Baking Boneless chicken thighs in the air fryer is one of my favorite ways to meal prep. My air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe is easy, quick and flavorful.
Tasty and well seasoned chicken with a marinade that keeps it juicy and tender. The perfect side dish for a dinner of rice, salads, potatoes and more. Super easy to make and gets ready in less than 25 mins. You in?
Air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe.
The air fryer is known to cook meats particularly well, crispy skin or exterior with a juicy and tender inside. These boneless skinless chicken thighs are no different and I know you’d love how tasty this recipe is.
The chicken thighs marinade is keeper and can be used for grilled chicken recipes too. This recipe is flavorful and perfect for any side you’ll love to have it it.
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Why make boneless skinless chicken thighs in air fryer?
Easy: I am yet to see someone turn the other way when they hear easy recipe! This air fryer boneless chicken thigh recipe is that and much more and I am super excited to share this recipe with you.
Family friendly: This is a family friendly recipe and perfect for picky eaters.
Lifestyle and diet friendly: Fits into a variety of lifestyles and most ways of eating including low carb and keto. It’s gluten free and can easily be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt
- Paprika
- White pepper
- Garlic powder
- Basil
- Oregano
- Pepper flakes
- Oil
The Chicken thigh seasoning blend
This seasoning blend used in this air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe is simple and made with everyday spices you would find in your spice cabinet.
If you have any spice blend or dry rub you prefer like lemon pepper, Cajun or good old store bought chicken seasoning, feel free to use it. Be sure to let it sit in the marinade for at least 10 mins.
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Easy Chicken thighs Marinade
My easy chicken thighs marinade is simply a mix of the oil and spice blend which is then rubbed into the chicken.
Marinating chicken gives it the best flavor and this marinade makes for a juicy and delicious chicken recipe.
If you’ve got the time, I’d recommend a minimum of 30 mins to marinate the chicken. However if in a rush, 10 mins would work and if you have am enough time an overnight marinade would be even better.
Whichever timing suits you, make sure to let chicken rest a bit in the marinade before air frying.
How to air fry boneless chicken thighs
Ready to make some juicy, tender boneless chicken thighs in the air fryer? Gather your ingredients and let’s get started.
Mix the spice blend, Pat chicken thighs fry with paper towel, then place chicken thighs in a bowl, add oil and seasoning blend. Rub the seasoning in to ensure it’s well blended into the chicken, cover with cling film and let it marinade for at least 10 mins if you are in a pinch with time. Otherwise 30 mins to 24 hrs in the refrigerator would be best.
After 10 mins, place marinated chicken thighs in the air fryer and air fry at 400°F / 200°C for 15 to 20 mins. Flipping halfway through. Let chicken rest for a minute and serve.
How long to cook boneless chicken thighs in air fryer?
This Air fryer boneless chicken thighs were fully cooked in 15 mins. However the length of time it will take chicken to cook in fryer is dependent on a variety of factors which include;
- Part of the chicken: most times, chicken drumsticks would cook faster than chicken. Boneless Chicken
- Size of chicken: The size will also determine how long to cook chicken in the air fryer. A whole chicken would obviously take longer to cook than chicken thighs.
- Type of Chicken part: Is it bone-in or boneless. Boneless chicken thighs cook faster than bone-chicken thighs.
- State of chicken: Is it frozen or thawed. If cooked straight from frozen, it would take more time to cook than thawed chicken.
- Watt of the Air fryer: A more powerful air fryer with higher watts will cook chicken faster than one with lower watts.
- Cooking Temperature: It will take longer to cook chicken at 350°F / 177°C than if it were cooked at 400°F / 200°C
Irrespective, the best parameter to use when checking if chicken is fully cooked is the instant read meat thermometer and it should read 165°F / 74°C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken to be considered fully cooked and safe to eat.
Make ahead and how to store
I mentioned earlier that this easy juicy air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe is perfect for meal prep. It can be made over the weekend and packed in meal prep bowls and stored on the refrigerator for up to a week. It can be frozen in an air tight container for up to 3 months.
Reheating chicken thighs
You can reheat chicken thighs in the air fryer or microwave. To reheat in the air fryer for boneless chicken thighs, set temperature to 400°F / 200°C and air fryer for 4 - 6 minutes or until heated through.
Bear in mind that certain factors like size and and how cold the chicken was prior to reheating will affect tinning so adjust accordingly. Add a couple of minutes more for bone-in chicken thighs.
If reheating in the microwave, reheat at 30 secs intervals till heated through. Though the oven would take longer, you can also reheat in that oven.
Simply preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas mark 6. Place chicken thighs in a baking sheet and reheat in the oven for up to 10 mins or until heated through.
Frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs in air fryer
Wondering if you can air fryer frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs? Yes you can. We cook a lot of food from frozen in the air fryer. Follow the steps below if your chicken is frozen.
- Prepare the chicken: If it’s icy, or stuck together, you can deglaze by running under tap water to get some ice off the exterior and to separate the pieces.
- Season the chicken: Mix the oil and seasoning then brush it all over the chicken.
- Air fry: Cook in the air fryer at 400°F / 200°C for 20 to 25 mins. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Internal temperature should be at least 165°F / 74°C.
- Serve with your favorite sides
Side dishes for Chicken thighs (What to serve it with)
These boneless Chicken thighs can be served on its own with any dipping sauce of your choice. Sauces like garlic butter sauce, bbq sauce, Peri peri sauce, Buffalo sauce etc.
Just like chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used for meat prep It can be shredded and used in sandwiches, salads, soups, wraps, curries and stews.
It also pairs well with sides like rice, Mac and cheese, air fryer veggies, broccoli, potatoes and salads
Tips
- Spraying the basket is optional since the marinade has oil and the chicken would release some more while it cooks. If you are concerned that it would stick you can use perforated parchment paper.
- Do not overcrowd the basket. Cook in batches if needed.
- The use of a meat thermometer is highly recommended when cooking meats. If you don’t have one, check the meat for doneness by cutting it at the thickest part. It should be white and juice should run clear and not red.
- This recipe was made in a non preheated air fryer. However if cooking in batches, subsequent batches may cook quicker since the air fryer got preheated during the first batch.
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FAQs
Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer?
You can cook raw chicken in an air fryer. The air fryer baked perfectly cooked juicy tender chicken without skimping on flavor.
Do you have to flip meat in an air fryer?
It’s best to flip meat when cooking in the air fryer. This will enable to meats to cook and crisp up evenly.
What temperature do you air fry chicken?
I usually air fry chicken at 400°F / 200°C. However I use lower temps for chicken breasts to keep it from drying out.
More Air fryer Chicken recipes to try
- Frozen chicken breast in the air fryer
- Air fryer Marinated chicken thighs
- Juicy tender air fryer chicken breasts
- Air fryer honey sriracha chicken wings
- Crispy chicken drumsticks in the air fryer
- Air fryer Greek chicken souvlaki
- All our chicken recipes
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Air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe
Equipment
- Cosori Air Fryer 5.8qt
- Kitchen tongs
- Mixing bowl
- Cling film
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon White pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon pepper flakes
- 1 ½ Tablespoon oil
Instructions
Marinade the chicken
- Mix spice blend, pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel, then place chicken thighs in a bowl, add oil and seasoning blend.
- Rub the seasoning in to ensure it’s well blended into the chicken, cover with cling film and let it marinade for 30 mins to overnight in the refrigerator. If you are in a pinch with time, marinade for at least 10 mins
Air fry the chicken
- After 10 mins, place marinated chicken thighs in the air fryer and air fry at 400°F / 200°C for 15 to 20 mins. Flipping halfway through. Chicken is cooked through when internal temperature reaches 165°F / 74°C
- Let chicken rest for a minute before serving with your favorite side
Notes
- There is no need to spray the basket since the chicken marinade has oil. If you are concerned about sticking, use perforated parchment paper.
- Do not overcrowd the basket. Cool in batches if needed.
- The use of a meat thermometer is highly recommended when cooking meats. If you don’t have one, check the meat for doneness by cutting it at the thickest part. It should be white and juice should run clear and not red.
- This recipe was made in a non preheated air fryer. However if cooking in batches, subsequent batches may cook quicker since the air fryer got preheated during the first batch.
Nutrition
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information is an estimate and may change based on products used. Please read full nutrition disclaimer here.
Saw this recipe on Facebook! I couldn’t resist trying it out it looked so delicious. Glad I did. Recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
Hi Kendra,
That’s amazing. Happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me know.
Hi going to try this can you marinate the chicken then then freeze it so its ready to cook when wanted
Hi Peter,
Great question! Yes you can season and freeze to be cooked for later. When you are ready to cook, no need to thaw. Cook from frozen it will take up to 20 mins. Use a meat thermometer if you have one to ensure it reaches 160F / 74C.
Cheers many thanks
One chicken thigh is 484 calories?
Hi Galen,
That’s an error and has been fixed, thank you for pointing that out. For this recipe it should be 284cal not 484 cal.
That being said nutrition facts are estimates and vary by recipes and brands of ingredients used. For best estimates, it’s recommended that you input the ingredients you use in an online calculator to get the nutritional information. Thank you for stopping by Enjoy!
What is serving size
Hi Gerry,
The recipe has 4-6 portions so a serving is 1/4 or 1/6 of the recipe. Hope that helps.
This was delicious. Thank you
You are welcome Kate!
Thank you for a straight forward recipe. My family enjoyed it with mashed potatoes. I am new to the air fryer and when I saw this in your Facebook group I had to try it.
Hi Mark!
Happy to hear this. Thank you for letting me know.
Love Chicken thighs in the sir fryer. This turned out moist and delicious. We loved it. Will this recipe work for bone in chicken thighs too? Thank you.
Hi Cara,
Happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for letting me know. You can use the same recipe for bone in thighs (same weight) but you will need to adjust cooking time. Bone in chicken thighs cook for longer mine usually takes anywhere from 25 to 35 mins depending on size. You should invest in a meat thermometer if you don’t already have one.it’s helpful to know when meat is truly well cooked. Hope that helps.