The spiced chicken thighs in air fryer they are a quick, good and above all healthy second course: with very little oil and many spices, with the almost total absence of salt, chicken legs cooked in this way are ideal for those who want keep it light but, at the same time, enjoy an excellent dish. They are prepared simply by seasoning the chicken legs, including the skin, with aromatic herbs and spices, two cloves of garlic, a spoonful of breadcrumbs and just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Air fryer cooking will make your chicken thighs crispy on the outside and soft and succulent on the insidebut above all it will bring you well-being both physically and economically: in fact the cooking will only last 20 minutes and the energy expenditure will be much less compared to cooking in the oven. You can accompany these fantastic chicken legs with air fryer fries: a single tool for a complete dinner!

PREPARATION

1

To prepare the chicken legs in the air fryer, start with the seasoning: very finely chop all the aromatic herbs, namely the parsley, sage, rosemary, marjoram and basil. Peel the two cloves of garlic.

2

Finely chop the peeled garlic and pour both the chopped aromatic herbs and the garlic into a small bowl. Also add a teaspoon of spice mix and pepper, then mix everything well. If you don’t have a ready-made spice mix for roasts, you can add half a teaspoon of sweet or spicy paprika and half a teaspoon of powdered cumin.

3

Finally add a spoonful of breadcrumbs. If you want you can add salt, otherwise, given the quantity of spices and aromatic herbs, you can also omit it: this way you will obtain an even healthier dish. Now move on to preparing the chicken legs: leave the chicken legs with the skin, which will be crunchy and appetizing when cooked. With a knife, make cuts on the meat so that each thigh cooks well inside. Gradually transfer the chicken legs into a bowl.

4

Season the scored chicken thighs with a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil. Open a food bag and pour half of the chopped aromatic herbs, garlic, spices and breadcrumbs prepared previously.

5

Add the chicken legs a little at a time. Add the second dose of the seasoning, then close the bag and shake well for a few minutes: in this way the aromas and spices will stick well to the chicken legs. Let everything rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

6

Once rested, take the chicken legs and remove them from the bag. Place them on the air fryer tray covered with baking paper, or directly in the fryer basket without adding baking paper. Season with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with a veil of salt. Cook for 20 minutes at 230°C. With this air fryer model we have set the third air speed. Halfway through cooking, turn the chicken legs to the other side. Once ready, serve them on a serving plate.

Tips and tricks

Air fryer chicken thighs are very versatile for seasoning. In fact, you can choose the aromas and spices you prefer and adjust the amount of salt according to your tastes. You can also consider omitting the salt: as they are very spicy it is not essential to add it.

If you don’t like the skin, you can remove it and make small cuts in the meat before baking. However, we advise you to leave it, as it will give that crunchy note that makes chicken legs truly amazing.

You can also use other pieces of the chicken, such as the breast, thighs or wings. In all cases, cooking in an air fryer is optimal, fast and healthy, and you can season the chicken pieces as you prefer or with the same doses as in our recipe.

Consider that each air fryer is different from the other and the cooking performance may change depending on the model. This particular air fryer used for the chicken thighs recipe has three air speeds. In any case, set your fryer to cook at 230°C for 20 minutes, then check the chicken meat: if it is still pink, continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

storage

Air fryer chicken thighs can be stored in the refrigerator, in a closed container, for up to 2 days. We do not recommend freezing them.