Prepare a delicious and nutritious dinner in under 20 minutes with my favorite air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs! Made with a handful of simple ingredients, air frying boneless skinless chicken thighs allows them to stay tender and juicy on the inside with a crispy exterior.
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Looking for more easy chicken dinner recipes? You will enjoy my Cheez It chicken or juicy panko breaded chicken. And try my air fryer thin pork chops or air fryer turkey tenderloins for more easy air fryer dinner ideas.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
Seasoned with paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder, these chicken thighs are simple and flavorful. Plus, who can resist crunchy, crispy edges? No joke, boneless skinless chicken thighs in the air fryer is my favorite way to eat chicken.
I love cooking this chicken thigh recipe for dinner and making enough for meal prep for lunch all week. Add it to salads, tacos, or simply eat with a side of veggies.
- Quick & Easy! From start to finish, this recipe takes under 20 minutes to cook. Hello, quick weeknight dinner!
- Crispy & Juicy! Air fried boneless chicken thighs come out magically crisp on the outside and tender on the center every time.
- Healthy & Flavorful! These skinless chicken thighs in air fryer are packed with flavor without adding excess oil. Plus, with no breading, they are low carb, keto, and gluten-free.
- High in protein! One chicken thigh without skin is about 28 grams of protein.
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs. For another recipe using this cut of meat, try my baked chicken orzo for another delicious meal.
- Olive oil
- Seasoning blend - smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper
Recommended Tools
- Air Fryer - I've had my favorite air fryer for years with no complaints!
- Meat thermometer - Use an instant meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is fully cooked.
How to Make Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Air frying boneless chicken thighs is super easy with minimal cleanup. Air fry skinless chicken thighs to crispy, juicy perfection in a matter of minutes with very little effort on your part.
Step 1: First, start by preheating the air fryer. Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. This is an important step to get crispy chicken thighs.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine seasonings. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and seasoning blend. Rub oil and seasonings into the meat to fully cover all sides of the chicken.
Step 3: Place chicken thighs in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket - this is another key to getting crispy chicken. Cook in batches, if needed. Let chicken thighs rest a few minutes before cutting so they stay moist.
How long to air fry boneless skinless chicken thighs?
Air fry boneless chicken thighs at 400°F for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F . I typically air fry skinless chicken thighs for a total of 14 minutes. Flip chicken halfway through cooking to ensure all sides get crispy.
Pro Tips
- Cook this chicken thigh recipe in a preheated air fryer.
- Cook time will vary based on the size of the chicken pieces and air fryer wattage. Cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F.
- Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel before adding oil and seasoning.
- When air frying boneless chicken thighs, there should be a light layer of oil on the chicken to get the perfect crunch. If the chicken gets too dry from the rub, lightly spray with olive oil.
- Let chicken thighs rest a few minutes before cutting so they stay moist.
Swaps & Substitutions
- Make it spicy! Add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the seasoning blend for a kick of spice.
- Switch up the seasoning! I like to make these air fryer skinless chicken thighs with Low Sodium Taco Seasoning or Homemade Blackened Seasoning.
- Instead of using oil and seasonings, brush chicken with a sauce, like Buffalo, BBQ or Teriyaki.
What to serve with chicken thighs?
So many options! Chicken thighs pair well with most vegetables, potatoes, and rice. Look at my favorite air fryer side dishes for a tasty air fryer side dish idea.
When I make this recipe with taco seasoning, I like to serve chicken thighs with Cauliflower Spanish Rice with Salsa for a low carb Tex-Mex inspired meal.
Storage & Reheating
Like I mentioned, I love making air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs for an easy meal prep. Store air fried boneless chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, cook in the microwave for 60-90 seconds. You can also reheat chicken in air fryer at 350°F for 3-5 minutes until warm.
If you want to freeze chicken thighs, store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes
If you try this recipe or any recipe from Happy Honey Kitchen, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Enjoy!
Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Save this Recipe!
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 380°F. Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl, combine seasonings. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and seasoning blend. Rub oil and seasonings into the meat to fully cover all sides of the chicken.
- Place chicken thighs in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook at 380°F for 12-14 minutes depending on the size. Flip halfway though cooking.
- Chicken thighs should reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the air fryer and rest a few minutes before slicing so they stay moist on the inside.
Notes
- If you are cooking bone-in chicken thighs, cooking time will be longer. The cook time will vary based on the size of the chicken pieces and air fryer wattage. Cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Place chicken in a single layer and don't overcrowd the air fryer basket to ensure crispy air fryer chicken.
- Let chicken thighs rest 5 minutes before cutting so you don't lose the juices in the center.
Henry
These are so good!
Jenn C
Easy and Delicious!!
I omitted the brown sugar and used sweet paprika instead of smoked paprika.
Thank you!
Bill
At what temperature do I preheat the fryer? What temperature should I set the air fryer to cook the chicken thighs??
happyhoneykitchen
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F then cook chicken thighs at 400°F. Enjoy!
David
I may have an eyesight problem as I couldn’t find this one thing.
At what temperature should these be cooked?
happyhoneykitchen
Cook at 400°F - you can find this in #3 of the "instructions" section in the recipe card. Enjoy!
Taylour
Looks really good! I've been wanting to venture into other air fryer recipes and paprika on anything is amazing!
Stacy
This recipe was amazing. The flavour was just right.
Healthy Hearty Wholesome
Yum! I love chicken thighs.