Serve with parmesan orzo, sauteed cabbage, creamy pasta salad, and many more.
Air fryer frozen chicken thighs recipe
Cooking frozen chicken thighs in the air fryer is easy and quick especially if the thighs were frozen individually as the is will cut about 5 minutes off your prep time. You will not need to run the chicken under cold water to separate or partially cook it in order to separate them. Clean up is easy as you can do all prep in the air fryer basket, all you have to do is place the raw frozen chicken thighs in the air fryer basket, add a little bit of oil, season with any spices or herbs of choice, and air fry until fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165F/74C. Air fryer frozen chicken thighs produce a moist, tender, and juicy result with crispy skin without any hassle. No worries about moisture loss or the chicken coming out tough, this is where chicken thighs can be forgiving. Unlike chicken breast that you can not afford to overcook, if you don’t want to be chewing on rubber, chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks are completely the opposite, you can slightly overcook chicken thighs and it would still be tender and delicious especially if it is bone-in. That said, I am not advocating that you overcook your meat intentionally but you get my gist. This recipe uses raw frozen bone-in chicken thighs, however, you can use cooked or breaded thighs the same way.
Ingredients
Frozen raw bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs Instant meat thermometer Kitchen tong All-purpose seasoning: my homemade all-purpose spice blend consists of onion granules, garlic granules, black pepper, smoked paprika, dried parsley, and oregano Salt and black pepper Cooking oil spray
Watch how to make it
How long to cook frozen chicken thighs in the air fryer
This will depend on the size and the thickness of the frozen chicken thighs and if it is bone-in or boneless. Chicken with bone and skin on would cook longer than boneless skinless chicken thighs. If after the cooking time, the skin is not as crispy as you want then you can increase the temperature of the air fryer to 190C/380F for another 3-5 minutes. NB: the cooking time of the chicken would vary if they are not the same sizes, this should be fine. The most important thing is that the chicken is fully cooked to the bone, the juice runs clear without any blood insight.
Simple chicken seasoning you should try
Herbs de Provence Peri-peri seasoning All-purpose seasoning Fajita seasoning Shawarma seasoning Taco seasoning Medium-sized chicken thighs would take about 25-35 minutes and big-sized thighs may cook between 30-40 minutes.
Can I cook frozen breaded chicken thighs in air fryer
Yes, you can cook breaded chicken thighs in the air fryer, just as you would with plain ones. Cook at 180C/365F for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and completely cooked through.
How many frozen chicken pieces to cook in the air fryer
This depends solely on the size and the shape of your air fryer basket. Also, the size of the chicken would determine how much you can fit in the air fryer basket. If using a square basket then you might be able to fit between 4-7 pieces at once. Chicken breast would take up more space in the air fryer basket, so you might only be able to fit 2-4 at a given time.
Can I cook frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs in the air fryer
Yes, you can, the chicken comes out moist, tender, and juicy every time.
Can I cook frozen chicken thighs in my ninja air fryer
Yes, you can cook frozen chicken thighs in a Ninja air fryer or any other air fryer brand. Note that not all air fryers are created the same, so cooking time and temperature output would vary.
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New to the air fryer, learn how to use an air fryer in easy steps Easy air fryer recipes for beginners Air fryer mushrooms, carrots, or broccoli How to cook frozen food in an air fryer Air fryer vegetable medley Air fryer dino nuggets Did you try this easy air fryer chicken recipe? Don’t forget to leave me feedback. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox.
