How Long Should You Air Fry Chicken For? The Ultimate Guide

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Air frying chicken has become an incredibly popular cooking method in recent years. The air fryer allows you to make deliciously crispy chicken using little to no oil, resulting in a healthier version of fried chicken. But one common question remains – how long should you actually air fry chicken to achieve the perfect texture?

The air fryer cooking time can vary substantially depending on several factors. To help you nail beautifully cooked chicken every time, this comprehensive guide will outline everything you need to know about air frying chicken, including ideal cooking times for different cuts and pieces. Let’s dive in!

Factors That Affect Air Fryer Chicken Cooking Times

There are several elements that impact how long chicken takes to cook in an air fryer:

  • Type and cut of chicken – Breasts, thighs, wings etc all require different cooking times Larger, thicker cuts need longer.

  • Bone-in or boneless – Bone-in chicken takes longer to cook through

  • Frozen or thawed – Frozen chicken requires longer cooking than thawed.

  • Quantity you are cooking – Cooking large batches takes longer than smaller amounts.

  • Your air fryer model – Different air fryers heat up at different rates

  • Crispiness level – The longer you cook, the crispier it gets.

So as you can see, there are several variables involved! Now let’s look at general cooking times for popular chicken cuts.

Recommended Air Fryer Cooking Times for Chicken

Chicken Breasts

  • Boneless breasts: Cook at 375°F for 12-15 minutes
  • Bone-in breasts: Cook at 375°F for 18-22 minutes

Chicken Thighs

  • Boneless thighs: Cook at 375°F for 15-18 minutes
  • Bone-in thighs: Cook at 375°F for 22-28 minutes

Chicken Wings

  • Cook at 400°F for 18-25 minutes

Whole Chicken

  • Cook at 360°F for 50-60 minutes

These cooking times are based on thawed chicken pieces. For frozen chicken, add 5 to 10 minutes to the times given above.

Always use a meat thermometer to confirm chicken reaches 165°F internally before serving. Now let’s go over some extra tips and tricks for perfectly air fried chicken.

Handy Tips For Crispy, Juicy Air Fried Chicken

  • Dry brine the chicken: Put some salt on the chicken and put it in the fridge for up to a day before you cook it. This seasons it and keeps it extra juicy.

  • Preheat properly – Give your air fryer 3-5 minutes to preheat before adding chicken. This improves texture.

  • Don’t overcrowd – Leave space between pieces for optimal airflow and even cooking. Cook in batches if needed.

  • Flip halfway – Flipping the chicken promotes browning and even cooking on both sides.

  • If you want the outside to be extra crispy, brush it with oil or lightly cover it in flour or breading.

  • Check often – Monitor cooking so you achieve the perfect doneness without overcooking.

  • Let rest before serving – Allow chicken to rest 5 minutes after cooking so juices can redistribute.

Handling Leftovers

One great thing about air-frying chicken is that it reheats really well! To reheat air-fried chicken:

  • Preheat air fryer to 300°F
  • Place chicken pieces in air fryer basket
  • Reheat for 4-6 minutes until heated through

The air fryer will keep the chicken skin crispy and delicious.

Common Air Fryer Chicken Mistakes to Avoid

While air frying chicken is quite simple, there are a couple pitfalls to be aware of:

  • Not preheating – Skipping preheating can lead to uneven cooking. Always preheat!

  • Overcrowding – Too much chicken prevents air circulation and crisping.

  • Overcooking – Cook just until chicken reaches safe temp. Overdoing it dries it out.

As long as you keep proper cooking times and temperatures in mind, you will be rewarded with perfectly cooked, tender and crispy air fried chicken every time. Ditch the oil and unlock the possibilities with your air fryer. Your taste buds (and your waistline) will thank you!

how long should you air fry chicken for

Why Air Fry?

There are two reasons why you might want to make air fried chicken instead of classic fried chicken.

  • In the first place, air-frying is better for your health than deep-frying or pan-frying. I do suggest lightly spraying the fried chicken with oil before and during air-frying, but you don’t cover the pieces in oil completely. As a result, they absorb less oil during the process.
  • For me though, the bigger advantage is time savings. To use the air fryer, just flip the switch for 30 seconds. It’s also much easier to clean up than big pots of hot oil.

There are some recipes that I don’t think adapt well to the air fryer, but fried chicken works really well. The chicken will come out crispy and browned. It’s definitely worth a try!.

how long should you air fry chicken for

What’s the Best Chicken to Use?

For my money and taste buds, nothing beats buying a whole chicken and cutting it up yourself. This way, you get some dark meat and some white meat. I also believe in using skin-on and bone-in chicken, which leads to more flavorful and juicier chicken.

That said, my family is not actually a huge fan of the same kind of fried chicken I like. They prefer simple chicken strips, so I did some of those, too, and they work really well.

You could dry out the chicken strips if you cook them too long since they cook faster than bone-in pieces. Make sure to keep an eye on the strips until they’re almost done (165° to 170 ̊F in the middle).

how long should you air fry chicken for

How to Make PERFECT Air Fryer Chicken Breasts – JUICY & TENDER!

FAQ

How long does chicken need to be in the air fryer?

The time it takes to cook chicken in an air fryer varies depending on the cut and size, but generally, chicken breasts take around 10-20 minutes, while bone-in chicken pieces like thighs or drumsticks may require 20-30 minutes.

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