Why It Works
- A dry brine seasons the chicken thoroughly and allows skin to dry, resulting in juicy, flavorful chicken with well-browned skin.
- Measuring the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is a more consistent way of determining doneness than going by time.
A crispy-skinned chicken thigh paired with a few sides—like a cucumber and tomato salad, steamed or air-fried broccoli, or mashed potatoes—is one of my favorite easy dinners. It’s simple and reliable, and something I can do without much effort. There’s a reason why many home cooks, including myself, turn to chicken thighs when they’re in search of a zero-fuss meal: They’re juicy, flavorful, and affordable, not to mention incredibly versatile. Win, win, win, win. I typically bake thighs, but now I have an even faster, more efficient way to cook them: the air fryer. As we’ve noted before, the appliance is basically a mini convection oven that circulates hot air to cook foods quickly and evenly.
What Our Recipe Testers Said
- “The thighs are a perfect representation of themselves: tender, juicy, and with a crackly and crispy skin.”
- “I will never sear chicken thighs on the stovetop ever again!”
- “A fast and easy way to get crispy-skinned chicken thighs without turning on the oven or heating up your grill!”
- “I’m shocked by how well these came out. The meat is so tender and moist and the skin is beyond crispy.”
As we pointed out in our recipe for basic air-fryer chicken breasts, the air-fryer is an undeniably quick and easy way to make chicken, but it’s not a given that that chicken will be juicy and flavorful. So we asked our test kitchen colleague and veteran recipe developer Julia Levy to come up with what we described as a basic method for air-fryer chicken thighs that are ultra-tender and flavorful with wonderfully crispy skin. Through numerous tests and tweaks, Levy did just that. Read on for the basic recipe, along with tips for getting the moistest, most appetizing chicken in the air fryer. You’ll also find five variations on the basic recipe, including lemon-pepper, za’atar mint, chipotle-lime, and miso-ginger, which one of our testers described as having a “lovely caramelized crust that was just on the edge of being burnt,” adding, “It tasted like they just came off the grill, which is a flavor that’s hard to replicate in an air fryer.”
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
3 Simple Tips for the Best Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Choose bone-in, skin-on thighs. While boneless, skinless thighs don’t dry out as easily as boneless, skinless breasts, we still think it’s worth opting for bone-in, skin-on here for the most succulent results. Not only will you get optimal juiciness, but you’ll also get beautifully browned skin that one of our recipe testers described as “beyond crispy.”
- Dry-brine the thighs for juicier, more flavorful meat. We’re longtime advocates for dry brining—this simple process makes for much juicier, more flavorful meat, and, unlike wet brining, you don’t need to fuss with a container of liquid taking up space in your fridge. In this recipe, we call for simply rubbing the meat with a combination of kosher salt, pepper, and baking powder, then letting it sit for a minimum of an hour (and up to 24 hours) in the fridge.
- Add some baking powder to the dry brine for crispy skin. As we’ve noted before (see Niki Achitoff-Gray’s article about crispy chicken and turkey skin), baking powder is slightly alkaline and raises the pH level in the chicken skin. This allows proteins to break down more efficiently, leading to crispier, evenly browned skin. Achitoff-Gray notes that as the baking powder comes together with the bird’s natural juices, carbon dioxide gasses form, producing “a layer of tiny bubbles” that “increase the skin’s surface area, allowing it to develop a crunchy texture once cooked.”
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Editor’s Note
This recipe was developed by Julia Levy; the headnote was written by Megan O. Steintrager.
The Easiest, Fastest Way to Crispy, Juicy Chicken Thighs
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4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 8 ounces; 226 g each), patted dry
1 3/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Brine Chicken: Place chicken thighs on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Using paper towels, pat chicken dry. In a small bowl, whisk salt, pepper, and baking powder together. Rub chicken all over with salt mixture. Refrigerate chicken skin-side up, uncovered, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Remove chicken from fridge and drizzle evenly with oil and desired seasonings, if using (see below for variations).
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Preheat a 6-quart air fryer to 400°F (205ºC) for 5 minutes. Place chicken, skin-side down, in preheated air fryer basket and cook until skin begins to render, about 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken skin-side up and return to air fryer. Continue cooking at 400°F until skin is crispy and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 175°F (79ºC), 6 to 8 more minutes. Remove chicken from air fryer and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze
Variations
1. Lemon-Pepper: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons), 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder until combined. Rub all over chicken before cooking.
2. Miso-Ginger: In a small bowl, whisk together 4 teaspoons white miso paste, 4 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (from 1 [8-inch] knob of ginger), and 1 tablespoon finely grated garlic (from 3 medium cloves) until combined. Rub all over chicken before cooking.
3. Dijon-Thyme: In a small bowl, whisk together 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon), and 1 tablespoon (15ml) extra-virgin olive oil until combined. Rub all over chicken before cooking.
4. Za’atar-Mint: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons za’atar (homemade or store-bought), 4 teaspoons minced fresh mint, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, and 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin oil until combined. Rub all over chicken before cooking.
5. Chipotle-Lime: In a small bowl, whisk together 4 teaspoons chipotle chile powder, 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest (from 2 limes), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon light brown sugar until combined. Rub all over chicken before cooking.
Special Equipment
Wire rack, rimmed baking sheet, 6-quart air fryer, instant-read thermometer, tongs
Make-Ahead and Storage
Chicken thighs can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.
