These Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are the ultimate easy weeknight recipe! With a punchy marinade that has just a handful of ingredients, this simple keto-friendly dish will keep your tastebuds singing. Chicken with a perfectly crispy crust and a tender interior is always a winner!
Like crispy chicken?
These Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are seriously delicious and take less than ten minutes of hands-on time.
It is the perfect easy family dinner that the whole family will love even if they aren't watching their carbohydrates.
Ingredients for Making Chicken Thighs in an Air Fryer
- Mayonnaise: Make sure you choose a sugar-free version.
- Avocado Oil: Use your favorite keto-friendly oil, being conscious of the smoke point. Olive oil is fine, but I do not recommend extra virgin olive oil.
- Mustard: Spicy brown or dijon mustard both work.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best. Omit if you wish to marinate for longer than four hours, as the acid can start to "cook" the chicken.
- Seasonings: I used a blend of thyme, salt, and pepper in my spice mix, but feel free to play with this and make it your own. Both smoked paprika and garlic powder made great additions.
- Chicken: Use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. If you use another cut, like chicken breast, make sure you use an instant-read thermometer for determining doneness.
Top Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Thighs
- For perfectly crispy chicken, make sure you spray both sides with oil. I use avocado oil.
- Let the excess marinade drip off before cooking to avoid a big mess in your air fryer.
- Make sure that you flip the chicken halfway through to allow both sides to crisp up.
- One of the biggest reasons that your chicken may not crisp up is if you overcrowd your air fryer. Cook in batches if necessary!
- Preheating most air fryers is important to achieving the ultimate crispy air fryer bone-in chicken thighs. Normally I don't bother with the preheat, but this is one time I do!
- If you are short on time, you can marinate your chicken at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken in the air fryer is a versatile meal that can work with many sides.
Great side dishes for this recipe are Keto Collard Greens, Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts, Keto Loaded Cauliflower, or Broccoli Cheese Casserole.
Are you looking for a delicious sauce to complement your chicken? You can't go wrong with Ranch Dressing, Bang Bang Sauce, Blue Cheese Dressing, or Keto Cheese Sauce.
Have leftovers? Pull them off the bone and use them for salads.
For Boneless Thighs
Reduce the cooking time to 12 to 13 minutes, and use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked.
How to Air Fry Chicken Thighs
First, make the marinade by combining the mayo, oil, mustard, lime juice, thyme, salt, and pepper in a mall bowl.
Pour the marinade over the chicken in either a shallow dish or a plastic zip-top bag.
If you have time, refrigerate for at least two hours. Short on time? No, worries! Just marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Remove from the marinade and allow the excess marinade to drip off. (If you want, you can spray the chicken with cooking spray - this helps avoid sticking and makes them a little crispier.)
Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chicken in your air fryer basket.
Cook in batches for about 16 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.
Remove the chicken when it has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for three months.
More Chicken Recipe to Try
- When you are looking for a rich and creamy meal that the whole family will love, this Keto Creamy Chicken is always a hit.
- Keto Chicken Divan is a low-carb twist on a much-loved classic. Try it once, and you will be hooked!
- For a delicious lunch that you will make time and again, Keto Chicken Lettuce Wraps are perfect.
- Once you make these Keto Grilled Chicken Thighs, they are sure to make a regular appearance in your meal plans.
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, avocado oil, brown mustard, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over it.
- Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Place the chicken on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and allow excess marinade to drip off for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400° F.
- Working in batches, place the chicken thighs skin side down in the air fryer.
- Cook for 8 minutes.
- Flip and cook for another 8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160° F.
- Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For perfectly crispy chicken, make sure you spray both sides with oil. I use avocado oil.
- Let the excess marinade drip off before cooking to avoid a big mess in your air fryer.
- Make sure that you flip the chicken halfway through to allow both sides to crisp up.
- One of the biggest reasons that your chicken may not crisp up is if you overcrowd your air fryer. Cook in batches if necessary!
- Preheating most air fryers is an important step to achieving the ultimate crispy air fryer bone-in chicken thighs.
Jeanie says
These were delicious and easy! My package of thighs was only 2 pounds, 4 thighs. Since I was using the IP Air Fryer Lid, only two would fit. I did two the first night and two the next day. I made the marinade exactly as called for in the recipe except that my mustard wasn't spicy. I left the second batch in the marinade overnight and then fried them. My marinade was too thick to drip off so I wiped a bit off before air frying. DON'T FORGET TO SPRAY THE CHICKEN! I forgot the first night but sprayed the second batch. It really improved the crispiness of the chicken. I air fried each leftover thigh with my Mealthy CrispLid at 400 degrees for 7 minutes, adding some leftover pub chips to the basket after 4 minutes.I didn't turn them when reheating.
Wendy Polisi says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Cathy says
What if you don't have avocado oil?
Wendy Polisi says
You can use your favorite heat-safe oil!
Sarah says
The recipe calls for lime juice but in instructions it says to use lemon. Which one should be used?