Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on or boneless, skinless; see note 1)
- spray oil
Rub
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- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon pepper (optional; can be a touch spicy for kids)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
Instructions
Boneless skinless thighs
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Place chicken thighs on a plate. Spray on both sides with spray oil.
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Stir together the rub, and sprinkle over the chicken. Press it on with your hands (to get it to stick properly), flip the thighs, and repeat on the other side.
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Heat air fryer to 390°F/200°C.
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Place two of the chicken thighs in the bask of the air fryer (see note 2), making sure they are spread out and not curled up. Cook for 4 minutes.
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Flip, and cook for 4 more minutes, or until a digital thermometer stuck into the thickest part reads 165°F.
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Remove the chicken from the air fryer, cover, and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Bone-in, skin-on thighs
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Place chicken thighs on a plate. Spray on both sides with spray oil.
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Stir together the rub, and sprinkle over the chicken. Press it on with your hands (to get it to stick properly), flip the thighs, and repeat on the other side.
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Heat air fryer to 390°F/200°C.
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(optional) Place 2 pieces of bread, torn, into the bottom of the air fryer, under the basket (see note 3).
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Place all four chicken thighs into the basket, spreading them out as much as possible. Cook for 15 minutes.
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Flip the chicken carefully, and cook for another 8-10 minutes, until an internal temperature of at least 165°F is reached (see note 4).
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Remove from the air fryer, and let chicken rest (uncovered) for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips:
2- a standard-sized basket air fryer fits two spread out chicken thighs at a time and you will need to work in batches. Larger basket air fryers or oven-style air fryers will fit a full batch.
3- the bread absorbs grease from the chicken thighs, reducing the amount of smoking that occurs while cooking.
4- when cooked to 165°F, we found the top of the chicken was not crispy to our liking, and that the part closest to the bone was still a little under. 185-190 was a better result for us, but feel free to play around to get your perfect chicken thighs!
Storage
Store cooked chicken thighs in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat
Reheat in the air fryer at 390°F/200°C for 3 minutes (boneless) or 5 minutes (bone-in), until crispy and heated through.
*nutritional information is for one 4 oz boneless skinless chicken thigh
