What's the best temperature to cook chicken in an air fryer?

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.

Can you make BBQ in an air fryer?

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.

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs - The Real Recipes

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

Units Scale

1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
cooking spray

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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