Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with deeply crisp skin and juicy meat. The baking powder trick gives you crackling skin every time.
🍽 4 servings
⏱ Prep: 10 min
🔥 Cook: 24 min
⏰ Total: 34 min
📊 Easy
Ingredients
- 4 large bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp neutral oil
Instructions
- Pat the skin of each chicken thigh VERY dry with paper towels. Dry skin is essential for crispiness.
- In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and baking powder. The small amount of baking powder helps the skin brown and crisp — do not increase the amount.
- Season both sides of each thigh evenly. If the skin seems very dry, rub with a teaspoon of neutral oil.
- Place thighs skin-side down in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 380°F / 193°C for 12 minutes.
- Flip skin-side up. Continue air frying at 380°F for 10–14 minutes until skin is deeply crisp and chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F at the thickest part.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving so juices redistribute.
Chef's Notes
Chef's Notes: The baking powder is the secret to crackling skin in an air fryer — it raises the skin's pH, promoting browning. Keep it to 1/2 tsp per batch; more can taste metallic. Air fryer wattage varies; check at the lower end of the time range. If your basket is small, cook in two batches to avoid steaming the skin.