Try these ultra-crispy chicken thighs loaded with savory seasoning–-great for meal prepping during the week for salads, tacos, or an easy protein-packed dinner. These Asian-inspired chicken thighs are full of spice (but not spicy!) and are dry-brined in the fridge to get as much flavor into the chicken as possible. Learn my tips below on how to get the crispiest skin in the air fryer!
Type of chicken thighs to use
In this recipe, we used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs from Seven Sons, a meat delivery service that sells grass-fed, pasture-raised, and ethically raised beef, chicken, and other proteins. Obviously you don’t have to source your chicken here, but I prefer using bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs because they always have more flavor.
Some of the pasture-raised chicken thighs I use vary in size (3”x3” to 4”x4” per chicken) and weight (4-6 oz per chicken) and are often smaller than non-pasture-raised chicken you would find at a typical grocery store. The smaller size might mean the chicken thighs will cook a bit quicker.
It’s hard to find boneless, skin-on chicken thighs anywhere for an affordable price. Air-frying skin-on chicken thighs gives them an extra crispy texture–it’s almost like eating deep-fried chicken skin!
Seasoning & marinade
If you love Asian-inspired chicken dishes, then you’ll love this seasoning. These air fryer chicken thighs are seasoned with lots of savory flavor. It’s got a blend of aromatic spice with a sweet and savory kick:
- five spice
- garlic
- ginger
- kosher salt
- dark brown sugar
Feel free to adjust the marinade or add other ingredients based on your preference—for example, onion powder, white pepper, cayenne, paprika, oregano, or basil.
I use a dry brine for these chicken thighs and like to marinade them for as long as possible. I recommend at least 3 hours in the refrigerator, uncovered. If it’s a weekday, I want to dry brine the chicken in the morning and air fry it when I get home from work.
How long to air fry chicken thighs
I use the Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro model, but you can use a traditional air fryer with the same settings. I air fry these chicken thighs at 400 °F for about 20-25 minutes to reach the final internal temperature of 175-180°F. It will take longer to cook chicken with bones.
Time is a nice guide to plan with, but not a good way to know when cooking chicken is done. Go off of the measured internal temperature or by slicing into the deepest part of the chicken to see that juices run clear and not pink.
The good thing about chicken thighs is that you can cook them upwards of 180 °F internally, and they’ll still be juicy due to the breakdown of connective tissue at this temperature. This means there is room for error in baking, and you won’t dry out your chicken as quickly as chicken breast.
Too many variables affect time, such as how cold your chicken is, whether it’s still defrosting, the size of the thigh, whether you preheat your air fryer, etc. You’ll know when your chicken is done based on the golden brown, crispy skin on the thighs and an internal temperature of at least 175-180 °F (however, it will most likely be higher than this to get the skin crispy).
Can an air fryer get chicken thighs crispy?
Yes! The best thing about this recipe is you get extra crispy chicken thighs–in an air fryer without any deep frying. There are a few tips and tricks on how to achieve ultra-crispy chicken skin. Here are some of my tips for crispier skin.
1. Dry the chicken before and after marinating. You’ll want to dry the chicken thighs before marinating so they can get evenly seasoned, however, I like patting them dry gently AFTER marinating since some liquid is released. This gives you a dry surface to crisp up during air frying.
2. While dry brining in the refrigerator, keep the chicken thighs uncovered and on a rack to let them dry out instead of trapping in moisture with plastic wrap.
3. Brush a little oil on the chicken thigh before baking to further crisping.
4. First, air fry the chicken thighs skin-side down. Since it’ll take about 20-25 minutes to fully cook the thighs, air frying them skin-side down prevents the skin from burning too quickly. Once you hit 15 minutes, you can turn them over and allow them to crisp fully the rest of the time.
5. After your chicken thighs are done, let them rest for about 5 minutes before serving. The rest period helps to enhance the crunchiness of the skin and keep all the juices inside.
What to serve with air fryer chicken thighs
These air fryer chicken thighs are perfect for meal prep for a busy week (or you can start to marinate them in the morning and air fry them when you get home!). I like to pair air fryer chicken thighs with other easy side dishes:
- Veggie kabobs
- Garlic sauteed green beans
- Air fryer zucchini fries
- Onion and garlic bok choy
- Sunomono salad
- Easy, buttery seasoned rice
For more chicken recipes, check out these recipes:
- baked juicy chicken thighs
- chicken phở
- smoked chicken thighs
- air fryer chicken bites
- pan-fried chicken bites
- chicken adobo
- chicken brine
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
- 2 tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp five spice
- neutral cooking oil
Equipment Used
- measuring cups and spoons
- small bowls
- Spoon
- plate or sheet pan
- paper towels
- brush
- air fryer
- tongs
Instructions
- Pat dry the 2 lb chicken thighs with a paper towel and place them on a plate or sheet pan.
- In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings: 2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp dark brown sugar, 1 tsp ginger powder, and ½ tsp five spice. Mix with a spoon until incorporated.
- Generously coat the chicken thighs with the seasoning, including between the skin and the meat, on top of the skin, and on the bottom of the thighs. Use your spoon to gently lift the skin from the top of the thigh and sprinkle the seasoning on the flesh, without fully separating the skin from the meat.
- Transfer the sheet pan and chicken to the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (and no more than 12 hours) to marinate uncovered. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and onto the counter for at least 30 minutes (and no more than 1 hour) before air frying.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F.
- Use paper towels to remove excess liquid from the chicken thighs. This will help get the skin crispier.
- Coat the skin of the thighs with a few drops of neutral cooking oil (like avocado oil). You can use your fingers or a brush to evenly coat the chicken.
- Place the chicken thighs, skin-side down on the air fryer basket, and brush more neutral oil on the bottoms of the thighs.
- Air fry for 15 minutes.
- Turn the chicken thighs over and air fry for another 5-10 minutes or until the skin is crispy, golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches 175-180 °F.
- Transfer to a plate and let rest for at least 5 minutes. This will keep the juices inside, allowing the skin to crisp up even more, then serve.
Notes
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