These 6 air fryer chicken recipes are a must-have for anyone with an air fryer! Includes chicken legs, chicken breast, chicken wings, chicken thighs, breaded chicken tenders, and even a whole chicken!
Consider these easy air fryer chicken recipes the perfect main dish to serve alongside salads, rice, pasta, vegetables and more! I’ve also created a 6 air fryer vegetables side dish guide, if you’re curious about that. It includes crispy potatoes, carrots, green beans, brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
Why should you cook your chicken in an air fryer? Because an air fryer uses circulating hot air to cook. This creates an even layer of crispy skin with the perfect tender juicy meat inside.
It’s also a great way to meal prep chicken which can frozen for future meals or used in lunches throughout the week.
Below you’ll find the 6 air fryer chicken recipes. I’ve also created a free air fryer chicken print-out that comes in a PDF format. It’s available in my member’s library, along with 20 other free guides. I’m always adding more guides to make cooking at home easier too!
P.S. If you like my air fryer that I use in the photos, it’s available on Amazon!
1. Air Fryer Chicken Breast
These air fryer chicken breasts are quick to make, delicious and healthy. The key to tender juicy chicken is to let the chicken rest for 5-10 before you cut into it. This will allow the juices to circulate.
Recipe Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts – equal in size
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Mix everything together.
- Toss the seasonings with the raw chicken breasts, spreading it onto both sides.
- Heat the air fryer at 375℉ for 5 minutes. Add in the chicken in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. Flip and cook 10 minutes more, or until it reaches 165℉ internally when poked with a meat thermometer.
- Remove and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to circulate. Serve and enjoy.
** Don’t forget to grab the FREE Air fryer chicken guide here!
2. Air Fryer Chicken Legs
This is still one my most popular recipes on my blog! I love this air fryer chicken leg recipe because you can grab legs for cheap at the grocery store, and the skin gets sooo cripsy in the air fryer! Simple spices go a long way here too. They add a lot of great flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
- 6 chicken legs
- 2 Tbsp olive oil – or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 ½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp ground black pepper to a large bowl. Mix everything together.
- Add the chicken legs to the bowl and mix with the sauce so that all the chicken is evenly coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 2 minutes.
- Place the chicken legs in a single layer in the preheated air fryer. Cook for 22-24 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through using tongs. Cooked chicken will look crispy and will reach 165℉ when poked with a meat thermometer.
3. Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Tenders
I’m more of a no-fuss cook and I like this chicken tenders recipe because everything is mixed in the same bowl. Lots of breaded chicken recipes require 3 bowls of different ingredients and dredging the chicken in each. Not this one! Everything can be added to the same large bowl and tossed with the chicken, but just in two steps.
You can use chicken breast fillets, chicken tenders or chicken breast and slice it thin to create your own fillets. Also, don’t skip the panko bread crumbs because they add the perfect crunch!
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast fillets – sliced into thin strips
Sauce Layer
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Breaded layer
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder together. Add in the chicken tender and toss together so that they are evenly coated.
- In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup panko bread crumbs, ½ cup regular bread crumbs, ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Sprinkle over the chicken tenders and toss them together so that they are evenly coated. Shake off the excess from each chicken tender.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400℉ for 2 minutes. Place each chicken tender in a single layer in the air fryer and bake for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through using tongs. Chicken is done when it reaches 165℉ internally using a meat thermometer.
** I highly recommend serving these chicken tenders with a dipping sauce like sweet and sour, honey mustard, barbecue, or ketchup! Try one of my easy homeamde dippings sauces too!
4. Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Homemade air fryer chicken wings taste just like they’re from the pub! These come out sooo crispy! Once I tried this method, I never went back to baking chicken wings in the oven as you just can’t get the same crispy results. Also, I highly recommend serving with a side of ranch dip!
Recipe Ingredients
- 18-20 split chicken wings – drumette and winglet
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper to a large bowl. Mix everything together. Add in the chicken wings and toss everything together until the chicken is coated on all sides.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 2 minutes.
- Place the chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer leaving a bit of space between each one. Cook in multiple batches if you need to.
- Cook for 24-25 minutes, flipping the chicken wings halfway through using a pair of tongs. Chicken wings are cooked when they reach 165°F as an internal temperature when poked with a meat thermometer. The edges will be crispy. Serve immediately.
5. Air Fryer Whole Chicken
You can get the crispiest results from cooking a whole roasted chicken in the air fryer. Everything including prep time and cook time will take about an hour.
My only warning is that the chicken needs to fit in your air fryer without touching the top elements (if your air fryer has those). I have two air fryers and one works better for air fryer whole chickens than the other does. Just check first. If the chicken touches the elements, it will start to burn.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (small to medium in size) – Make sure it will fit in your air fryer without touching the top elements. Larger chickens may not work for this recipe.
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp chili powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the 1 Tbsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried basil, ¼ tsp chili powder.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350℉ for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle and rub the 2 Tbsp of olive oil all over the chicken, coating both sides. Sprinkle and rub the spice mix over the entire chicken on both sides. Use your hands to rub it into all of the skin.
- Place the chicken in the preheated air fryer breast side down (legs will also be facing down). Cook for 20 minutes.
- Now, flip the chicken so that it is breast side up. Cook an additional 30 minutes.
- Check the chicken temperature. The chicken is fully cooked when it reaches 165°F as an internal temperature when poked with a meat thermometer. If needed, cook an additonal 5-10 minutes until fully cooked.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer and let chicken rest for 20 minutes. Slice the chicken into pieces and serve.
6. Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Another easy and cheap favorite are these air fryer chicken thighs! I tend to buy a large bulk pack of chicken thighs regularly at the grocery store as they’re inexpensive and my daughter loves the extra crispy skin when you cook them in the air fryer. This recipe is similar to the chicken legs version using the same spices.
Recipe Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt – to taste
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Brush the mixture onto both sides of the chicken thighs. Or season the bottom with just salt and pepper (see my example here).
- Preheat the air fryer to 400℉ for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken thighs to the preheated air fryer skin side down in a single layer. Cook for 20-22 minutes, flipping the chicken to be skin side up halfway through. Cook until the skin is crispy and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F when poked with a meat thermometer.
- Remove chicken and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Any of these chicken recipes can be stored in the fridge. First, let the chicken cool completely then add to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Leftovers can be frozen for future meals too!
- To Reheat – Leftover chicken can be reheated in the microwave or added back to the air fryer at 375°F and cooked for 2-6 minutes, or until warmed through. The amount of time will vary on the size of chicken. Be sure to flip the chicken halfway through reheating.
Air Fryer Tips
- Always preheat your air fryer first. This will give you the best crispy chicken. My air fryer automatically does this before telling you to add the food.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel before spreading on any spice mixture. This will remove any excess moisture from the chicken and allow the sauce to stick more evenly.
- Always flip the chicken halfway through cooking to get an even crispiness.
- Make sure all chicken is in a single layer for even cooking. You do not want to stack it on top of each other because the air won’t circulate around pieces evenly. It’s better to cook in smaller batches using the single-layer method.
- Check the chicken in the last couple of minutes to make sure they’re not overcooking. Every air fryer is different so it might take a little bit of practice getting used to your temperature and how it works.
- All chicken needs to reach 165°F internally for it to be done. Use a digital meat thermometer to check by poking it in the center of the meatiest part of the chicken
Can I Cook Frozen Chicken In The Air Fryer?
Yep! You sure can! My husband does this all the time with chicken thighs and drumsticks.
To defrost a frozen chicken of any cut (thighs, legs, wings, breast… even a whole chicken), you’ll want to add the frozen chicken to the air fryer and cook on the lowest temperature for 6-15 minutes. This will help speed up the defrosting process – it’s kind of like hitting “defrost” in the microwave.
The lowest temperature many air fryers will go to is 300°F. If that’s how low yours will go, then use that temperature. Some air fryers will go lower than that. If possible, I recommend 200°F and defrosting the chicken for 6-15 minutes. Be sure to check the chicken isn’t cooking too much during this time!
Once that step is done, then you can remove the chicken and season it with the oil and spices using the directions above.
Also, this defrosting method may change how long you need to cook the chicken. The best way to tell if chicken is done is to test it with a meat thermometer.
