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Crispy Air Fryer “Fried” Chicken is SO delicious and doesn’t have to cook in any oil! It is crunchy and golden on the outside, and tender, juicy, and full of flavor inside! This is how the chicken was meant to be eaten.
Air Frying is sweeping the culinary world and with good reason. Food is done quicker, it’s juicer and has beautiful crusts. Try yours out with these absolutely delicious air fryer recipes like this Salmon, this amazing Steak with Garlic Herb Butter, and this classic Chicken Breast.
Reason’s You’ll LOVE This Recipe
- NO OIL: The best part of this air fryer chicken is that you don’t have to cook it in oil. It’s healthier AND it tastes even more delicious.
- The texture is perfection: Even without frying it in oil, the texture is perfectly golden and crunchy on the outside and packed with flavor on the inside.
- Easy and mess-free: Cooking it in the air fryer means you don’t have to watch it cook in the oil, your stovetop doesn’t get splattered and clean up is a breeze!
The Best Air Fryer Fried Chicken Recipe
If you love fried chicken but hate the mess and the extra fat, then this recipe is for you! Air frying chicken is much healthier than deep fat frying it and you’ll still get that amazing outside that we all love. You may never buy fried chicken out again.
Once you try this, you will be hooked on air frying everything. Here are all of my tips on How to Use an Air Fryer and also which air fryer to buy!
Ingredients for Air Fryer Chicken
Simple ingredients boast a huge flavor in this air-fried chicken. If you don’t have cajun seasoning feel free to sub it out for your favorite spices or you can leave it out altogether. If you don’t have buttermilk don’t fret, I have the solution for you, you can make your own. Get the recipe here.
- Chicken: I always use bone-in chicken thighs and legs for the most flavor!
- Salt and Pepper: Add these to taste.
- Buttermilk: The buttermilk adds flavor and helps the flour mixture stick to the chicken.
- Eggs: The eggs help bind the coating together.
- Flour: Want a crunchy coating? Don’t skip the dredging steps!
- Cajun Seasoning: Full of flavor, it’s perfect for chicken.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: These add in some extra flavor.
- Paprika: Provides color and flavor.
- Olive Oil spray: This will help “fry” any of the leftover outside coating.
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Chicken
This is pretty straightforward. The spray oil is used to help any coating that doesn’t get “fried” get cooked.
- Season the Chicken: Salt and pepper chicken thighs and legs.
- Mix: In a medium sized bowl add the buttermilk and eggs and whisk.
- Coating: In another medium sized bowl add the flour, cajun, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Dredge: Using tongs, dredge the chicken in the flour, then the buttermilk, and then lastly in the flour.
- Cook: Place in the bottom of the air fryer basket and cook at 360 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
- Oil if needed: Open the basket and spray any flour with cooking spray. Turn the chicken and cook for another 5-10 minutes until internal temperature registers 165 degrees and is no longer pink.
What kind of chicken is used in the air fryer?
- Can I use boneless skinless chicken? I don’t recommend using boneless skinless chicken. The skin helps the coating stick to the chicken, creating that luscious crispy outside. Having the bone in also adds moisture and flavor. You can use boneless chicken, you might need to adjust the cooking time, but look for chicken with skin for the best results.
- Can I use Chicken Breasts? I like using chicken pieces that are closer to the same size for more even cooking. If you use bone-in skin-on chicken breasts you’ll have success by adjusting the time. Again check your fried chicken with a thermometer. Also cook them separately from the smaller pieces.
Tips for the Best Air Fried Chicken
Just like any air fryer recipe, there are a few things to keep in mind to make this the most perfect air-fried chicken ever.
- Overcrowding: Do not over crowd your air fryer. Circulating air is how the air fryer cooks, and if you don’t leave enough space between the food for the air to penetrate, it won’t cook the same. You’ll have undercooked spots in your dish. If you need to cook your chicken in batches to make sure it’s not over crowded. Keep cooked chicken warm in a 200 degree oven while you cook the other batches.
- Know Your Air Fryer: Not all air fryers are the same and not all chicken is the same size. The times I used in this chicken recipe is a guideline. Make sure your chicken is cooked through. Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken and make sure it reads 165 degrees.
- Don’t skip the cooking oil spray: This is important in creating that crunchy fried chicken. You’ll want to spray the bits of chicken that are still covered in uncooked coating. You don’t want the chicken to taste like flour instead of amazing.
- Parchment liners: If you want to eliminate some of the mess from the coating in your air fryer, they now sell air fryer specific parchment liners that have holes in them.
Do I Have to Use Buttermilk?
Yes, you really should! Not only does it add flavor but it actually helps the chicken maintain its juiciness inside while helping to create a crispy outside. If you have time you can even let the chicken sit in the buttermilk from an hour up to overnight. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand you can make your own using lemon juice or vinegar using this How to Make Buttermilk recipe.
Why isn’t my coating sticking to the chicken?
If your coating is falling off try letting the mixture air dry on the chicken before air frying it. Place the chicken on a wire rack after you’ve to dredge it to let the coating really adhere to the skin. 10 minutes is all it will take.
More Chicken Recipes to Love
Chicken is fabulous! It is a marvelous ingredient to work with. It has a mild flavor on its own, so it’s easy to marinate and flavor any way you like it. Whether your air frying it, put it on the grill, in the slow cooker or instant pot, it’s just wonderful. Try these other incredible chicken recipes.
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Crispy Air Fryer “Fried” Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and legs
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Salt and pepper chicken thighs and legs. In a medium sized bowl add the buttermilk and eggs and whisk. In another medium sized bowl add the flour, cajun, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Cook at 360 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Open the basket and spray any flour with the cooking spray. Turn the chicken and cook for another 5-10 minutes until 165 degrees and no longer pink.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m not an adventurous soul and I was terrified of trying this and ruining good chicken. But try it I did, and as Emeril used to say, Bam! It was beyond delicious! Except for the horrendous mess I made in the kitchen, it was an absolute success and will be a regular in our house. Thanks for the recipe!
Excellent, first time air frying chicken
So glad to hear that you loved it!!
WARNING: This recipe makes enough to double bread 5 pounds of chicken!
The flavors are great, but the proportions are insane. I made 2.5 pounds of chicken (That’s more than the recipe suggests) and was appalled by the amount of waste. I hate wasting food, so I was furious, but the chicken was tasty. Half the recipe for the breading or double the amount of chicken at least.
Which brand of air fryer would you recommend?
I have a couple that I use. My favorite (not sponsored) is the Drew Barrymore “Beautiful” 6 quart air fryer!
How much time would you add for the air fryer function of a new full-sized oven?
And just to clarify, you don’t use any breadcrumbs or corn flakes? It’s just a batter?
I haven’t cooked them in an air fryer oven before, but the cooking time should be the same on the air fryer function. Just watch them and make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming. And that is correct, no breadcrumbs or cornflakes. Just the flour mixture.
Can you recommend an air fryer?
I currently use the Drew Barrymore ” Beautiful” one from Walmart. Here is a link (not sponsored, I just love it!) https://www.walmart.com/ip/Beautiful-6-Quart-Touchscreen-Air-Fryer-Sage-Green-by-Drew-Barrymore/597932797
Just made this in our airfryer and it came out really good. We use Old Bay and I upped the amount for flavor and spice and it was perfect!
Thanks going to make this again for family dinners.
Hi! I’ve made this recipe before on oil,except no eggs in it. Can I do it the same way on the air fryer?
Hello! The eggs are used to help the flour stick to the chicken which is what provides it that nice, outside edge. I haven’t tried it without the eggs before but let me know how it turns out if you do!
Will this work with breasts?
Can you remove the skin from the chicken first to make it a healthier option?
She says yes but it will make the coating stick a bit different
Well mine was an epic fail. My forst time using the air fryer. So i put the chicken on top of eachother to fit and it was a gummy mess after 15min. How do u cook more the 3 pieces at a time?
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that. It is best to only cook how much you can in your air fryer. Mine only allows me to cook 2 large pieces of chicken or 3 small pieces. You only have them side by side to cook more evenly instead of stacking them on top. You will have to cook them separately so they fit properly for the best way to cook the chicken.
I made the buttermilk recipe and it wouldn’t thicken. I searched other recipes and they said the acid (I used lemon juice) is a tablespoon.
Try adding 1/4 cup of cornstarch to the flour mixture.. that helped me tremendously
Yes,you use a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar per cup of milk. I’ve also used whole milk with it & worked fine.
Do you have to preheat the air fryer before or can I just throw the chicken in once it’s prepped without preheating?
I like to preheat the air fryer to make these and keep that crispy outside.
When you say let it sit in the buttermilk, you mean after you dredge it with flour, and then dip it in the buttermilk, let it sit?
Yes, that will work.
BRINE, BRINE, BRINE YOUR CHICKEN!!!!! Then , use this recipe! It’ll be amazing.
What do you brine your chicken in?
Agreed! I always brine my chicken before cooking. At a minimum, I use 1/4 cup of kosher salt to 4 cups of water and let the chicken hang out in that for an hour. Sometimes I add more seasoning to the brine. This time I did not. I followed the rest of the recipe as it was written except I didn’t have Cajun spice so added a bit of cayenne pepper instead. This chicken was the best!
I’ve been told to save your pickle juice and use that as a brine…. Supposedly that’s what chic-fil-a does. I tried it with tenders and it was amazing! Never tried it with fried chicken, though.
This is the first recipe I made in my new air fryer and I’m so glad I did! It was delicious! The skin came out perfectly crispy while the middle remained juicy. I will definitely be making this again.
What brand air fryer would you recommend?
This recipe is wonderful! I made it for my family and they loved it so much. I did figure out I’m not a huge fan of drumsticks and the darker meat on them, but the flavor of the breading is what is really important and that was spot on! I made more batter the very next day and made some air fryer chicken chunks from regular chicken breast and I LOVED IT! Thanks for another great recipe!!