If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight main dish, our air fryer chicken thighs are delicious and pair perfectly with any of your favorite side dishes! The seasoning blend we created for this chicken is reminiscent of a smoky rotisserie seasoning.
One of my favorite meals to cook when I’m busy and limited on time is our recipe for air fryer chicken thighs, especially when it’s too chilly outside to grill.
I’ve been making this since we got our first air fryer several years ago, and the spice blend we created makes the chicken taste similar to rotisserie chicken. This chicken is so delicious and versatile for serving alongside your favorite sides, or chopped and served in tacos or salads.
Why we love this recipe
This is a super simple chicken recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights since it cooks quickly and requires very little prep, and it’s so versatile.
We love this recipe since chicken thigh meat stays juicier and doesn’t dry out as quickly as chicken breast meat, so it’s much more forgiving for newer home cooks who are still figuring out how to cook chicken without it drying out.
How to make easy air fryer chicken thighs
Here are the steps to make our recipe for air fryer chicken thighs. This is just an overview of the steps, the full recipe is at the end of the post below.
- In a small dish, mix the seasonings to create your smoky spice blend. You can use regular spices instead of smoked ones, but we love the extra flavor that smoked paprika and smoked salt add to recipes.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the package and open them up/spread them open, and sprinkle the seasoning blend generously over both sides of the chicken, dividing the seasoning between all the pieces. You can gently press the seasoning into the chicken.
- Please note that the cooking times and temperatures for this recipe are for boneless chicken thighs.
- Place 2-3 chicken thighs in your air fryer basket, spray lightly with oil, and air fry at 400° F degrees for 12 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through the cooking time (so cooking 6 minutes on each side).
- You can adjust the cooking time as needed for larger/thicker chicken thighs or smaller ones. Larger ones can be cooked for 14 minutes if needed (7 minutes on each side), and smaller ones can cook for about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side).
- For large chicken thighs, use a meat thermometer in the largest part of the thigh to make sure it’s at 165° F if needed.
- Remove from the air fryer and rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
What to serve with our air-fried chicken
Pair this air fryer chicken with one of these delicious side dishes. All of these recipes are gluten free and dairy free!
- Crunchy Jicama Salad
- Creamy Pickle Cucumber Salad
- Garlic Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Gluten Free Balsamic Panzanella Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Smoky Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 5-6 chicken thighs)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Cajun spice (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon smoked salt)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked salt (or regular salt if you don't have smoked salt)
- Spray oil if needed
Instructions
- In a small dish, mix the seasonings until blended.1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon Cajun spice, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon smoked salt
- Remove the chicken thighs from the package and unfold/open them so you can sprinkle the seasonings on each side. Sprinkle the seasoning blend generously over both sides of the chicken, dividing the seasoning between all the pieces. If the chicken seems dry, you can spray it with a bit of oil before sprinkling the spices on them.1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- Place 2-3 chicken thighs in your air fryer basket, spray lightly with oil, and air fry at 400° F degrees for about 12 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through the cooking time, so cooking each thigh 6 minutes on each side.Spray oil if needed
- You can adjust the cooking time as needed for larger/thicker chicken thighs or smaller ones. Larger ones can be cooked for 14 minutes if needed (7 minutes on each side), and smaller ones can cook for about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side).
- For large chicken thighs, use a meat thermometer in the largest part of the thigh to make sure it’s at 165° F if you need to check that they are fully cooked. These typically cook quickly since they are boneless and flattened open.
- Remove from the air fryer and rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
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Sarah Jane Parker is the founder, recipe creator, and photographer behind The Fit Cookie which she founded in 2011. Sarah is based in Wyoming and has been managing food allergies for herself and her 2 children for over 20 years. Sarah was also a certified personal trainer for 12 years, as well as a group fitness instructor, health coach, running coach, and fitness nutrition specialist.