Last Updated on September 18, 2023 by Harry & Johan. This post may contain affliate links, see privacy policy
Sweet and slightly spicy, these air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs are the BEST! Juicy and so flavorful, you won't believe how quick and easy they are to make too.
Ready in under 20 minutes, these air fryer skinless boneless chicken thighs are the perfect protein for dinner or lunch. As chicken thighs retain their moisture well when cooking, they're great for slicing up afterward and adding to a salad or wrap.
Using the air fryer is my favourite method of cooking chicken thighs! With just a little oil, an air fryer cooks food to perfection everytime! These crispy chicken thighs are the perfect weeknight dinner or quick meal!
These easy air fryer chicken thighs make a healthy meal especially when paired a perfect side dish like green beans, mashed potato or a simple salad.
Try these chicken thighs with Air Fryer Corn on the Cob, Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes or Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan.
For more chicken recipes in the air fryer, check out all my air fryer chicken recipes! My Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Potatoes as well as my Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks recipes are reader favorites!
🍴Why This Recipe Works!
- No marinating of the chicken or extended prep time. Just prepare the boneless skinless thighs for a couple of minutes and then pop them straight into the air fryer!
- It's an easy recipe to adapt to suit different tastes.
- This air fryer chicken thighs recipe is ready in under 20 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights!
- The air fryer makes the best juicy, sweet, and slightly spicy chicken thighs that the whole family will enjoy!
Jump to:
- 🍴Why This Recipe Works!
- 🐓 Ingredients for Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 📖 How to Make Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
- 🙋🏻♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
- 🥣 Substitutions
- 🥘 Variations
- ⏲ Equipment
- 🍶 Storage and Doubling the Recipe
- 👨🏻🍳 Top Tips!
- Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
- 🍳 More Air Fryer Recipes!
🐓 Ingredients for Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Boneless chicken thighs and your seasonings are all you need for this air fryer boneless chicken thighs recipe. And some olive oil too! Here are the ingredients you need to make air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Olive oil (see below for substitution suggestions)
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Dried oregano or mixed herbs (fresh herbs will burn in the air fryer so dried is best!)
- Salt and pepper
See the recipe card for precise quantities and instructions on how to make this air fryer boneless chicken thigh recipe.
📖 How to Make Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
With no marinading required, you can have these skinless chicken thighs in the air fryer in a couple of minutes. Then, while they air fry for roughly 15 minutes, you can prepare your favorite sides to serve with the chicken.
Pat the boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry and place chicken thighs in a large bowl. Drizzle the raw chicken thighs with olive oil and add all the seasonings, mix well so the chicken is evenly coated with the seasonings. You can marinate the chicken thighs for up to 3 hours in the refrigerator if you want to make them ahead.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F (200 °C). Once heated, place the chicken in at the air fryer basket in rows, the chicken thighs shouldn't lay on top of each other and should have small spaces between them.
Air fry the skinless boneless chicken thighs for 13 - 15 minutes (if making larger chicken thighs air fry for a few minutes longer). The internal temperature of the chicken should register at least 165 degrees °F (74 °C) at the thickest part of the chicken on an instant read thermometer, then it is done!
Remove the chicken from the air fryer and allow it to rest on a clean plate, covered with a bowl or foil for 5 minutes. Serve with a green salad and sides for a filling and healthy dinner or slice and serve with your favorite meals!
Hint: Resting the chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes after air frying makes them juicier and more flavorful. Don't skip this important step!
🙋🏻♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the size of your chicken thighs and whether they have the bone in or not. Boneless chicken thighs take roughly 10-15 minutes to air fry, while bone-in chicken thighs take 20 - 25 minutes to air fry.
Yes, you can definitely put raw chicken in the air fryer. The heat in the air fryer is more than enough to sterilize the raw chicken and cook it until completely safe to eat.
I don't like wrapping any cut of chicken in foil in the air fryer for a couple of reasons. But the main one is that without proper air circulation, the chicken won't cook as it should. Wrapping in foil will take longer to cook and will probably make the chicken come out with a more "boiled" texture than juicy and roasted.
Definitely! Boneless chicken thighs are a fantastic cut of chicken and can be used in so many different ways. It's a very tender cut of chicken that also stays very juicy when cooked.
I like to air fry chicken at a high temperature like 400 °F as I find that the faster cooking makes the chicken crispier but doesn't dry it out at all. Higher temperatures are best for chicken in the air fryer.
🥣 Substitutions
Here are some suggestions for substitutions you can make based on what you have available.
- Oils you can use : Instead of olive oil, you can also use canola oil or avocado oil for this recipe. You can also use an olive oil spray if that is what you have on hand.
- Cayenne pepper substitutions: Cayenne pepper can be replaced with chili powder for extra spice or black pepper for a milder spice.
- Other cuts of chicken: You can use bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe, just cook them for a few minutes more to make sure they are done. You can also use this recipe to make chicken drumsticks or chicken breasts.
- Fresh herbs instead of dried: I wouldn't recommend using fresh herbs instead of dried herbs as they can easily burn the air fryer. You can use dried Italian mixed herbs or thyme instead of dried oregano.
- Seasonings: You can use any seasonings that you prefer for this recipe. Onion powder, Italian seasoning, or any brand of your favourite dry rub seasoning. A bit of brown sugar can also be added to your seasonings to give the boneless thighs extra crispy edges. You can also add a dash of BBQ sauce for extra flavor!
🥘 Variations
You'll want to make these chicken thighs again and again so here are some ideas to spice this easy chicken recipe up!
- Want more spice? Add more cayenne pepper or chili powder to the chicken seasoning for a spicy kick. You can also dip the chicken thighs in or baste them with a spicy pepper sauce.
- Honey Mustard Chicken: Make a simple honey mustard basting sauce or use a store-bought sauce to make honey mustard chicken thighs. Baste and air fry for only a few minutes at the end of the cooking time as the sauce can easily burn!
- BBQ Chicken Thighs: Similar to the honey mustard option above, baste the chicken thighs with some barbecue sauce after they have air-fried and then air fry them for another minute or so.
⏲ Equipment
This recipe for air fryer boneless chicken thighs was developed and tested using my favorite air fryer - the Cosori Max XL Large Cooker! It has a capacity of 5.8 quarts so it can make a lot of food at one time.
I love using an air fryer, especially for chicken recipes as it always makes chicken juicy, slightly crispy, and perfectly cooked every time!
An oven thermometer changed the way I used my air fryer! I found that my Cosori model can actually get a bit hotter than the setting so I always keep that in mind when making recipes.
Air fryer temperatures vary from model to model so this is a great way to make sure your air fryer is at the correct temperature. If you find your air fryer foods are often undercooked or burnt, get one of these thermometers to test your air fryer temperature.
🍶 Storage and Doubling the Recipe
Storage: Store any leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container after they have cooled to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Chop and use in salads or wraps for a boost of protein!
Reheating: You can reheat the leftover boneless skinless chicken thighs by air frying them at 400 °F (200 °C) for a couple of minutes.
Doubling the Recipe: If you want to double the recipe, I would recommend air frying the chicken thighs in batches. This avoids overcrowding of the air fryer and makes sure the thighs cook evenly.
👨🏻🍳 Top Tips!
- Don't use fresh herbs as they will burn in the air fryer, use dried herbs instead.
- When buying chicken thighs, try to get thighs that are uniform in size. This will help them cook evenly. Aim for 4-6 ounces per thigh.
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning. This helps the seasoning stick better.
- Use a seasoning blend like the one in the recipe rather than just salt and pepper. The extra spices give great flavor.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. Space the thighs out in a single layer, without touching if possible. This allows air flow for even cooking.
- Check temperature at the thickest part of the thigh, not just surface temp. Chicken should reach 165F at the center for food safety.
- Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute for moist, tender chicken.
- Air fried chicken reheats beautifully. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer or microwave until 165F.
- Try serving air fried chicken thighs with roasted veggies, on salads, in wraps or sandwiches, diced in pasta, or on their own with rice or quinoa. The possibilities are endless!
Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a comment below and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram!
Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Boneless chicken thighs Skinless too (4 - 6 large thighs, or 8 - 10 smaller thighs)
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp. Paprika
- ½ tsp. Cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. Dried oregano
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ¼ tsp. Black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add all the seasonings, mix well so the chicken is evenly coated with the seasonings.1 lb. Boneless chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 tsp. Garlic powder, 1 ½ tsp. Paprika, ½ tsp. Cayenne pepper, ½ tsp. Dried oregano, ½ tsp. Sea salt, ¼ tsp. Black pepper
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F (200 °C). Once heated, place the chicken in at the air fryer basket in rows, the chicken thighs shouldn't lay on top of each other and should have small spaces between them. Air fry the chicken thighs for 13 - 15 minutes (if making larger chicken thighs air fry for a few minutes longer). The chicken should register at least 165 °F (74 °C) at the thickest part, then it is done.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer and allow to rest on a clean plate, covered with a bowl or foil for 5 minutes.
- Serve with a green salad and sides for a filling and healthy dinner or slice and serve with your favorite meals!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was tested with these air fryers:
Penny
Such delicious spices and the chicken was not dried out - will make again!
Penni St Pierre
Do I turn them over halfway?
Harry
Hi Penni! I found that there is no need to turn the skinless, boneless chicken thighs over when cooking them in the air fryer. They are quite thin and cook evenly without flipping!