Air Frying Chicken: Bone-In Or Boneless?

Air fryers are a great way to cook chicken with bones. You can make juicy and delicious bone-in chicken breasts or thighs in less than 30 minutes. The bone and skin help keep the chicken juicy while it cooks, and you can season it with anything from a simple salt and pepper mix to a brown sugar coating. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken and your air fryer, but it's usually between 18 and 30 minutes.

How to cook chicken with bones in an air fryer

Air fryers are a great way to cook chicken with bones. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you achieve delicious, juicy results.

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Start by removing any packaging and trimming off any large pieces of fat or extra skin from the chicken. Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry. This step is important as it helps the oil and seasonings stick to the chicken and ensures crispier skin.

Step 2: Preheat the Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer to between 360-380 degrees Fahrenheit. A higher temperature will give you crispier skin.

Step 3: Season the Chicken

You can use a variety of seasonings on your chicken. For a basic seasoning, mix garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. You can also experiment with other seasonings like lemon pepper, cajun spice, Italian seasoning, or BBQ spice.

Drizzle or brush oil onto the chicken. This step is optional, but it can help the seasonings stick and caramelize. Use oils with a higher smoke point, such as avocado or olive oil. You can also use flavoured butter or mayonnaise for added flavour.

Generously coat the chicken with your chosen seasonings. Make sure to get under the skin and coat all sides of the chicken. You can use your hands or gloves to rub the seasonings in.

Step 4: Cook the Chicken

Place the chicken into the air fryer basket in a single layer, with the skin side down. This will help the skin get crisper.

Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, then flip it over so the skin side is facing up. This will allow the skin to get maximum air exposure and become crispier.

Continue cooking for another 8-12 minutes. The total cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken and your air fryer model, but it should take around 18-24 minutes in total.

Always use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is cooked properly. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken and ensure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 5: Rest and Serve

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the air fryer and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This helps ensure the juices are distributed and results in juicier chicken.

You can serve air fryer bone-in chicken with a variety of sides, such as mashed potatoes, green salad, mac and cheese, or roasted vegetables.

How to get crispy skin

Preparation

Before cooking, remove the chicken from its packaging and trim off any large fatty portions or extra skin. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel—this will help the oil and seasonings stick to the chicken and will also help the skin crisp up better.

Seasoning

You can season the chicken with a variety of spices, such as garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. You can also use a simple combination of salt and pepper, or your favourite blend like barbeque, lemon pepper, or jerk seasoning. Sprinkle the seasoning on all sides of the chicken breasts, and gently lift the skin to sprinkle seasoning under it as well.

Cooking

Place the seasoned chicken breast in the preheated air fryer basket, skin side down. For extra crispy skin, you can cook the chicken for the entire duration of the cooking time with the skin side down. For example, if your chicken breasts are cooking for 25 minutes in total, cook them for 15 minutes on the first side, and then flip them over and cook for the remaining 10 minutes.

Temperature

The ideal temperature to cook chicken in an air fryer is between 360-380 degrees Fahrenheit. The total cook time will be around 25 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. You can check if the chicken is done by using a meat thermometer—the internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Oil

You don't need to add oil to the chicken breasts if you are using skin-on chicken, as the skin releases oil while cooking, resulting in crispy skin. However, if you prefer, you can add oil with a higher smoke point, like olive oil or avocado oil. You can also rub the chicken breast with flavoured butter or mayonnaise for added flavour and colour.

Tips

• If you want to get crispy chicken skin without the meat, you can cook the skins separately in the air fryer. Season them with salt and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes, flipping halfway.
• To prevent the chicken skin from curling up in the air fryer, place a sheet of parchment paper over the skin and a flat ceramic plate on top to keep them flat.

How to check if the chicken is cooked

Checking if your chicken is cooked through is an important step to ensure your meal is safe to eat. The best way to check is to use a meat thermometer to see if the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°F. This is the temperature at which all bacteria are burned off. If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can check by cutting into the meat to see if the juices run clear. If there is any pinkness or blood, the chicken is not cooked.

What to serve with air-fried chicken

You can serve a variety of dishes with air-fried chicken. Here are some ideas:

Side Dishes

• Stovetop baked beans
• Quick stovetop mac and cheese
• Southern-style collard greens
• Roasted vegetables (e.g. asparagus, Brussels sprouts, green beans)
• Air fryer roasted veggies (e.g. carrots, potatoes)
• Salads (e.g. spinach strawberry salad)
• Pasta (e.g. veggie pasta)

Mains

• Pizza (e.g. buffalo chicken pizza)
• Stir-fry (e.g. vegetable lo mein)
• Sandwiches or wraps (e.g. chicken Caesar wrap, avocado grilled cheese sandwich)
• Mashed potatoes
• Gravy
• Coleslaw
• Air fryer biscuits
• Velveeta mac and cheese
• Air fryer tater tots

Desserts

Cinnamon rolls

How to store and reheat chicken

Storing and reheating chicken is a delicate process, as you need to balance keeping the meat moist and flavourful, while also maintaining the crunch of the outer layer.

Storing Chicken

If you're planning to store leftover fried chicken, it's important to let it come down to room temperature before packaging it and transferring it to the refrigerator. This should take about an hour. When wrapping the chicken, place a few pieces on the edge of a long strip of foil, taking care not to overlap them. Then, wrap the edge of the foil over those pieces before placing several more pieces on the overlapped foil. This technique is like rolling a beach towel, and will prevent the cool air in your refrigerator from drying the chicken.

Reheating Chicken in an Air Fryer

The best way to reheat chicken and bring back its texture and taste is to use an air fryer. This method is easy and quick, taking less than 10-15 minutes. It will also reheat the pieces of chicken evenly and keep their crispy skin.

To reheat chicken in an air fryer, first preheat your air fryer to 375°F/190°C. If you want, spray a bit of oil on the outside of the chicken. Depending on the size, reheat the chicken in the air fryer basket for about 5-7 minutes or up to 8-10 minutes. To make sure it's well reheated, check the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. It should read 165°F (74°C) when perfectly cooked.

Place a single layer of room-temperature fried chicken in the basket. Work in batches and avoid piling pieces on top of each other, as this will prevent the skin from becoming crispy and can make your chicken dry. For larger pieces, air fry for 8-10 minutes. Flip halfway through so that the crisp is even on both sides and fully cooked.

Tips for Reheating Chicken in an Air Fryer

• The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pieces. Smaller pieces will need a shorter amount of time, while bigger pieces will need longer.
• To stop any pieces from drying out or not being thoroughly reheated, cook smaller pieces for a shorter amount of time and bigger pieces for longer.
• Check the chicken temperature at eight minutes – it should be around 165°F (74°C). If needed, keep warming for 1-2 more minutes.
• When the chicken is heated through and crispy, remove it from the air fryer tray and let it cool for a minute before serving.
• Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket, as it can prevent proper air circulation and result in uneven reheating.
• If your chicken is coated with sauce or breadcrumbs, place it on parchment paper in the air fryer basket to prevent sticking.
• Always check the internal temperature of the chicken breast to ensure it’s thoroughly reheated to 165°F (74°C).
• Always use a food thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the reheated chicken breast reaches at least 165°F (74°C).
• Avoid reheating leftovers multiple times, increasing the risk of bacterial contamination.
• If you have leftover reheated chicken breast, refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking.
• While you can freeze cooked chicken breast, it’s generally not recommended to freeze it after reheating.

Frequently asked questions