These quick and easy Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs are slathered in barbeque sauce and air fried to perfection. This recipe makes sticky and delicious BBQ chicken thighs in about 20 minutes without the need to fire up the grill.
I will be the first to admit that nothing can truly take the place of a charcoal grill, smoker or pellet smoker (think complex, smoky flavor). But it's rare I have time to actually fire up my Traeger smoker or my Weber grill. Lately when the urge for barbeque hits, I've been turning to my air fryer for a quick and simple alternative to the grill. And instead of putting my time into grilling or smoking, I instead focus on making a delicious homemade barbeque sauce, like my Tangy Pineapple BBQ Sauce or Five-Ingredient Blueberry BBQ Sauce.
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Ingredients that Matter
Air fryer BBQ chicken thighs uses simple ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe:
- Chicken Thighs. For this recipe I use about 1 ¼ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs if you prefer, but note it may take a bit longer to cook (just a minute or two).
- BBQ Sauce. Use your favorite store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce.
- Olive Oil. Coat the chicken thighs in a bit of olive oil before adding the seasoning blend.
- Seasoning. Here you can use your favorite spice blend or combination. For this recipe I use garlic powder, chili powder, table salt and black pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Juicy Air Fryer BBQ Chicken
The trick to making juicy, yet sticky and delicious slathered barbecue chicken in an air fryer is heat management and cook time. Here is how the recipe comes together:
- Start by drying the chicken thighs and removing any excess fat, if desired. Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with garlic powder, chili powder, table salt and black pepper.
- Toss well to combine then allow to marinate on the counter for 10 minutes while the air fryer preheats to 375F.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, spray the basket with a bit of cooking spray then add the chicken thighs in an even layer. Cook for 7 minutes then brush the top with barbecue sauce, flip and brush the other side with more barbecue sauce. Cook another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is bubbly.
- Flip one final time and brush the top with a bit more barbecue sauce and cook another 2-3 minutes until well charred around the edges and the sauce is sizzling and the internal temperature reaches at least 175F. Remove from the air fryer and cool 5 minutes before serving.
Hint: You can allow the chicken thighs to marinate, covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator overnight for even more flavor.
Substitutions
There are plenty of substitutions and tweaks you can make to this recipe depending on your flavor preference or dietary needs. Consider the following tweaks to this recipe:
- Chicken - This recipe will work using pretty much any cut of chicken. As mentioned previously, if you want to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, increase the chicken time to a total of 12-14 minutes, with the skin-side up on the final cook period. For chicken tenders, cook for about 8-10 minutes and for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cook for about 16-18 minutes. For drumsticks or wings, cook for 14-16 minutes. Just be sure to check the internal temperature using an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should reach at least 165F for white meat and 175F for dark meat..
- Spices - Consider using a spice blend like our Homemade Chicken Taco Seasoning or use a store bought spice mixture. You can also just keep it super simple with salt and pepper.
- BBQ Sauce - I recommend making your own barbecue sauce, but you can also simply use your favorite brand of store bought sauce.
Why Air Fry BBQ Chicken in Stages?
It's important to cook the chicken a bit first without BBQ sauce or it may burn. Finishing the chicken with sauce and continuing cooking another few minutes is just enough time to get a nice char around the edges while making the sauce sticky and delicious.
The reason has to do with sugar. Most barbecue sauces have quite a bit of sugar (even "sugar-free" sauces have ingredients that are effectively packed with sugar). Sugar burns quickly, and while we want some of that charred sugar flavor on our BBQ chicken, too much time in the air fryer could make the sauce taste burnt and actually bitter. The process in this recipe makes the chicken well coated in BBQ sauce, with a bit of char and the chicken should remain tender and juicy.
Equipment
My air fryer is getting a lot of use lately, and my go-to fryer is the 6QT Instant Vortex Plus. It is super easy to operate and very consistent. It's a basket-style air fryer compared to a toaster oven-style air fryer. If you want that style, I recommend this Cuisinart Air Fryer + Convection Toaster Oven. It also produces great results, with even heating and easy to control functions.
Storage & Make Ahead
Store leftover BBQ chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. I don't recommend freezing leftovers, but if you must, store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe zip top bag for up to 1 month. Reheat chicken back in the air fryer at 375F for a few minutes, until sizzling and hot.
You can make this recipe ahead by marinating the chicken in the oil and spice mixture. Store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Serving Suggestions
Love quick and easy barbecue recipes? Try these mains and sides that pair well with BBQ (whether on the grill, smoker or air fryer):
- Cast Iron BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- Skillet Charred Corn on the Cob
- Pesto Orzo Salad
- Air Fryer Steak Fries
- Crispy Air Fryer Red Potatoes
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters
- Mango and Corn Salsa
Adam's Pro Tip
You likely know that you should cook chicken to at least 165F because that's the temperature that kills harmful bacteria like salmonella. So why cook the chicken thighs to a higher temperature? That is because thighs, like other "dark meat" on chicken, have more connective tissue and a different protein structure. They can stand up to a higher temperature and actually benefit from a bit longer cook time to break down that tissue and fat, producing a juicy and tender BBQ chicken thigh.
FAQ
Cook chicken between 375F-400F in an air fryer. If the skin has skin, it's best to cook the chicken at 400F to encourage the browning of the skin while skinless chicken is best at a lower temperature to ensure it stays tender and juicy.
Technically, no, you cannot make barbecue in an air fryer. Barbecue is typically a low and slow process over some sort of smoke. However, you can get a similar result by slathering chicken with tangy barbecue sauce and air fry until juicy on the inside and slightly charred on the exterior.
More Chicken Recipes
Looking for more chicken recipes like this? Try these:
Sides
Looking for some sides to serve with this recipe? Try out these side dishes:
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Recipe
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Total Time: 25 minute
- Yield: 1 pound chicken 1x
Description
These quick and easy Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs are slathered in barbeque sauce and air fried to perfection. This recipe makes sticky and delicious BBQ chicken thighs in about 20 minutes without the need to fire up the grill.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. table salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ½ cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Dry the chicken and cut away excess fat, if desired. Place in a medium mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Marinate on the counter for 10 minutes while preheating an air fryer to 375F.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, lightly spray that basket with cooking spray and add the chicken thighs in a single layer. Cook for 7 minutes. Brush the top of the chicken with some of the barbecue sauce, flip and brush the other side with more barbecue sauce. Continue cooking another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is sizzling. Flip one more time and brush the top again with more sauce. Cook until the edges are charred and the sauce is sizzling and the internal temperature reaches at least 175F, about 2 more minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken hot with more barbecue sauce on the side.
Notes
- If you prefer to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, be sure cook the final stage with the skin-side up and increase the cook time a few minutes. Just be sure to check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. It should reach at least 175F (without touching the bone).
- You can use store-bought barbecue sauce, or try our Tangy Pineapple BBQ Sauce or our Five-Ingredient Blueberry BBQ Sauce.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in an air fryer until sizzling on the outside and inside is hot, about 4-5 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: American
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