryer models have different needs. Make sure to consult the manual.
  • Garnish with some parsley or cilantro if you desire.
  • If you are worried about your chicken sticking to your air fryer basket, you can spray the basket with some oil before adding the chicken into it.

Frequently asked questions

Are chicken thighs low carb?

These air fryer chicken thighs are low carb! They’re also gluten-free, keto-friendly, paleo, and Whole30-friendly as well.

Can I air fryer from frozen?

Unlike the Instant Pot, you shouldn’t air fry frozen chicken thighs. It’ll take too long for the thighs to cook through all the way and the exterior will be tough.

More chicken thighs recipes to try:

More Air Fryer Recipes to Try:

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

3.80 from 10 votes
Author: Olivia Ribas
Servings8 chicken thighs
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
You don't need a ton of ingredients to make this delicious Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe. These thighs are perfectly seasoned and oh so crispy! Tasty, juicy, and so easy, you can cook up these skin-on chicken thighs in 20 minutes!

Video

Save this recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send it to you. Plus, you’ll get recipes & tips every week!

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Using a paper towel, pat the chicken thighs to dry. Then, add them to a large glass bowl.
    overhead view of a white plate with chicken thighs being petted with paper towel
  • In a small bowl, add dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, salt and black pepper. Mix well.
    set of two overhead photos of small glass bowl containing dried spices
  • Sprinkle the seasonings on top of the chicken thighs and using your hands toss until fully coated.
    overhead view of a glass large bowl containing raw chicken thighs
  • Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the basket of the Air Fryer. Cook at 400F degrees for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip them and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until no longer pink and the internal temperature is 165F degrees. Enjoy!
    a set of two overhead view photos showing raw chicken thighs on the left and cooked chicken thighs on the right inside of an air fryer pot

Nutrition

Serving: 18, Calories: 298kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 604mg, Potassium: 391mg, Fiber: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did You Make This?

Follow @primaverakitchen on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #primaverakitchen. We'd love to see your recreation.

Watch the Web Stories HERE.

titled photo collage (and shown): air fryer chicken thighs
Olivia Ribas

Welcome

Hi, I'm Olivia


Happy to have you here! I’ve been creating and sharing tasty, easy-to-make recipes on Primavera Kitchen for over 10 years now! I’m all about simple, delicious recipes made with fresh, seasonal, and wholesome ingredients that your whole family will love.

Explore More

3.80 from 10 votes (9 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate This Recipe:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

4 Comments

  1. Barbara says:

    My husband loved the air fried chicken

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      Mine too. It”s so good!

  2. Helen says:

    Super easy recipe. I diced the thighs as they weren’t evenly sized and used a spice mix I had in the cupboard. Will make again.

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      Awesome! happy you liked it 😉