Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
on Jan 30, 2026
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Air fryer bone-in chicken thighs are one of the easiest ways to get crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat with minimal effort. The circulating heat of the air fryer browns the skin beautifully while the bone keeps the meat tender and forgiving, even if you cook it a few minutes longer. This simple method uses just olive oil, salt, and pepper as a base, with plenty of seasoning ideas to change things up once you’ve mastered the technique.
If you own an air fryer and you’re not cooking bone-in chicken thighs in it yet, this is your gentle nudge. The air fryer gives you crispy skin, juicy meat, and dinner in under 30 minutes, with very little effort. Bone-in thighs are especially great here because they stay moist while the skin gets beautifully browned — no turning the chicken required. And thighs are very economical, so that’s yet another plus.
Why Bone-In Chicken Thighs Work So Well in the Air Fryer
- The circulating heat crisps the skin without drying out the meat
- The bone keeps the thighs juicy and flavorful
- They’re forgiving if you cook them a few minutes longer
- Minimal cleanup (which counts as a feature)
This is a basic, reliable method you can use every time — but there are plenty of ways to change up the flavor once you’ve got the technique down. And by getting the technique down, I mean basically turning on your air fryer, and we’re all pretty confident we’re going to master that!
What's In This Post?
- Basic Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Thigh Ingredients
- How to Cook Bone-In Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
- What Temperature Should Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Be?
- Seasoning Ideas for Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Tips for Crispy Skin and Juicy Meat
- FAQs
- What to Serve With Air-Fried Chicken
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe
- More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Basic Air Fryer Bone-In Chicken Thigh Ingredients
This is the version to memorize. Then you can have some fun.
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- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
How to Cook Bone-In Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels (this helps the skin crisp).
- Rub the thighs lightly with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the thighs skin-side up in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space between them.
- Cook for 25 to 28 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature reaches 175–195°F. Let the thighs rest for a few minutes before serving.
What Temperature Should Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Be?
- Safe minimum: 165°F
- Best texture: 175–195°F
Chicken thighs get more tender as they cook, so don’t pull them from the air fryer too early.
Seasoning Ideas for Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Once you’ve mastered salt and pepper (which, again, I think we can safely say you will), try one of these:
- Garlic + paprika + thyme
- Lemon zest + oregano
- Smoked paprika + cumin + chili powder
- Soy sauce + honey + ginger (brush on during the last few minutes)
- Everything bagel seasoning (it’s a THING these days)
Rich bone-in thighs can handle bold flavors.
Tips for Crispy Skin and Juicy Meat
- Dry the skin well before seasoning.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket — cook in batches if needed.
- Use an internal thermometer instead of guessing.
FAQs
It helps with browning and consistency, so yes, if your model allows it.
You can, but they’ll cook faster and won’t be quite as juicy.
No — they need airflow to crisp properly.
If you want fast, crispy, dependable chicken, bone-in chicken thighs in the air fryer are hard to beat. Start with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then make them your own. Once you try this, it’s going straight into the weeknight rotation.
What to Serve With Air-Fried Chicken
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Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels (this helps the skin crisp).
- Rub the thighs lightly with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the thighs skin-side up in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space between them. (You may need to cook these in two batches if you have a smaller air fryer). Cook for 25 to 28 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature reaches 175–195°F.
