Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs (with Honey Glaze)
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Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs are cooked crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and coated with a honey glaze. This easy weeknight dinner is done in about 30 minutes.
When you get home from a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is stand in the kitchen and fry chicken for the next hour and a half. BUT itโs so good!
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We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe, including a printable recipe card.
What if I told you that you can have crispy fried chicken in just 30 minutes? And you won’t even have to clean up a greasy stove and counter when you’re done.
Itโs true! Using the air fryer to make fried chicken is so easy, like air fried chicken leg quarters. You donโt have to worry about the grease splatter or dinner taking all night to prepare. If you don’t have an air fryer try this easy crispy baked chicken thighs recipe.
And you’ll still have a delicious comfort meal the whole family will enjoy. Not to mention, itโs more budget-friendly than getting takeout.
If you’ve got a little more time on your hands try our Air Fryer Huli Huli Chicken recipe – it requires marinating time but the cook time is similar to this recipe.
New to air frying? Get the low down on maximizing your usage of this amazing small appliance, including easy clean up tips, with our best air fryer tips for beginners.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
- all-purpose flour
- cornstarch
- spices: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper
- eggs
- panko crumbs
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- honey
- water
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F.
Using 3 shallow bowls, set up a dredging station. In the first bowl, combine the flour, spices, and cornstarch. In the second one, beat the eggs. Add the panko crumbs to the third one.
Dip each boneless chicken thigh first into the flour mixture, then the eggs, and end with a dip in the panko.
Spray the air fryer basket with a little oil or you can place a parchment paper liner in the bottom.
Unsure which oil to use? Check out our handy guide to the Best Oil for Air Fryers.
Add the breaded thighs to the basket leaving a little room in between each piece.
Cook for 12 minutes, then flip the chicken. Cook for a couple more minutes until a meat thermometer records 165 degrees F internal temperature and all the sides are evenly crispy.
While the chicken is cooking, letโs make the honey glaze. Combine the water and honey in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over Medium heat on the stovetop. Once itโs boiling, remove it from the heat and set it aside so it can thicken. If you like a little heat in your glaze read below for our suggestions.
Once the chicken has finished cooking and the glaze has cooled, brush the glaze over the chicken thighs and serve.
Can You Use Bone-In Thighs?
Absolutely! You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. If you choose to use these cuts of chicken you’ll need to increase the cooking time because these cuts take a little longer to cook.
Get the low down on our 12 must-have accessories for air fryer cooking.
Storing and Reheating
Once the chicken thighs have cooled, transfer the leftover chicken to an airtight container or plastic bag and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
To reheat, cook at 400 degrees F in the air fryer for a few minutes until they are warmed through completely. While they may not be as crispy, this is the best way compared to reheating in the oven or microwave.
Tips for Making
- Donโt overcrowd the basket, or the chicken will take longer to cook and won’t be as crispy.
- If you are using parchment paper liners, do not place them in the air fryer while itโs preheating. Wait to place the liner until you are ready to add the chicken.
- If you like a little heat in your sauce, add ยผ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or 1-2 teaspoons of hot sauce (we use Frankโs Red Hot sauce) to the glaze before cooking. Adjust quantities to your heat preference
- When using larger chicken thighs, you can cut them in half. If you prefer to keep them intact you may need to cook them a little longer.
Using Leftover Panko Breaded Chicken
If you are into meal prepping, you can make an extra batch of chicken thighs and use them for a variety of recipes. Here are some ways we like using leftovers:
- Green salads
- Chicken salad
- Tacos
- On a sandwich, wrap, or in a pita
- Shred and put it in soup
- Chicken pie
MORE QUICK & EASY
Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
**Save Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe**
Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless skinless
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Create a dredging station with 3 shallow bowls: in one bowl mix the flour, cornstarch and spices; whisk the eggs in a second bowl; place panko crumbs in third bowl.
- Coat the chicken by first dredging it in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg and end with a panko crumb coating.
- Spritz the air fryer basket with a light coating of oil or use a parchment paper liner. Place breaded thighs in the air fryer basket, making sure to leave room between the pieces, and spray with oil.
- Cook for 12 minutes then turn the chicken. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ยฐ on a meat thermometer and all sides are crispy.
- While the chicken is cooking, add water and honey to a saucepan. Over Medium heat, bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool (it will thicken as it cools).
- After youโve finished cooking the chicken and the sauce has cooled, brush or dip the chicken in the glaze depending on how sweet you like it
Notes
- If the chicken thighs are large, cut them into smaller, serving-sized pieces.
- Can use bone-in chicken thighs or chicken breasts but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
- Make sure you donโt overcrowd the air fryer basket or the chicken wonโt crisp up. You may need to cook in batches.
- If you like a little heat in your honey sauce, add ยผ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or 1-2 teaspoons of hot sauce (we use Frankโs Red Hot sauce) to the glaze before cooking. Adjust quantities to your heat preference.
- While best eaten fresh, you can store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat: cook at 400 degrees F for 3-5 minutes until heated through.ย
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
