Made with honey, mustard, garlic and savory spices, these air fryer chicken thighs are unbelievably tender, juicy and full of flavor. This is one of those recipes that will make you a superstar with your air fryer.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, expertly seasoned and cooked to absolute perfection in your air fryer.
Why I Love This Recipe
Air fryers one of the top selling kitchen appliances for good reason – they’re awesome! You can make so many amazing recipes in a fraction of the time of traditional frying, broiling or baking. And here’s the thing, they’re not just for making “fried” foods. In fact, this recipe doesn’t use any breading, but rather a seasoning mix that includes both wet and dry ingredients and then cooks for about 20 minutes, producing a chicken dish that’s worthy of any good restaurant.
Ingredients
We start, of course, with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are loaded with flavor and are also easy to work with. Even if you overcook them slightly, the results are still excellent. Chicken thighs are naturally tender and juicy.
Honey, Garlic, Mustard and Simple Seasonings
We’ll use an awesome combination of simple ingredients to season our chicken. Our ingredient list includes:
- Honey
- Mustard
- Minced Garlic
- Oregano
- Tarragon
- Paprika
- Cayenne
- Salt and pepper
We’re getting so many amazing flavors with this seasoning mix and result is simply stellar. We get sweet from the honey, vibrant from the mustard and savory from the oregano, tarragon and garlic. The cayenne won’t be hot, but rather will help bring all the other flavors to life.
Tarragon, the secret ingredient!
Do you use tarragon much? It’s the perfect “secret” ingredient for a dish such as this to add an extra level of savory goodness.
Tarragon is a leafy green herb with an ever-so-subtle hint of licorice flavor. When added to chicken it helps to provide an extra, fresh vibrance to the dish while deepening the savory qualities with the other ingredients.
Preparation
We start by trimming the chicken thighs of any extra visible fat. Then, in a large bowl, mix the honey, mustard, and garlic with all the dry ingredients. Now it’s time to get those chicken thighs wet! Mix them into the bowl with the seasoning and get them good and coated on all sides.
Should we marinate the chicken?
With this recipe, you can season the chicken and put it in the air fryer right away. However, if you want to marinate the chicken for a couple of hours, go for it! This will help deepen the flavors and infuse them more into the meat.
Cooking
Preheat the air fryer to 400°(F) for 5 minutes, then using the air fry setting, air fry for 16-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°(F). No need to flip during cooking.
Serving
When the chicken is done, remove to a plate and let rest for a couple of minutes. This helps all the juices redistribute throughout the meat.
You’re now ready to dig in!
I love to serve this dish with veggies, rice, or a good mac and cheese or pasta. But really, the possibilities are endless.
Some of my favorite side dishes are…
- Air Fryer Roasted Zucchini and Peppers – Honestly, I could have this as a side-dish for literally any meal. Super easy to prep and make. Excellent with chicken!
- Creamy Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Orzo – I love orzo so much! This is an excellent and filling side-dish for our chicken thighs.
- Irresistible Air Fryer Garlic Herb Potatoes – chicken and potatoes are a natural together. These simple potatoes are so awesome and super easy to make.
You know what else? You can also serve them on a bun! Toast some brioche buns, add a couple of pickle slices, and you’ve got a chicken sandwich that will rival any chicken joint for sure!
You can also slice up the chicken to be served cold with salad. It’s a terrific way to add delicious protein to your salad and perfect to bring to work.
Storage and Reheating
These chicken thighs can easily be stored in air tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in microwave
The best way to reheat is in the microwave. Place them on a microwave safe plate and sprinkle the chicken with a little water. Just a very drops on each piece. Then cover the chicken with a damp paper towel.
Microwave for 1 minute, then in 30-second intervals until chicken is heated through.
Reheat in air fryer
When reheating in the air fryer, make sure to coat the chicken with some water or broth to help prevent drying out. Then air fry at 350°F for 3-5 minutes or until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Just double all the ingredients. When cooking, make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket and don’t let the pieces of chicken overlap or touch. Do two batches if necessary.
Yes. Follow the recipe the same. The time may be a minute or two more, depending on the size of the chicken thighs. Monitor for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Internal temp should be 165°F.
Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 thighs
Description
Savory, tender and juicy boneless, skinless chicken thighs cooked to perfection in your air fryer. With a homemade honey mustard seasoning you won’t believe.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 6-8oz each, trimmed of fat
- 2 tbs honey
- 2 tbs yellow mustard
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 1 tsp tarragon, dried
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix honey, mustard, garlic, paprika, oregano, tarragon, cayenne salt and pepper.
- Add chicken to bowl and toss well with the seasoning.
- Preheat air fryer at 400°(f) for 5 minutes.
- Place seasoned chicken in air fryer basket or on air fryer tray and use “air fry” setting at 400°(F) for 16-20 minutes, or to internal temperature of 165°(F) when measured with an instant read thermometer.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Diane Williams says
Best damn chicken thighs and chicken breasts recipes are outstanding!! Thank you!
Susan Lynn says
This recipe is delish! The mustard and tarragon was a nice surprise! I flipped the chicken halfway through and this was definitely a hit with my husband. We’ll be making it again! Thank you for sharing:)
Sandy says
I made this and could hardly wait to eat the leftovers!! So yummy!
Annie says
Great flavor, but we’ve noticed our air fryer cooks higher/hotter than any recipe calls for. So in the end, the top of ours thighs were charred and hard…definitely not your fault! But do you recommend a lower temperature for the same amount of time, or a shorter period of time. I hate to take risks not cooking the chicken thoroughly. Thanks!
Gail says
Hi Annie! We have a 1500 watt air fryer and I cook our bl/sl thighs at 375° for 12ish mins, flipping halfway through. They come out perfect everytime! Hope this helps!
Linda Huesman says
I made the recipe exactly as written. It is absolutely delicious! The chicken thighs were perfectly seasoned, cooked and very moist. Wouldn’t change a thing and have saved this recipe to make again soon. My husband stated several times that these were delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe
Patti says
We just got an air fryer. This was the first meat dish I’ve made in it. I marinated skinless, bone in thighs for 24 hrs and then cooked as directed. Soooooo delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Leslie says
This was a winner in our house. We’ve made it now 4 times and have sent it to several of my friends. I did not at first use tarragon as I did not have it, but this time we did add it in. It’s quick and so easy.
RecipeTeacher says
So when we were developing the recipe, we loved what we had but agreed something was missing. That something was the tarragon. It really adds that something special to the flavor profile. I’m glad you like it, Leslie! Thanks for the feedback.
Amber says
It was this recipe that turned me on to tarragon. I had heard of this spice but never knew what to use it for. Thanks to Recipe Teacher, I am now a tarragon addict–yes, addict! I put tarragon on almost everything, all meat/fish/poultry dishes, potatoes, veggies, eggs, etc. The flavor is described as licorice but it’s not a strong taste–it is sweet with a touch of smoke. Sorry for my intrusion although I suggest adding some tarragon on other recipes. By the way, this recipe is the only way I make any air fryer chicken no matter which cut it is.
RecipeTeacher says
When we were developing this recipe we were “this close” but knew it needed a little something more. And that something more was the tarragon. It’s an awesome herb that really adds great flavor to tons of dishes.
Diane says
I loved this recipe! I substituted Italian seasoning for tarragon and oregano. I encourage you to double it! You,ll want more! Leftovers were awesome. Lots of flavor! I cooked in my speed bake oven.
Tracy says
Made them last night and my family loved them! The only change I made was to sub basil for the tarragon (didn’t have tarragon).
Elisa says
I loved this recipe! It is very simple and easy for anyone to do! The flavors are amazing ???? I definitely recommend! My family loved it! ????Yum Yum ????
RecipeTeacher says
Thank you so much, Elisa!