Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs

Name: Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 24 min
Ingredients: 6 Bone-In, Skin on Chicken Thighs (check for gluten-free); 1 Packet Dry Ranch Dressing Mix (check for gluten-free)

Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs that are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The yummy ranch flavor paired with the crunchy chicken will have your family grabbing an extra piece or two!

There are always new kitchen appliances on the market that I am often skeptical of the different products. You start to wonder which ones are worth the purchase. If you have been following the blog then you know that my crockpot and my Instant pot are my two favorite appliances.

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The possibilities are almost endless when it comes to making crockpot meals or instant pot meals for my family. I honestly never thought I would need another kitchen tool until…my son requested fried chicken for dinner… If you have ever attempted to make homemade fried chicken then you know how overwhelming and messy the experience can be. I decided to invest in an air fryer and I am SO happy that I did. It makes the perfect Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs.

HOW TO MAKE

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees
Using a paper towel, pat the chicken dry
Season both sides with dry ranch dressing
Place onto air fryer rack
Spray top of chicken thighs with non-stick cooking spray
Cook 10 minutes, flip, then cook 10 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees

HOW TO USE YOUR NINJA FOODI AIR FRYER OVEN

Press the POWER button to turn on your appliance
Turn the START/PAUSE dial to select your desired cooking function
Press the TIME/SLICE button to select your cooking time
Press the TEMP/DARKNESS button to select temperature – use the dial to adjust to a different darkness level
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.

Start by preheating your air fryer to 400 degrees. Then, use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry.

CAN I USE CHICKEN BREAST INSTEAD FOR RANCH CHICKEN THIGHS?

You sure can! I tend to cook with chicken thighs because they are more tender, cost-effective and super kid-friendly. However, if you have chicken breast in the fridge or freezer then feel free to ingredient swap.

CAN I USE SKINLESS, BONELESS CHICKEN THIGHS FOR RANCH CHICKEN THIGHS?

Absolutely! I go back and forth between bone-in skin-on and boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you are looking for more of a good old-fashioned piece of fried chicken, I highly recommend buying bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs will not be crispy.

Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs showing raw chicken thighs on a white plate with an air fryer rack next to the plate all on top of a countertop.

Season both sides of the chicken thighs with a dry ranch dressing.

I personally love a homemade ranch dressing for this recipe. By the time you are done making your fried chicken, you will not even need a dipping sauce. The flavor is just that good!

Have a kid that loves cooking? Let him/her make the ranch seasoning while you prep the chicken. My daughter usually claims the job of mixing together the dry ranch dressing at my house.

PRO TIP: Looking to make a cheesy ranch chicken? Add nutritional yeast to your dry ranch dressing mixture!

Raw chicken thighs on an air fryer rack.

Place the chicken thighs onto the air fryer rack.

A Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven filled with chicken thighs on a countertop.

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY CHICKEN IN AN AIR FRYER

PREHEAT YOUR AIR FRYER: This allows for even cooking and ensures crispy chicken. If your air fryer does not have a preheat setting then let it run for 5 minutes before adding your chicken.
DRY THE CHICKEN: Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. By removing the extra moisture prior to air frying, you will end up with a crispier piece of chicken. Make sure to do this step before you add your seasoning!
FLIP HALFWAY: Flip halfway through cooking. This allows both sides of the chicken to become crispy.
SEASON WITH SALT: Make sure to choose a dry ranch dressing with salt as an ingredient. The salt helps to pull out any extra moisture from the chicken that is then evaporated with the air fryer technology.
LAY CHICKEN IN A SINGLE LAYER: Make sure you do not overcrowd your air fryer basket by stacking the chicken thighs. This will cause uneven cooking and crispiness.

Crispy chicken thigh held with a tong on a white plate.

FAQ

HOW LONG TO FRY CHICKEN THIGHS

An air fryer is built to cook at high temperatures by circulating hot air around the food with a fan. This allows you to end up with food that is fried on the outside and juicy on the inside. No more dodging hot oil popping from your stovetop as you fry your favorite foods. My favorite part is the clean up because there is no need to dispose of a large pot of oil!

PRO TIP: The crumb tray and wire rack tray are hand wash only. The sheet pan and air fryer basket are dishwasher safe

HOW TO KNOW WHEN AIR FRYER RANCH CHICKEN THIGHS ARE COOKED

The internal temperature will reach 165 degrees and that is when you know your chicken is done cooking. I highly recommend investing in a meat thermometer. It will come in handy – trust me!

If using the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven, or similar air fryer, cook for 10 minutes, flip, then cook 10 more minutes.

Crisp chicken thighs on a serving platter.

Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Thighs are great for weeknight dinners, potlucks or parties. This recipe can feed your family or be doubled/tripled to feed a crowd. Serve your ranch chicken thighs with Hasselback Potatoes with Cheese, Red Potatoes or Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes for a complete meal.

If you enjoyed this chicken thigh recipe, make sure to add chicken thigh recipes to your weekly menu!

CHICKEN THIGH RECIPES

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