These Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs are bursting with flavor and only take 30 minutes to make. This is an easy and healthy weeknight dinner you have to try!
You must try these out if you haven’t made chicken thighs in the air fryer. They come out juicy, tender, and delicious.
I use a Ninja Foodie air fryer. I’ve had it for about two years, and it still works great!
If you want more air fryer chicken recipes, check out my Air Fryer Marinated Chicken Brest and Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Cutlet recipes.
Why you will love these BBQ Chicken Thighs
- It’s pretty effortless to make. 🦥
- Ready in 30 minutes. ⏲
- This is a pretty inexpensive dinner to make if you have all the spices. 💸
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🥘 Ingredients
To make Air Fryer BBQ Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, you will need:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: chicken thighs won’t dry out as easily as chicken breast; they are also less expensive
- Spices: I used a traditional BBQ Spice Rub from All Recipes that has paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper
- Salt: ½ teaspoon was perfect for me, but adjust the saltness to your taste; just remember the barbecue sauce will have some sodium in it
- Cayenne Pepper: if you’re the kind of person who likes a little kick in their BBQ Chicken, add a little bit of cayenne to make the chicken spicy
- BBQ Sauce: use your favorite BBQ sauce; I used store-brand honey BBQ sauce
Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below!
🔪 Instructions
1. Mix together the seasoning.
2. Rub spices on both sides of the chicken.
3. Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray. Place the chicken in the basket and cook for 14 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4. Brush half of the BBQ sauce onto the chicken, flip, and brush the other half of the BBQ sauce on. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the chicken’s internal temperature is 165F.
🧀 Substitutions
If you don’t like barbecue sauce, swap it out for Buffalo sauce, orange chicken sauce, or even honey mustard!
Not a fan of sauce at all? Just leave it off. The spice rub will give the thighs plenty of flavor.
🥡 How to Store
Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months.
To reheat the chicken thighs, cook them in the air fryer at 375F for 4-5, or microwave until warm.
🥗 Sides
- Mac and Cheese
- Rice
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green Salad
- Corn
- Green Beans
- Broccoli
- Peas
🙋♀️ FAQ
These boneless chicken thighs took 16 minutes to cook in my Ninja Foodie. Each air fryer cooks differently over time. You will learn if your air fryer cooks a little faster or slower than other people. Until then, use a meat thermometer to ensure you don’t over or under-cook the chicken.
I always check the temperature of my chicken a few minutes before it’s supposed to be “done.” If it’s already at 165F, I’ll stop cooking the chicken, but if it’s lower, I’ll adjust my cook time accordingly. As long as your chicken doesn’t reach an internal temperature too much above 165F, it shouldn’t be dry. You never want to eat chicken that has not reached a minimum temperature of 165F
👩🍳 Tips & Tricks
All air fryers cook differently. You may have to adjust the cooking time. Check the thickest part of the chicken to ensure it's at least 165F.
You can season the chicken thighs in the morning and let them marinate in the fridge until dinner time.
❤ Recipe
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb chicken thighs boneless skinless
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cayenne pepper optional- makes it spicy
- Non stick cooking spray
- ⅓ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F.
- Cut off any excess fat from the chicken thighs.
- Mix together the spices and rub them on both sides of the chicken.
- Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray. Place the chicken in a single layer in the basket and cook for 7 minutes, then flip the chicken and cook for another 7 minutes.
- Brush half of the BBQ sauce on one side of the the chicken, flip, and brush the remaining sauce onto the other side. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is 165F.
Adrian says
Okay by themselves, but really come through when combined with a salad or made into a sandwich.