In this article, I am going to share with you the easiest air fryer fried chicken recipe. After the read, you will able to prepare golden-brown fried chicken that will be the juiciest as well. Chicken is loved by everyone. It is one of the most inexpensive foods that can be used for preparing so many delicious dishes.
Nutrition facts of chicken thigh (50 g)
- Calories – 110
- Fat – 5.6 g
- Protein – 13 g
- Carbohydrates – 0 g
Not all parts of the chicken contain nutrition content in the same composition. For the ease of our discussion, we are considering the nutrition content of the chicken thigh. We can see that chicken is a good source of protein. It also contains a good amount of fat with almost no carbohydrates. More than 50% of the fat in chicken comes from protein. As I mentioned that different parts of the chicken contain nutrients in different composition, below is an idea of calories content of chicken from different cut (100g):
- Chicken wings – 200 cal
- Chicken breast – 165 cal
- Drumstick – 170 cal
- Chicken thigh – 210 cal
Ingredients for air fryer fried chicken
Chicken – you can choose your favorite cut to prepare air fryer fried chicken. It can be with bone or boneless, with skin or skinless, thigh, breast or leg cuts.
Cornstarch and flour – We use these during preparing air fried chicken to give the chicken a crispy exterior. Cornstarch creates a seal outside the chicken. Therefore, it helps retain the juice inside. If you do not have this ingredient at home, you can replace it with some extra flour.
Spices – You should add spices to make the chicken fry flavorful as per your taste. If you like the chicken fry taste like restaurants, then you have to add a lot of spices.
Buttermilk – you should use buttermilk to make the fried chicken juicy and tender. If you do not have it in your kitchen, you can prepare it just in 5 minutes.
- Chicken – 2lbs mix cut (with or without bones and skin)
- Buttermilk – 1 cup
- Garlic powder – 2 tsp (for breading and marinade)
- Paprika – 2 tsp (for breading and marinade)
- Black pepper – 2 tsp (for breading and marinade)
- Flour – 1 cup
- Corn starch – ½ cup
- Olive oil – as per need
Procedure
- Add buttermilk and all the spices in a bowl. Now add chicken and mix these ingredients well. Cover the mixture with something and marinate for 24 hours.
- Preheat the air fryer at 280F for 3 to 5 minutes. If you have a preset preheating function, then turn it on.
- Now it’s time for breading. Take the breading ingredients such as flour, cornstarch, spices, and buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Mix the ingredients with a fork.
- After preparing the breading mixture, take one chicken pieces at a time and dip into the breading mixture. Ensure a uniform coating throughout the chicken.
- Now place the chicken on the preheated air fryer basket. Make sure you place the chicken pieces in a single layer. If you have more chicken and cannot place in one layer, then cook in batches.
- Now spray the cooking oil on the chicken. Set the at 170F and cook for 30 minutes. You can cook faster at a higher temperature, but cooking at a lower temperature will produce tender and juicy inside.
- Flip the chicken halfway through. You should spray the cooking oil again on the chicken. If you have another batch, you can repeat the whole process.
Best air fryer for cooking air fried chicken fry
The recommendation for the best air fryer depends on the family size. If you are in a small family, you should choose an air fryer with a basket of 2 to 4 quarts. However, you can go for an air fryer with a higher capacity if you have a large kitchen. You can read our article to explore the best air fryer for small families.
If you are in a family consisting of four or more members than you can go for an air fryer with a basket of 6 quarts. However, you can also choose air fryers with dehydrator and rotisseries as well. Read our article to explore the best air fryers with a dehydrator. If you like rotisserie chicken, you should choose the air fryers that have rotisserie function.
Bottom line
Is this air fryer fried chicken recipe helpful? You can let me know through the comments. If chicken is your favorite, then you can read our air fryer chicken wings recipe as well. Enjoy your meal with the family. If interested, you may also read our air fryer chicken breast recipe as well. Happy cooking!