Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
These air fryer chicken thighs can be made in any air fryer, including the Instant Vertex and Instant Omni. This is a basic recipe, which allows for a lot of flexibility. Feel free to adjust seasoning to taste. These have a light coating of only spices, so they are low-carb, diet, and keto friendly.
Making Instant Pot Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Making these chicken thighs is incredibly easy. They basically use the shake and bake method. Place the thighs and oil in a bag and shake to coat. Then add the spices and coat again.
For full flavor, let the bag rest for about 15 minutes to marinate.
Place the thighs in your air fryer basket or on the Vortex Plus or Omni Rack. Air fry at 400 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. I usually to not turn the thighs, but I do start checking their internal temperature at about 10 minutes.
A Few Notes:
- All air fryers vary in cooking times. For best results and food safety, test the temperature of the thighs for doneness. You want your chicken to be at last 165 degrees Fahrenheit internally. Cook for a shorter or longer time as needed.
- This recipe uses bone on and skin on thighs, but you can use skinless chicken thighs or boneless thighs. You may need to adjust the cooking time down for those. I suggest monitoring for doneness and testing the temperature early if you do so. Note though that part of what makes chicken thighs so tasty is the fat from the skin. skinless may be dry and lack flavor.
- You can try this recipe with frozen chicken thighs. For frozen air fryer thighs, you will need to cook longer, and at a bit lower temperature. Try 375 for 5 extra minutes, and again monitor and check the temperature for doneness.
Serving Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs go great with BBW sauce! Also try serving them with hearty potato sides such as Instant Pot Baby Potatoes or Instant Pot Baked Beans.
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days and shred them for chicken sandwiches or for use in dishes such as chicken casserole or tacos.
Below is the recipe.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
These air fryer chicken thighs are easy to make in any air fryer, including Instant Pot brand air fryers such as the Vortex or Omni. They are not breaded, so they are low carb and keto friendly.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in (see blog post for skinless or boneless)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoons paprika
- 2 Tablespoons creole seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Add chicken thighs to a large zip lock bag.
2. Leaving some air in the bag, add the oil and shake to coat.
3. Add spices and shake to coat.
4. Remove the air from the bag and set aside for 15 minutes to let the chicken marinate.
5. Remove the thighs from the bag and place them in the air fry basket or on the air fryer rack.
6. Cook at 400° for 15 minutes or until an internal temp of 165°f is reached.
6. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.
7. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 328Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 1361mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 31g
