Air fryer boneless chicken thighs is a skinless boneless chicken thighs main course dish made by air frying the thighs very quickly by baking them in little oil in the appliance. This is the easiest and quickest way to make the chicken thighs crispy, juicy without any difficulty and does not take a long time to cook.
Check out other non-veg starters on the blog such as tandoori chicken in oven, kfc fried chicken, kfc popcorn chicken, mutton chops, chicken leg piece , peri peri chicken etc…
About the recipe
This is a simple way of making thighs as compared to other methods of cooking this recipe. The air fryer makes it easy to make fried dishes with very little oil and yet gives the juicy texture and freshness of the normal deep fried method.
Cooking any chicken dish is made by air frying and is also a healthy way of making fried recipes by using less oil.
I am making chicken thighs here by using a boneless form of the thighs but one can even follow the same method with the bone.
Normally the thigh area has lots of fat and it is better to always remove the skin and make it skinless. It is just a healthy choice but to make the thighs juicier then it is always a better idea to have the skin on.
Boneless thighs are easily available in stores and removing their skin is also an easy process.
This area of the chicken is always a juicy section and making any dish using the thighs is a perfect choice for a snack or as an appetizer, as a stuffing for the sandwiches or as a part of the main course meal.
Below are the recipe details including the ingredients used to make the air fryer boneless chicken thighs with step by step procedure. Other air fryer international recipes to check out are air fryer fish fillet and many more to be posted.
Ingredients
chicken thighs: I am using boneless chicken thighs and this kind of thighs without a bone are easily available in American stores or International stores.
Even if the thighs do have a bone, it is easy to remove the bone at home and there are lots of tutorials available to make the work easy.
Spices: I am adding some salt, paprika and turmeric to get a beautiful natural color after cooking without adding any artificial fried colours.
ginger and garlic: Using these ingredients in the grated form to marinate the chicken releases more flavors and gives a good taste to the chicken.
Olive oil: This dish is quite healthy as it is made without deep-frying and using less oil. The oil that is used to make is olive oil which is a good and healthy oil with zero cholesterol and is completely fat-free.
Black pepper powder: To add a spiced touch and also to add those extra flavours adding additional spices is always a better idea. Just sprinkle some pepper and the dish turns out yummy.
Lemon zest: This gives a good aroma and adding orange zest or lemon zest gives a pleasant fragrance to the marinades.
How to use the air fryer?
Using any fryer brand is easy and the instructions are similar to the oven but here the recipe cooks quickly without using oil as in an oven or for slow cooking methods.
The appliance needs to be preheated before and then placing the cooking ingredient carefully and setting the timer is all we need to follow after placing the dish in the basket or a wire rack.
The different appliance has different cooking sections such as baskets, trays or wire racks but the cooking procedure and method is the same. There is only a change in the way it looks.
I am using a power xl air fryer but there are other brands such as instant pot air fryer, ninja air fryer etc… Use any appliance to make the dish and it turns out good.
Step by step procedure
- Add the boneless and skinless chicken thighs to a mixing bowl. I am using boneless form of thighs but one can make use of any thighs with the bone or with the skin on them and it just gives delicious flavors.
- Make sure the pieces are washed well under running water and drain the excess water out.
- add salt as per taste, paprika, turmeric powder. adding turmeric is entirely optional and skip if not available.
- add grated garlic. If no garlic available, then adding garlic powder is also a good idea.
- add grated ginger. If no ginger available, then adding ginger powder is also a good idea.
- add black pepper powder, lemon zest to the chicken thighs (Can also use other ingredients such as onion pawder etc…). Lamon pepper always gives a good flavor to the chicken dishes.
- also, add olive oil, mix everything well.
- add lemon juice all over and give a mix again.
- cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to infuse well. Marinating is optional and can cook immediately if required.
- pre heat the air fryer to 350F for 5 minutes. Take the basket out, place the pieces inside the basket carefully with a tong.
- Insert the basket and cook the chicken thighs for 10 minutes.
- Take the thighs out, flip them and cook for another 10 minutes on the other side.
- Overcooking burns the thighs so be careful. Once done and appear juicy and cooked, take the air fryer boneless chicken thighs out and serve hot.
air fryer boneless chicken thighs (Skinless)
a quick way of making chicken thighs in air fryer.
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Ingredients
- 4-5 boneless chicken thighs (without bone and skinless)
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon grated garlic
- ¾ teaspoon grated giger
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
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Add the chicken thighs to a mixing bowl.
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add salt as per taste, paprika, turmeric powder.
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add grated garlic, grated ginger, black pepper powder, lemon zest to the chicken thighs.
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also add olive oil, mix everything well.
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add lemon juice all over and give a mix again.
-
cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to infuse well.
-
pre heat the air fryer to 350F for 5 minutes.
-
Take the basket out, place the pieces inside the basket carefully with a fork.
-
Insert the basket and cook the chicken thighs for 10 minutes.
-
Take the thighs out, flip them and cook for another 10 minutes on the other side.
-
Overcooking burns the thighs so be careful.
-
Once done and appear juicy and cooked, take them out and serve hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
air fryer boneless chicken thighs (Skinless)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 558
Calories from Fat 405
% Daily Value*
Fat 45g69%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g
Monounsaturated Fat 21g
Cholesterol 221mg74%
Sodium 174mg8%
Potassium 473mg14%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 37g74%
Vitamin A 177IU4%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Variations
To marinate the chicken, many other spice ingredients such as oregano, onion powder can be added. I have used freshly grated ginger and garlic but they can also be replaced with ginger powder and garlic powder.
Also, sprinkle some dried parsley and other herbs of one’s choice to make it with variations.
To let the flavors go deep into the chicken I am marinating the thighs but it is totally optional and can be skipped and placed immediately as soon as the mix is ready.
To make them even juicier use the chicken thighs with the skin on them as well as spray some oil all over the chicken pieces before the cooking process inside the basket.
Faq’s
Yes, it is easy to open and check whether the chicken is done well or need to be cooked a little longer. Just be careful and follow the safety instructions.
The more the temperature the lesser time it takes to cook. Air fryer chicken recipes tend to cook quickly compared to a traditional oven or other cooking methods. Cook each side for 5 minutes for longer temperatures and keep a check on them while cooking to avoid the chicken turning black.
Yes, place the chicken thighs in the air fryer, season both sides with salt, pepper, lemon, spice powders, set the temperature and cook both sides by flipping until done
For any cooking method, flipping and cooking both sides is important. The same goes with the air fryer. Halfway through the cooking process, checking, flipping and cooking the other side is important to make sure both sides are done well.
Source: Yummy Indian Kitchen – Indian and International Recipes
