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    Home » Recipes » Air Fryer Recipes

    Published: Jul 29, 2022 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional graphic for air fryer bbq chicken thighs

    Bring the taste of barbecue indoors with this air fryer BBQ chicken thighs recipe. Made in under 30 minutes and topped with your favorite sauce, these juicy chicken thighs are always great for dinner.

    bbq sauce coated chicken thighs on dinner plate with a salad

    You're going to love making bbq chicken thighs in the air fryer. Within just 30 minutes, you'll get a tasty batch of deliciously juicy chicken topped with your favorite BBQ sauce (storebought or homemade BBQ sauce is fine).

    Serve it up with some other fun summer side dishes, and you'll have a great meal ready in no time.

    Why This Recipe Works

    1. It's easy! There is hardly any hands on effort or prep needed for this recipe. It's great for a "set it and forget it" type of meal.
    2. Minimal ingredients. You don't need much to make this recipe, so don't worry about making a large grocery trip to the store.
    3. Complements any number of side dishes. You can serve bbq chicken air fryer thighs with simple side dishes like roasted potatoes and green beans or add in classic BBQ favorites like Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad or Steamed Corn On The Cob.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🧾 Substitutions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Storage
    • 🍳Reheating
    • 🥗 Side Dishes
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    ingredients needed for air fryer bbq chicken thighs

    🥘 Ingredients

    Chicken thighs- Use bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs for the best results. Boneless and skinless chicken thighs will have a lessened cooking time.

    Salt and Black pepper- Added for taste.

    BBQ sauce- Use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe or use some homemade sauce.

    For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Air Fryer
    • Pastry Brush
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Metal Tongs

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make air fryer BBQ chicken thighs with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Place your chicken thighs, skin side up in an air fryer basket.

    Sprinkle the tops and bottoms of the chicken with salt and pepper.

    seasoned chicken thighs on air fryer basket

    Cook at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.

    cooked chicken thighs in air fryer basket

    Flip the chicken over so that it is skin facing down. Continue to cook for another 8 minutes.

    chicken thghs flipped upside down in air fryer basket

    Remove the chicken from the air fryer.

    Brush the tops and sides with your favorite BBQ sauce.

    Return the chicken to the air fryer and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

    bbq sauce coated chicken thighs in air fryer basket

    Let stand for 3 minutes before serving.

    chicken thighs covered in bbq sauce and placed on a plate in the kitchen

    🧾 Substitutions

    Chicken thighs. You can use boneless chicken thighs instead of bone-in thighs if desired. To do this, you will follow along with the recipe exactly but possibly reduce the cooking time by about 2-4 minutes because they will take less time to cook through.

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    Chicken safety

    You will know that your chicken has finished cooking properly when you can insert an instant read food thermometer into the meat hand have it register as 165 degrees F. The meat and juices may still have a slight pink coloration to them but it should not look raw.

    Optional step

    You can cook your thighs a little longer for more color and caramelization on the bbq sauce. Check on them every minute or so to ensure they don't overcook or burn.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Storage

    You can keep your leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Reheat again before serving.

    🍳Reheating

    If you have leftovers, you can reheat them in the air fryer by cooking them at 350 degrees F for about 4-5 minutes or until warmed through.

    Alternatively, you can cook a thigh on a plate for just 2 minutes in a microwave.

    🥗 Side Dishes

    These air fried bbq chicken thighs go great with any number of tasty side dishes. Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Dill Pickle Potato Salad, or even Easy Dairy Free Coleslaw would make great suggestions.

    💭 FAQs

    How long do you cook thighs in an air fryer?

    To cook them at 400 degrees F will take about 18 minutes. This is because the air circulates around the chicken in the basket, and it helps to cook it evenly from all sides much more quickly than in a traditional oven.

    Can I put raw chicken in an air fryer?

    Yes, you can place raw chicken in your air fryer. You can cook your chicken while it's still partially frozen or fully thawed. Please note that frozen thighs may take a little longer to cook.

    Can you stack chicken thighs in an air fryer?

    As tempting as it may be to cook a large batch of chicken at once, you should not stack the meat. Air fryers work by circulating air around the product, and if meat is stacked and touching, there is an area not receiving the heated air which means that spot will not cook at the same speed as everything else and may be unsafe to eat.

    air fried bbq chicken thigh on a plate with green salad

    More great air fryer recipes to check out soon

    • Air Fryer Chicken Tacos
    • Air Fryer Tostadas
    • Air Fried Oreo Cookies
    • Air Fryer Canned Cinnamon Rolls
    • Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Bread
    • Air Fryer Club Sandwich

    📖 Recipe

    bbq sauce covered chicken thighs on a plate
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs

    Bring the taste of barbecue indoors with this air fryer BBQ chicken thighs recipe. Made in under 30 minutes and topped with your favorite sauce, these juicy chicken thighs are always great for dinner.
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Servings: 4 thighs
    Calories: 366kcal
    Cost Recipe $4.80 / Serving $1.20
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer
    • Pastry Brush
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Metal Tongs

    Ingredients

    • 4 Chicken thighs (with bones and skin) ($4.51)
    • ½ teaspoon Salt ($0.05)
    • ¼ teaspoon Black pepper ($0.02)
    • ½ cup BBQ sauce ($0.22)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Place your chicken thighs, skin side up in an air fryer basket.
    • Sprinkle the tops and bottoms of the chicken with salt and pepper.
    • Cook at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
    • Flip the chicken over so that it is skin facing down. Continue to cook for another 8 minutes.
    • Remove the chicken from the air fryer.
    • Brush the tops and sides with your favorite BBQ sauce.
    • Return the chicken to the air fryer and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
    • Let stand for 3 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    Substitutions

    • Chicken thighs. You can use boneless chicken thighs instead of bone-in thighs if desired. To do this, you will follow along with the recipe exactly but possibly reduce the cooking time by about 2-4 minutes because they will take less time to cook through.

    Recipe Tips

    • When the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, your chicken will be finished cooking.
    • You can cook your thighs a little longer for more color and caramelization on the bbq sauce. Check on them every minute or so to ensure they don't overcook or burn.

    Reheating

    • If you have leftovers, you can reheat them in the air fryer by cooking them at 350 degrees F for about 4-5 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can cook a thigh on a plate for just 2 minutes in a microwave.

    Storage

    • You can keep your leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Reheat again before serving. 

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1thigh | Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course dinner
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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