Cooking chicken in an air fryer is a beautiful thing. It cooks very quickly and the fat just drips away. If you like the skin, it will crisp up so nicely. I like to call that crispy skin my chicken bacon. You can cook small portions, such as thighs and wings, or a whole bird, depending on the size of your air fryer. You can easily roast a 2.5 to 3 pound Cornish game hen in a 4 quart air fryer. This is a tasty meal for 2 people.
Season, Marinate, or Coat in Breadcrumbs
Chicken can always benefit from generous seasoning, marinating, or a nice coating of bread crumbs. Our chicken thigh recipes include one with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper and another with a rich marinade that is full of herbs. You can make sweet, spicy, or savory seasoning blends or marinades. Wings cook extremely well in an air fryer and that gives you an excuse to make some fun dipping sauces.
Chicken breasts are a blank canvas, so really get creative with this cut. If you are using skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenders, consider dipping them in an egg wash and coating them with crunchy breadcrumbs for a super healthy “fried” chicken.
Ventilate Well
Cooking bone-in and skin-on chicken in an air fryer can generate some smoke as the fat releases and the skin crisps up. It is recommended that you place your air fryer on your stove top just below the range hood. Be sure that no burners are hot and the exhaust fan is turned on. This will draw the smoke and steam out of the kitchen.
Another thing you can do is to place the air fryer on a porch, deck, balcony, or terrace that has an outdoor electrical outlet. That is the nice thing about a portable appliance. Just remember to bring it back inside after it cools down so it isn’t exposed to inclement weather.
Always Check the Temperature
Chicken needs to cook thoroughly to a safe internal temperature of between 165°F to 175°F. Keep a digital meat thermometer handy and check the meat before you take it out of the fryer. Bone-in chicken can take from 17 to 30 minutes to roast at 360°F. Boneless chicken tenders only need about 10 minutes at 350°F.
Be mindful that poultry will continue to cook while it rests before serving. And yes, you do need to rest your bird before you slice into it so that it remains juicy.
Below you’ll find links to our tasty air fryer chicken recipes. If there’s some recipe you would like to see on our site, please leave a comment below.
Leave a Reply