Description
Deliciously crispy and juicy Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs, seasoned with a blend of spices and smothered in smoky barbecue sauce. This quick and easy recipe delivers perfectly cooked chicken thighs with a caramelized, sticky BBQ glaze, ideal for a weeknight dinner or weekend cookout.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Thighs
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, with skin
Spices
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Sauce
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels. Score the skin side of each thigh by making a few shallow cuts down to the bone. This helps the seasonings penetrate deeply into the meat.
- Season: In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and red chili powder. In a large bowl, toss the chicken thighs with this spice mix and salt until they are evenly coated all over.
- Preheat the air fryer: Set your air fryer to 400°F (204°C) and let it preheat for a few minutes to ensure even cooking and crispy skin.
- First cook: Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes. Then brush the exposed skin with a generous amount of barbecue sauce before proceeding.
- Continue cooking: After brushing with BBQ sauce, cook the chicken for an additional 5 minutes skin-side down.
- Flip and glaze: Turn the chicken thighs skin-side up and brush more barbecue sauce over the skin. Air fry for another 3 to 5 minutes until the skin is crisp, caramelized, and lightly charred. The internal temperature should reach 170°F (77°C) for safe consumption.
- Serve: Optionally brush on more barbecue sauce before serving warm for extra flavor and moisture.
Notes
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry to get crispy skin in the air fryer.
- Scoring the skin helps the spices and sauce permeate deeper into the meat for enhanced flavor.
- Adjust spice level by modifying the amount of red chili powder or cayenne pepper.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 170°F (77°C).
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the air fryer for best texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with barbecue sauce (approx. 150g)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg
