Air Fryer Italian Chicken Thighs

Air Fryer Italian Chicken Thighs are made without breading and are nice and crispy on the outside while being juicy on the inside. Even better, this recipe is on the table in just 25 minutes! They are going to become a family favorite. Gluten-free.

It took us a while to get on the air fryer bandwagon, but once we did, we were hooked! You might enjoy some of our favorites including Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs, air fryer salmon patties, and air fryer banana chips.

Don’t have an air fryer or don’t want to pull it out? Check out our tutorial on How To Boil Chicken Thighs for perfectly cooked chicken every time!

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HOW TO MAKE

1. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees
2. Using a paper towel, pat the chicken dry
3. Season both sides with Dry Italian Seasoning Mix
4. Place onto air fryer rack
5. Spray top of chicken thighs with non-stick cooking spray
6. Cook 10 minutes, flip, then cook 10 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees

Start by gathering the ingredients. Then, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Bone-In, Skin-on Chicken Thighs
• 1 Packet Dry Italian Seasoning Mix
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray
• Paper towels

Substitutions 

• Swap the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for boneless, skinless chicken breasts if preferred. Just know that without the skin, you will not get as crunchy of a piece of chicken. 
• Swap the dry Italian seasoning mix for any of your favorite seasoning combinations.
• Use avocado oil spray, canola oil spray or olive oil spray.

Next, using paper towels, pat the chicken dry. Do not skip this step – it is key to making the chicken crispy.

Next, season both sides of the chicken thighs. 

Substitutions

Skip the extra trip to the store to purchase a seasoning mix. Grab your spices from the cabinet and try out one of these combinations! I personally love to season my fried chicken with a Homemade Italian Seasoning. 

Check out these other spice combinations for your air fryer chicken thighs!

• Smokey Spice Rub
• Asian Rub
• Mexican Seasoning Mix
• Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Once your chicken thighs are seasoned to your liking, place the onto the air fryer rack. 

PRO TIP: This air fryer rack is dishwasher safe so simply throw in your dishwasher once you are done cooking

Next, spray the top of each chicken thigh with a non-stick cooking spray. I usually use an avocado oil spray. Make sure to flip your chicken thighs to spray both sides!

Also, by laying your the thighs in a single layer, you can make sure the chicken gets extra crispy. I start by placing my chicken thighs skin side up on the rack.

HOW To COOK

Once the chicken is on the air fryer rack in a single layer, add the rack to the air fryer. Then, cook for 10 minutes, flip the chicken thighs, then cook 10 more minutes.

You will know your chicken thighs are ready to be served when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Check out this step-by-step guide on how to use the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven.

1. Press the POWER button to turn on your appliance 
2. Turn the START/PAUSE dial to select your desired cooking function
3. Press the TIME/SLICE button to select your cooking time 
4. Press the TEMP/DARKNESS button to select the temperature – use the dial to adjust to a different darkness level
5. Press the START/PAUSE dial to start the cooking process – if you need to add more time, turn the dial. If you need to pause the air fryer, press the dial.

TIPS & Tricks

• Place the baking pan on the rack under the air fryer pan as the chicken will drip and the pan will catch the juices. This eliminates the having to clean the bottom of the air fryer after cooking.
• Preheat your air fryer before adding your food. This helps your chicken thighs cook evenly once they are added to the oven.
• Do not panic if you see smoke. Sometimes food will get lodged in the heating coil causing smoke. Simple unplug your appliance, remove the food from the heating coil, and continue cooking.

Related: Family favorite chicken thigh recipes Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs, Instant Pot Bone-In Chicken Thighs, and Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs.

FAQ

MORE CHICKEN RECIPES

• Southwest Chicken Chili
• Greek Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Sausage Soup
• Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
• Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti 

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