Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Moist and juicy, this Air Fryer Fried Chicken is a delicious spin on your crispy fried version. Easy and splatter-free, it’s a keeper!

It is the end of the year! I have been meaning to post something extravagant as a finale, like a grand cake or something, but when my kids are on school break, I could never plan accordingly.

Everything is wild, spontaneous and of course, all I want to do is spend time with them. I almost never got any blog posts out this week.

But lo and behold, we have this Air Fryer Fried Chicken! If you want something close to your favorite crispy and juicy deep-fried poultry, without all the oil splatters and lengthy cooking time, this comes close.

What’s To Love?

• Now let me tell you that this air fryer fried chicken will not be as earth-shatteringly crisp as the deep-fried ones. But if this is served fresh and immediately, I don’t think you will miss its original counterpart.
• The chicken meat is moist and juicy, thanks to the buttermilk. And the skin is crisp and flavorful, because of the simple flour and seasoning mixture coating.
• This is your fast, fuss-free and lighter version of a crispy fried chicken thanks to the air fryer- probably my favorite kitchen gadget!

Let’s Make It

Soak the Chicken Pieces in a Buttermilk Mixture.

Let the pieces be submerged in this mixture of buttermilk and salt. If you want dairy-free, substitute oat milk and about 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar.

Let this sit for 30 minutes.

Coat the Chicken.

Drain the chicken pieces and toss them in a mixture of flour and seasoning. If you want spicy chicken, add a tablespoon of cayenne.

Shake off the excess powder.

Let the Chicken Rest

Arrange the coated chicken on a platter and let it rest for 15 minutes or so, to let the coating sit well and to moisten them a bit.

Air fry time!

Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil. Spray the chicken pieces with olive oil so that the coating is mostly moist.

Doing 5 chicken pieces at a time in the air fryer (depends on the size of yours), air fry the chicken pieces at 400 F for 12-15 minutes. The chicken will be golden.

Flip the chicken and air fry for another 8 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 180 F at the thickest part chicken pieces.

Let the chicken rest for 5-7 minutes. Serve and enjoy with gravy and rice or mashed potatoes!

Pointers for Success

• Do not overcrowd the chicken pieces in the air fryer. They need to be in one layer and with a bit of space in between to ensure air circulation. This may mean you have to cook in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
• Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the chicken. A chicken may look cooked on the outside but not actually cook inside, so a meat thermometer is great to have.
• The cooking time is my base guideline, and it may differ for you depending on your air fryer and the sizes of your chicken, again, the thermometer is a great tool here.

Also, try:

• Air Fryer Swiss Bacon Mushroom Melt
• Bang Bang Chicken
• Instant Pot Korean Beef Rice Bowls

Continue to Content

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Yield: 5 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Moist and juicy, this Air Fryer Fried Chicken is a delicious spin on your crispy fried version. Easy and splatter-free, its a keeper!

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Ingredients

• 5 chicken thighs, skin on and bone-in
• 5 chicken legs
• 1 ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp salt

Seasoned Coating

• 1 cup all purpose-flour
• 3 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp paprika
• ½ tsp pepper
• olive oil, for spraying on the chicken

Instructions

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, mix buttermilk and salt until combined, Add the chicken pieces, submerging the pieces fully and cover. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a rimmed dish, stir together flour, garlic powder, salt, paprika and pepper. Drain the chcken from the marinade and toss the pieces in batches into the flour mixture, turning to coat well. Shake off the excess.
3. Arrange the coated chicken pieces in a large platter and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
4. Spray the inside of your air fryer with olive oil. Spray the chicken pieces with olive oil so that the entire coating is almost moistened. Place 5 pieces inside tha air fryer basket, Air fry at 400 F for 12-15 minutes. The chicken will be nicely golden. Turn over the chicken pieces and air fry for another 8 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted at the thickest part of each chicken reads 180 F.
5. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining 5 chicken pieces. Keep chicken warm and serve.

Notes

Keep leftovers wrapped inside the fridge for up to 2 days. To enjoy again, reheat in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 400 F.

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  Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Pro FT 47477 SS, 6 Quart Oilless Air Fryer XL, 5 Cooking Functions, 8 Smart Presets, Easy Touchscreen Controls, Nonstick Dishwasher Safe Basket and Trivet, Extra Large for Family Size Meals, 1700W, Stainless Steel

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 962Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 513mgSodium: 2497mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 103g