Air Fryer Fried Chicken

This Air Fryer Fried Chicken is everything you want from homemade takeaway style chicken – crispy, golden and full of flavour, but cooked with a lot less oil than deep frying. It’s quick, easy and tastes amazing straight from the air fryer, or reheated later.

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There’s nothing quite like the addictive calling of crispy fried chicken. Savoury, crispy and delightfully delicious, it’s hard to resist another piece. But, delicious as it is, there’s no denying that deep frying bone in chicken pieces at home can be a stressful affair.

This air fryer fried chicken recipe is here to save the day then, cooked with a light flour coating and just a touch of oil. It’s golden, crunchy and delicious, like good fried chicken should be!

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Love takeaway and fast food style recipes?
You can find more in my cookbook The Takeaway Secret.

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Ingredients For Air Fryer Fried Chicken

This deliciously crispy air fryer fried chicken uses bone in chicken thighs and drumsticks, seasoned with a selection of spices, sea salt and pepper. The marinated chicken is coated with a simple plain flour breading, brushed with a touch of oil and air fried to crunchy golden perfection.

Below is everything you’ll need to make chicken shop style air fryer fried chicken at home:

• Bone in chicken thighs & drumsticks
• Cumin Powder
• Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• MSG
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• White Pepper
• Plain Flour
• Vegetable Oil

How To Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken

This air fryer fried chicken recipe is so easy to make, with most of the time taken spent simply letting the chicken pieces marinate with the seasoning ingredients. Once marinated, the chicken is pressed into plain flour, brushed with a touch of oil and arranged in an air fryer. The air fryer does the work, with a touch more oil brushed on to the chicken pieces as they cook to help ensure a golden, crispy coating.

Follow the whole recipe below – it’s easy and delicious!

Step 1: Season

In a large bowl, combine 4 pieces bone in, skin on chicken with 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon msg, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Mix well. Cover and set aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before you want to cook.

Step 2: Coat

Put 175 grams plain flour in a large bowl. Press each chicken piece into the flour until well coated. Set aside on a plate and leave to rest for 10 minutes. This helps the flour stick to the chicken for a delicious crunchy coating. Brush each floured chicken piece lightly with oil.

Step 3: Air Fry

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the air fryer basket and heat on 190C for 5 minutes. Place each floured chicken piece into the air fryer basket and air fry at 190C for 25 minutes, turning half way through and brushing with a touch more oil as needed on any dry / flour spots. Increase the temperature to 200C and air fry for another 5 minutes golden and crispy.

Air Fryer Fried Chicken is now ready to serve.

Air Fryer Fried Chicken Recipe Tips

Crispy Coating

Unlike deep frying where a thick breading has the chance to cook thoroughly in hot oil, this recipe relies on just a simple light flour coating for the chicken pieces. This works well in the air fryer and delivers a ‘fried chicken’ texture without deep frying. To achieve this, allow the flour coated chicken to rest for a few minutes before brushing or spraying with oil and air frying. If your coating could be more colourful, increase the temperature of the air fryer during the last few minutes of cooking.

Serving Suggestions

This crispy chicken shop style fried chicken is delicious served with French fries and your favourite sauces. It’s also really good seasoned generously with Chinese takeaway style salt & pepper mix.

Love air fryer recipes? Try these next:
• Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Salt & Chilli Chicken
• Air Fryer Tandoori Chicken Thighs

I hope you try this air fryer fried chicken recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!

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Got some questions about making air fryer fried chicken at home? Here’s the answers to some that come up most often:

Air Fryer Fried Chicken Recipe FAQ

Do I need to preheat the air fryer?

Yes, it’s helpful to lightly oil and preheat the air fryer before making this recipe. The floured chicken pieces will seal immediately and help create a crispy coating on the bottom side of the chicken pieces.

How do I avoid floury patches on the chicken?

Brush the flour coated chicken pieces lightly with oil before cooking and again halfway through cooking. Any floury white spots will turn golden and crisp up as the chicken cooks.

How can I make sure the breading sticks to the chicken?

Press the plain flour into the chicken pieces firmly, then let them sit for 10 minutes before cooking. This helps the coating stick and helps make sure a light coating of oil can be applied without the chicken pieces losing their breading.

Can I use an oil spray?

Yes, an oil spray can work well to evenly coat the floured chicken pieces. If using an oil spray, I prefer to use simple products without added ingredients, or buy an oil spray and fill it myself with vegetable oil. But, a silicon brush can also be used to easily apply a light coating of oil to the chicken.

What temperature should bone in chicken thighs and drumsticks be inside for food safety

Probe the thickest part of the chicken pieces and ensure the chicken has reached a minimum of 75°C for food safety – but for best results for this air fryer fried chicken, an even better texture will be achieved with an internal temperature of 85-90°C. Use a meat thermometer for best results.

Can I use boneless chicken or chicken breast?

Yes. Boneless chicken thighs work best and stay juicier than breast. Reduce the cooking time slightly and always check the internal temperature has reached at least 75°C for food safety.

Can I reheat air fryer fried chicken?

Yes, these air fryer fried chicken pieces reheat well in the oven or air fryer at 190°C for around 12 minutes.

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