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Air Fryer Fried Chicken

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This Air Fryer Fried Chicken is juicy inside and crispy on the outside. You will love the crunchy coating with Parmesan cheese. It’s a delicious fried chicken dinner made healthier!

I served it with mashed potatoes, creamy coleslaw and sauteed spinach. It was a huge hit!

air fryer fried chicken on white plate Air Fryer Fried Chicken

After the huge success with my chicken nuggets, I wanted to make another chicken recipe. One that you will most likely fry in a lot of oil. Well, forget deep-fat frying! This Air Fryer Fried Chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Marinate the chicken in buttermilk (I am sharing my quick homemade version), then coat in flour, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese breading with spices. The simple bath in buttermilk helps keep the chicken juicy while air frying. The breading is perfectly seasoned and has a hint of toasted cheese. AMAZING!

Ingredients

  • chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
  • buttermilk (or half and half and vinegar)
  • flour
  • breadcrumbs
  • Parmesan cheese
  • paprika
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • Italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper

How to make fried chicken in an air fryer?

  • Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and add buttermilk. Cover bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (up to 8 hours).
  • Mix breading ingredients: flour, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasoning.
  • Lightly spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray and preheat it to 380 degrees F, for 3 minutes.
  • Shake off excess of buttermilk of each chicken pieces and dip in breading mixture.
  • Place chicken thighs in air fryer, do not stack. Cook for 25 minutes.
  • Check the internal temperature of each chicken piece (see info below), cook for a few more minutes if needed.

photo collage for steps to make air fryer fried chicken Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Cooking times

  • thighs: set timer to 25 to 28 minutes and cook chicken until internal temperature is at least 180 degrees F.
  • breasts: set timer to 23 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Cook until internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F.
  • strips: set timer to 15 to 17 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces. Cook until internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F.
  • nuggets:

Can I use frozen chicken?

If you have frozen chicken strips or nuggets, you can cook them in the air fryer as you would in the oven. It is not recommended to use frozen chicken breast or thighs.

Can I stack the chicken?

The air fryer cooks food by circulating the hot air around it so the surface of your food needs to be exposed to the air to be cooked properly. If you want to cook more than 4 pieces, I suggest doing so in batches.

Do I need to preheat the air fryer?

No, it is not necessary. If you do not want to wait for it to heat up, simply add 3 minutes to cooking time.

four air fried chicken thighs on white plate Air Fryer Fried Chicken

More recipes:

For more recipes like this, browse our Air Fryer category.

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If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

5 from 11 votes
air fryer fried chicken on white plate A 150x150 Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Print
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
chilling time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
This Air Fryer Fried Chicken is juicy inside and crispy on the outside. You will love the crunchy coating with Parmesan cheese. It's a delicious fried chicken dinner made healthier!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer fried chicken
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 370 kcal
Author: Anna
Ingredients
  • 4 chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in (see note)
  • 1 cup buttermilk see note
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Trim chicken of any excess fat. Place in a large bowl. Add buttermilk and make sure all pieces are coated. Cover bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (up to 8 hours).
  2. In a bowl combine the breading ingredients: flour, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasoning.
  3. Lightly spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray. Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F, for 3 minutes.
  4. Shake off excess of buttermilk of each chicken pieces and dip in breading mixture. Make sure it is well coated.
  5. Place chicken thighs in air fryer, do not stack. Close air fryer, set timer to 25 minutes.

  6. Check the internal temperature of each chicken piece (it should be at least 180 degrees F). Cook for a few more minutes if needed.

Recipe Notes
  1. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, however, they will cook faster. Check their internal temperature after 20 minutes.
  2. To make homemade buttermilk: combine 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and enough half and half to make 1 cup of liquid. Let sit for a few minutes.
  3. You can easily double the recipe to make more servings, however, you will have to cook the chicken in batches.
  4. Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 370 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 122mg41%
Sodium 586mg25%
Potassium 325mg9%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 365IU7%
Calcium 164mg16%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe was originally published on March 25th, 2019 and updated on March 4th, 2020.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Ashlee says

    THIS RECIPE IS DELICIOUS. It was one of the easiest dinners I’ve ever made. And so good. My husband went on and on. Keeper for sure.

    Reply

  4. Anna says

    Hi! Is it possible to do this recipe in a regular oven with the fan on at 210 C? My friend made this in an air fryer and it was amazing but unfortunately we don’t have one yet and so we wanted to try it in a hot hot oven with the convection fan going.

    Reply

    • Brenda Allen says

      I don’t see why you couldn’t. They both are convection and faster cooking than convention. The difference between counter top convection and an air fryer is that air fryers are smaller; therefore, they can cook the food a Bit faster. Another difference is the air fryer having a basket (a metal wire rack/basket with feet) that promotes air flow. That is no problem since you can put a rack on a low-sided tray. One other thing to keep in mind is that 210C is 410F. I would normally “fry” it at 450F, so you may need to cook higher temp or longer. If you are familiar with a convection oven, you are good to go!

      Reply

  7. StacyF says

    Do these get turned over half way through? I noticed on other air fryer recipes the upside needed to be there over to get that crispy “fried” flavor from spraying the inside of fryer so top of chicken won’t be dry?

    Reply

  8. Teresa says

    I just got an air fryer and wanted to try fried chicken in it and I found this recipe. I don’t usually leave reviews but wanted to on this one. This turned out wonderful, I filled the recipe to the T. My husband has had his doubts with my new air fryer purchase but after making this recipe, I won him over! Thanks for sharing, it’s a keeper.

    Reply

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