Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Fried chicken, any time of the year, is an indulgent and greasy treat. When you take out the greasy part and make air fryer fried chicken, you get a healthier fried chicken recipe without the mess or calories. You cannot beat that!
So, let’s make air fryer chicken. We promise you that this version will still be juicy on the inside and just as crispy on the outside.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken in the Air Fryer
The best part of this air fryer fried chicken is that you marinate your chicken in half buttermilk and half hot sauce. The best flavor of all comes from this combination, and even though you use hot sauce, it’s not very spicy. You can marinate your chicken pieces in as little as an hour or for 24 hours. The longer the better!
How to Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Take your chicken pieces, thawed and at room temperature, and pat it dry. Mix together half a cup of buttermilk and half a cup of hot sauce. Then, soak your chicken in the mixture. You can either do this in a large enough mixing bowl, a container or a large ziplock bag. Put back in the fridge to marinate anywhere from 1 to 24 hours.
Once the chicken is done marinating, combine your flour, seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne powder, and paprika in a shallow bowl. Whisk until combined.
Take a pair of tongs and remove each piece from the marinade and let the milk drain off, place each piece in the flour mixture, getting the pieces fully coated. Place each piece, spaced apart on a piece of parchment paper-lined on a large baking sheet.
Once everything is done being coated, set aside, and put a piece of parchment paper with holes on the bottom of the air fryer basket or pan. This will stop everything from clumping together and sticking.
Make one layer of chicken at the bottom of the pan, covering the parchment paper so it doesn’t fly up. Do not let the chicken pieces touch or overlap, otherwise, you’ll have a sticky gooey mess. Give an even amount of space. If you have to cook your chicken in batches, do so for better results.
Spray the top of the chicken with air fryer cooking sprayer, getting all the flour.
Set your air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 25 minutes.
Halfway through, using your tongs, flip your chicken, and spray again (covering flour spots). Once the timer goes off, take your tongs and place chicken on a clean baking sheet (lined if you prefer) and do the next batch, if necessary.
Cover with foil so the heat doesn’t escape. Serve with mashed potatoes or mac n cheese. Enjoy!
Notes:
- While air fryer temperatures will vary, always check to make sure your chicken is cooked through with a meat thermometer, at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Never overlap the pieces or let them couch.
- Use a recommended air fryer oil sprayer with either canola or vegetable oil so you do not ruin your air fryer.
- Use parchment paper with holes so your breading does not fall off or stick as much.
- To reheat, cook on 370 for 8-10 minutes.
What’s the Best Air Fryer for Air Fryer Fried Chicken?
You can use any good air fryer for this recipe, but for the best air fryers, check out our guides and product reviews. For more recipes, discover them here.
Ingredients
- ½ whole chicken cut into separate pieces (breast, thigh, wing, and leg)
- ½ cup hot sauce
- ½ cup buttermilk
Seasoning
- ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp of seasoning salt
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp of cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp of paprika
- Oil for spraying Canola or Vegetable
Air Fryer Fried Chicken (Healthy & Finger Lickin')
Notes
- While air fryer temperatures will vary, always check to make sure your chicken is cooked through with a meat thermometer, at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Never overlap the pieces or let them couch.
- Use a recommended air fryer oil sprayer with either canola or vegetable oil so you do not ruin your air fryer.
- Use parchment paper with holes so your breading does not fall off or stick as much.
- To reheat, cook on 370 for 8-10 minutes.
Ingredients
- ½ whole chicken cut into separate pieces (breast, thigh, wing, and leg)
- ½ cup of hot sauce
- ½ cup of buttermilk
- Seasoning:
- ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp of seasoning salt
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp of cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp of paprika
- Oil for spraying Canola or Vegetable
Instructions
- Take your chicken pieces, thawed and at room temperature, and pat it dry. Mix together half a cup of buttermilk and half a cup of hot sauce. Then, soak your chicken in the mixture. You can either do this in a large enough mixing bowl, a container or a large ziplock bag. Put back in the fridge to marinate anywhere from 1 to 24 hours.
- Once the chicken is done marinating, combine your flour, seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne powder, and paprika in a shallow bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Take a pair of tongs and remove each piece from the marinade and let the milk drain off, place each piece in the flour mixture, getting the pieces fully coated. Place each piece, spaced apart on a piece of parchment paper-lined on a large baking sheet.
- Once everything is done being coated, set aside, and put a piece of parchment paper with holes on the bottom of the air fryer basket or pan. This will stop everything from clumping together and sticking.
- Make one layer of chicken at the bottom of the pan, covering the parchment paper so it doesn’t fly up. Do not let the chicken pieces touch or overlap, otherwise, you’ll have a sticky gooey mess. Give an even amount of space. If you have to cook your chicken in batches, do so for better results.
- Spray the top of the chicken with air fryer cooking sprayer, getting all the flour.
- Set your air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 25 minutes.
- Halfway through, using your tongs, flip your chicken, and spray again (covering flour spots). Once the timer goes off, take your tongs and place chicken on a clean baking sheet (lined if you prefer) and do the next batch, if necessary.
- Cover with foil so the heat doesn’t escape. Serve with mashed potatoes or mac n cheese. Enjoy!
