Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

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.

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.

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.

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