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A top down shot of air fried chicken in an air fryer basket.
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4.92 from 25 votes

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

This crispy Air Fryer Fried Chicken is made with a tiny fraction of the oil used in traditional methods. It's perfectly seasoned with incredibly tender and juicy meat!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2
Calories: 602kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in chicken pieces (skin-on or skinless) thighs or drumsticks are my favorite
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
  • vegetable or canola oil for misting as needed

Instructions

  • If using skin-on chicken, trim any excess fat from the edges, or remove it completely, and season both sides with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chicken pieces and push them down to submerge them in the liquid. Let the chicken marinate for 5 to 10 minutes or cover and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours if prepping in advance.
  • Line a small baking sheet with foil or wax paper. Add the flour and Old Bay Seasoning to a large plastic food storage bag and shake it to combine the mixture.
  • Drop one piece of chicken into the flour mixture and shake the bag to coat the chicken well, shaking off any excess flour. Transfer the coated chicken to the foil-lined baking sheet and repeat the breading process with the remaining chicken. Let the coated chicken rest while you preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F for 5 minutes.
  • When the air fryer is preheated, use an oil mister to lightly coat the bottom of the air fryer basket with oil. Lightly coat both sides of the chicken with oil and transfer them to the preheated air fryer. It's okay if the chicken is touching but the pieces should not overlap. Cook at 390 degrees F for 25 minutes.
  • Check on the chicken about halfway through the cooking time and mist any dry spots with additional oil.
  • The internal temperature of the fried chicken should read at least 165 degrees F at the end of the cooking process.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information was calculated for bone-in, skinless chicken thighs.
Storage: Store leftover Air Fryer Fried Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Preserve the crispy goodness of fried chicken by reheating it in an air fryer preheated to 375 degrees F for about 4 to 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Avoid using the microwave for reheating as it has a tendency to make the breading soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 199mg | Sodium: 825mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 16.3mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 6mg