Sweet and slightly spicy, these air fryer boneless 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 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.
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 just works!
- No marinating of the chicken or extended prep time. Just prepare the chicken for a couple of minutes and then pop it straight into the air fryer!
- It's easy to adapt to suit different tastes.
- The chicken is ready in under 20 minutes!
- The air fryer makes the best juicy, sweet, and slightly spicy chicken thighs!
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🐓 Ingredients
Boneless chicken thighs and your seasonings are all you need for this recipe. And some olive oil too!
- 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.
📖 Instructions
With no marinading required, you can have these chicken thighs in the air fryer in a couple of minutes. Then, while they air fry for roughly 15 minutes, you can prepare the sides to serve with the chicken.
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.
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 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 5 minutes after air frying makes them juicier and more flavorful. Don't skip this important step!
🙋🏻♂️ FAQs
It depends on the size of your chicken thighs and whether they have the bone in or not. Boneless chicken thighs take roughly 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.
- 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.
🥘 Variations
You'll want to make these chicken thighs again and again so here are some ideas to spice them 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!
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.
- Resting the chicken makes it more juicy and flavorful - don't skip this step!
- Use a meat thermometer to accurately measure the temperature of the chicken so you know when it's completely done. Chicken is done when it reaches 165 °F (74 °C) inside.
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Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Air Fryer
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!
Penny
Such delicious spices and the chicken was not dried out - will make again!