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Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Thighs photo

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs tossed with vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ seasoning, then cooked in an air fryer until 165°F.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time21 minutes
Total Time51 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighsbone-in skin-on
  • 2 tbspvegetable oil
  • 2 tbspWorcestershire sauce
  • BBQ Seasoningsuggested: Dan'O or McCormick Grill Mates Sweet & Smoky Rub

Instructions

Instructions

  • Put the 6 raw, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs into a large resealable plastic bag. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ seasoning (to taste).
  • Seal the bag and shake or massage it gently until the chicken is evenly coated with the oil, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Refrigerate the sealed bag for 30 minutes.
  • When the 30 minutes are up, preheat the air fryer to 390°F (air crisp setting if available).
  • Remove the chicken from the bag and place the thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket, skin-side up if possible, leaving space between pieces for air circulation. Sprinkle additional BBQ seasoning on the skin if you like.
  • Cook at 390°F for 11 minutes.
  • Carefully flip each thigh, change the air fryer temperature to 350°F, and cook for an additional 8–10 minutes.
  • Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone; the chicken is done when it reaches 165°F.
  • Remove the thighs from the air fryer and serve hot.

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Notes

Notes
How long to cook a chicken thigh in the air fryer?
The timing could change depending on the air fryer brand, how close the chicken is to the heating element, and how thick the thighs are (plus bone-in or boneless).
Times and cooking could vary quite a bit, and it’s best to always rely on a cooking meat thermometer with an internal temperature gauge of 165 Fahrenheit before knowing chicken is safe and cooked through.
Always consult your own air fryer manual, which should have chicken thighs listed, for perfect results.
Ninja Foodi Booklet:
Small bone-in thighs Air Crisp at 390 Degrees for 11-13 Minutes, flip chicken and lower Air Crips heat to 350, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
HOTE: Boneless chicken thighs take less time in air fryers by about 3 minutes.
How to reheat chicken thighs
When reheating, just like all chicken, you have to be careful not to overcook, or the chicken will become chewy. If placed in the microwave, make sure the chicken is on a heat-safe plate, cover with a paper towel,  and heat slowly, 1 minute at a time, until desired.
If reheating in the air fryer, preheat to 350 and air fry for 5 minutes. Increase air fryer temp to 375 and cook another 5 minutes.
Tempering the chicken
Typically, the chicken will be coming from an extra cold fridge after marinating. For best results in chicken thighs, bring the chicken pieces up to room temperature on the counter to take off as much cold as possible.
Removing from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking time can help achieve the best results, but experts claim that you can leave the chicken out for as much as 4 hours before cooking.