The Best Air Fryer Chicken Thighs: Cracklin’ Chicken!

Why is this the best air fryer chicken thigh recipe?

• Cracklin’ Chicken = Super crispy skin +  juicy, well-seasoned chicken meat! Everyone will be clamoring for the last piece and it’s naturally gluten-free! Plus, my kids love that the chicken thighs are boneless but there’s still crusty skin!
• No flipping the bird required! You air fry boneless chicken thighs skin-side up until cooked through and there’s no need to flip or rotate them!
• Simply air fry for 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes and you’re done!

Tips for the best air fryer Cracklin’ Chicken

• Flatten the boneless chicken thighs evenly with a meat pounder to ensure even cooking.
• Only season the skin with salt so it will crisp up golden brown without burning! If you want to use a seasoning blend, only season the meat side.
• No need to add oil! I know many of you are tempted to brush the skin with olive oil or avocado oil, but the skin comes out crispier WITHOUT it.
• Lay the boneless chicken thighs in a single layer in the air fryer. The thighs can touch each other on the side, but there should be no overlap—we’re aiming for 100% crispy skin!

How to make the crispiest air fryer chicken thighs

Pound the chicken thighs

• Flatten the chicken evenly with a meat pounder to ensure uniform cooking.

Season the chicken thighs

• Sprinkle Diamond Crystal kosher salt on both sides of the chicken thighs. If you want to spice things up, you can sprinkle your favorite seasoning salt on the meat side—but avoid sprinkling anything but salt on the skin side. (I don’t recommend putting anything besides salt on the skin because the spices can burn.)

Air fry the chicken thighs

• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and set the cook time for 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken thighs. If your air fryer does not have a non-stick coating, spray avocado cooking spray before you place chicken thighs skin side up in the the air fryer basket.
• When the air fryer reaches 400°F, add the chicken thighs. You can actually fit up to five chicken thighs in a single layer in most 6-quart air fryer baskets without leaving any space in between them. They’ll turn out fine—the pieces will shrink as they cook.
• The Cracklin’ Chicken is ready when the skin is crispy and the meat is thoroughly cooked (at least 165°F internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh when stabbed with a meat thermometer). If you’re making another batch, pour out the rendered fat before cooking another batch to reduce the amount of smoke.

Serve!

• Slice up the Cracklin’ Chicken, transfer to a serving dish, and enjoy!