Love crispy breaded chicken? This Air Fryer Fried Chicken recipe makes them perfect all the time!
We make fried chicken in air fryer because it’s such a quick and easy recipe, and it’s much healthier than frying!
If fried chicken is one of your favourite comfort foods, try this at home!
Why Air Fryer Fried Chicken?
Also known as Southern fried chicken, Fried Chicken is definitely one of the best comfort foods that originated in the US.
These are delicious chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried or deep fried.
The breading helps keep the juices inside while giving that crisp we all want.
When it comes to fried food, I have a weakness for fried chicken.
Nowadays, it’s common to have fried chicken be pressure fried or air fried.
So, of course, I’m making air fryer fried chicken!
This is huge especially since I typically prefer beef, lamb and pork over chicken when it comes to meat.
But there’s just something about fried chicken..
I have had a LOT of fried chicken growing up in Manila, and one of my favourites was Kipp’s Chicken.
And I remember this unique and amazing one I had in Florida where the chicken was smoked first before deep fried.
And let’s not forget Nashville hot fried chicken (loved the one in Costa Mesa) for some seriously spicy yet flavourful fried chicken!
And in Asia, Korean fried chicken and Taiwanese popcorn chicken tend to dominate!
Now that I can make fried chicken in an air fryer, it is definitely dangerous because I know I’ll be making a lot.
I hope you enjoy this air fryer chicken recipe!
Is Air Fryer Fried Chicken Healthier?
You may be wondering, is it healthier to cook fried chicken in air fryer?
Air fryer breaded chicken is definitely healthier than deep fried chicken because there is very little oil used, removing the extra fat and calories.
When it comes to the chicken, using white meat like chicken breast is healthier than dark meat like chicken drumsticks or thighs.
What You Need For Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Equipment
- Air Fryer – I used the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven TOA-60 for this breaded chicken recipe. Other brands will work but you might need to adjust timing/temperature.
If you’re looking for other popular air fryers types, here’s some:
Ingredients
- Chicken (boneless, skinless) – I used chicken thighs because I prefer dark meat, but you can definitely use chicken breasts too.
I’ve tested this recipe on both. Boneless, skinless cooks the chicken evenly and faster. - Mayonnaise – I LOVE using mayonnaise for breaded/battered air fryer recipes like the Air Fryer Fried Fish.
Why? It already has both oil and eggs which are usually important for fried foods. - Breading – I used panko bread crumbs, but you can use other breading like tempura, cereal, cracker, even go crazy like hot Cheetos crumbs.
If you don’t have any breading, you can simply use flour for some delicious battered chicken in air fryer. - Garlic Salt – I usually prefer garlic salt over regular salt to have that garlicky taste from the garlic powder. Feel free to use regular salt or sea salt.
- Black Pepper
- Paprika – Gives it an extra heat.
- Thyme – Gives it a little sweet and minty taste.
- Rosemary – Gives an earthy taste and fresh scent.
How To Cook Fried Chicken In Air Fryer
Fried chicken has never been easier with this air fryer recipe!
Pat the chicken dry. Combine the garlic salt, black pepper, paprika, thyme and rosemary.
Season chicken with dry mixture.
Coat the seasoned chicken with mayonnaise.
Dredge the chicken into the breading / panko bread crumbs, or flour if you prefer battered.
Layer the breaded chicken on the air fryer basket.
Make sure you don’t overlap and overcrowd so the heat circulates on the chicken properly.
How long do you cook fried chicken in an Airfryer?
Run the breaded chicken in air fryer for 15 minutes at 375F (191C).
You don’t need to oil the basket nor the chicken because the mayonnaise has oil already.
This has been tested with the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven TOA-60.
If you use a different Air Fryer, be sure to consult the manual on proper timing.
The most important part is it reaches an internal temperature of 165F so you know the chicken is fully cooked.
Enjoy them on its own as a snack or as a main dish or entree.
I’ve also tried this with both chicken thighs and chicken breasts, and they come out delicious!
Air Fryer Fried Chicken Tips & Tricks
Can I reheat fried chicken? How do you make fried chicken crispy in air fryer?
You definitely can!
The beauty with reheating fried chicken in air fryer is it becomes crispy again.
Simply, layer the fried chicken on the basket and air fry for 4-5 minutes at 375F.
What can I use instead of mayonnaise?
If you don’t have or don’t want to use mayonnaise, you can replace mayonnaise with:
- Oil only – coat the chicken with oil then dredge with the breading.
- Egg and oil – beat the egg and dredge with the breading.
Grease the air fryer basket with oil before air frying, or spray both sides of chicken with cooking oil.
Can you make the air fryer breaded chicken be battered instead?
YES! The beauty of this air fryer fried fish recipe is how flexible it can be.
To make it battered, you can use simply use flour to replace the breading.
What if I want air fryer chicken without breading or batter?
Simply skip the flour or breading in the recipe. It’ll be like oven or stove-top fish in air fryer.
Try our Air Fryer Chicken Breast or Air Fryer BBQ Chicken which are not breaded and battered.
Dishes To Serve With Air Fried Breaded Chicken
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Jeera Rice
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Indian Vegetable Curry – Avial
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Fried Chicken in Air Fryer Recipe
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Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Crispy and delicious breaded chicken in Air Fryer! This air fryer fried chicken recipe is so easy to make in 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 pieces boneless skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1/3 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 60 grams Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Garlic Salt
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Rosemary
- 1 tbsp Thyme
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry.
- Season chicken with garlic salt, black pepper, paprika and rosemary.
- Coat the seasoned chicken with mayonnaise.
- Coat the chicken with panko bread crumbs.
- Place breaded chicken on air fryer basket.
- Cook "fried" chicken in air fryer for 15 minutes at 375F (191C).
Notes
- You can also use boneless skinless Chicken Breasts if you prefer leaner white meat.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 489Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 2901mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 31g
Please note that nutrition information you see is provided and automatically calculated by Nutritionix. This may vary depending on the specific ingredients that you use. To ensure the most accurate information, I suggest entering your specific ingredients into a nutrition calculator.
Hope this Air Fryer Fried Chicken recipe gives you an idea on how to make battered or breaded chicken in air fryer!
It’s such a great way to make perfectly crispy chicken all the time that’s healthier and without deep frying!