Boneless Air Fryer Chicken Thighs - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

How long to cook boneless in the air fryer? ›

Air fry according to the size of your chicken breasts — again, 4-5oz breasts will take 10-12 minutes, 6-8oz breasts will take 13-15 minutes, and 9-120z breasts could take 16-20 minutes — or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees as measured by an instant read thermometer, flipping the chicken breasts ...

I think it's about 25 minutes at 400F. Works for me.

After testing a variety of temperatures, I found that 375 degrees F is the best temperature for air frying chicken. Because the air fryer uses convection heat, you do not need to set it as high as you would an oven (in a regular oven, 425 degrees F is best for baking chicken, like Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast).

Baking Temperature and Timing

While chicken thighs only need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees as read by a meat thermometer, I recommend you bake them until they reach 180 – 190 degrees. This takes 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees.

You can cook chicken tenderloins in the air fryer very easily by seasoning them with olive oil and herbs of your choice and then directly putting them in the air fryer preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Let them cook for 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

The great news about air fryers is that you can use foil along with parchment paper to cook your food in an air fryer. Just remember that if it's safe and effective to use in a conventional oven, it will work just fine in an air fryer.

Air fryers cook faster than big ovens

Because of the smaller cooking chamber and superconvection (intense fan blowing heat into food), air fryers generally cook foods much faster than your traditional gas or electric stove. Often in about half the time it takes to make a similar recipe in a full oven.

Drizzle a shot of olive oil over the chicken before warming to help keep it moist. If reheating in the microwave, cover the chicken with a wet paper towel and make sure not to overheat, as the chicken will dry out. Make sure to check out my recipes featuring chicken thighs: Roast chicken salad with low carb cloud bread.

Depending on the region where you live, boneless chicken thighs might even be cheaper than chicken breast. And when you consider how versatile they are (and so much tastier), you will definitely get more bang for your buck.

Boneless, skinless thighs cook quickly. Roast until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F, about 20 minutes. If they are not ready, continue roasting and checking the temperature every 5 minutes. Rest the chicken.

What temperature for chicken thighs in an air fryer? ›

Preheat a 3.5-quart air fryer to 400 degrees F. Add the chicken thighs to the air fryer basket, skin-side down and without touching. Cook, flipping skin-side up halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part (avoiding the bone) reads 165 degrees F, about 18 minutes.

Place chicken in the air fryer basket, presentation side down, and cook for 8 minutes at 375°F. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking until the thickest part registers 155°F on an instant-read thermometer, typically about 6 to 8 minutes longer.

Make sure to heat the oil up to 350 degrees F. Add the chicken thighs in small batches. If you crowd the pan, it will cause the oil temperature to drop, resulting in an uneven cooking result. Make sure to cook a few pieces at a time.

Remove chicken thighs from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Place chicken in air fryer basket, leaving space between each piece of fried chicken. Reheat in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is warmed through and the skin is crispy.

The fat should be about one inch deep in the skillet, coming about halfway up the food. Get the fat good and hot before adding the chicken. The fried chicken oil temperature should be about 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Using tongs, carefully lower chicken pieces into the oil skin-side down.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recommends cooking whole chicken and parts of chicken (like the breasts, legs, thighs, wings and giblets), ground poultry, and stuffing to 165 degrees F.