Air Fryer Korean Chicken Thighs are so easy to make and prepared in under 30 minutes. The chicken stays moist on the inside and has an awesome crispy, “fried-like” skin on the outside!
Love Korean-inspired entrees? Try our beef bulgogi or grilled beef galbi recipes!
Whip up a garden salad and some air fryer french fries to pair with your chicken thighs and have yourself a nice, well-rounded dinner! Feeling extra indulgent? Make my Guilty Mashed Potatoes.
If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know that I’m obsessed with air fryer recipes. I am a fried chicken fanatic and using the air fryer gets perfectly “fried” chicken on my table soooooo quickly.
Using the air fryer is a healthy way to get that fresh-out-of-the-oil taste with a fraction of the calories. Let it become your best friend for wholesome, weeknight dinners!
What is an Air Fryer?
You have probably heard a lot of buzz around the air fryer. If you have never used one, let me give you the low-down. This appliance has become all-the-rage for its astonishingly fast cooking times. Extremely hot air circulates around the food placed in the air fryer’s tray, allowing the food to be cooked substantially quicker.
The best part? The air fryer only needs a small amount of oil (less than a tablespoon in some cases!) or cooking spray to create healthier versions of your favorite fried foods. You can air fry just about anything and get awesome results. Give it a try!
Tips for Making the Best Air Fryer Chicken Thighs:
- Use your favorite chicken seasoning on the thighs. You can get creative here. Just make sure you season them liberally!
- If your thighs come bone-in, you can remove the bones to make the cooking time shorter. Go ahead and save the bones to make chicken broth. Winter is coming, you’re going to need it!
- Keep the skin on the thigh! It will help flavor the meat and you will get a crunchy outer layer that is to-die-for.
- Cook chicken thighs in an air fryer for about 20-30 minutes or use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 165F.
Can I Stack Chicken In an Air Fryer?
One of the golden-rules of air frying is to not overcrowd the air fryer basket. Think about it this way: the more air that hits your chicken the better. Stacking and overcrowding the basket will likely result in uneven cooking. So, it’s best to cook your chicken in a single layer, letting as much air hit it, making it as crispy as possible.
If you must stack the chicken, make sure you toss it with tongs every couple of minutes to let air hit the parts that were previously covered. Give the basket a nice shake or two as well to redistribute the seasoning.
Reheating Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
If you want the chicken to stay crispy on the outside, I highly recommend reheating it in the air fryer for a couple of minutes. You could also reheat it on a hot skillet with a bit of oil.
A microwave reheat is always an option, but just know that it will likely come out a bit soggy and lose some of its crisp.
Do You Need to Spray Air Fryer with Oil?
The awesome part about cooking chicken in the air fryer is that you don’t need to use any oil at all since it produces natural fats as it cooks. Yes, you can have fried chicken without any added oil!
The only time you actually do need oil is when you are going to cover the chicken in breading.
A tablespoon of oil or a once-over of the basket with cooking spray will suffice.
More Air Fryer Recipes
- 15-Minute Air Fryer French Fries – our boys are obsessed with homemade fries now.
- Easy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes – can be added to any dinner.
- Air Fryer Potato Chips Recipe – nothing beats the homemade chips!
Recipe
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients for the Air Fryer chicken thighs.
- Combine soy sauce with brown sugar and sesame oil. Pour the sauce over the chicken and let it marinate for at least 2 hours. The chicken can marinate for up to 24 hours.
- Place it into an air fryer in a single layer, this will speed up the cooking time.
- Air Fry chicken thighs for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
What exactly is it about this dish that makes it "Korean"?
Hey Lily, its the sauce 🙂
I was skeptical initially, as there seemingly is a ton of star ratings, yet only 1 comment. But decided to try it due to how easy it seemed, it was decent overall. The ease of the recipe is the highlight, and the chicken turned out quite tender. The flavor itself was good, but nothing special. If I make this again, I would up the brown sugar a bit, and reduce the sesame oil a tad. The skin was somewhat crispy, but not as much as I hoped, though still pretty good.
I started by cooking this at 350F for 20 minutes, and it was nearly cooked through. Adding an additional 10 minutes made it good, though the color came close to a burnt (very dark) look. If I did this again, I would start with a lower temperature (maybe 300 or 325) to ensure it cooks through, then pump up the heat to crisp up and finish the outside.
I agree with all your tips. I also add a pinch of red pepper flakes and a squeeze of garlic from a tube to the sauce. My household loves these Asian thighs and we make them regularly.
Hey Corey, thank you for sharing all your tips. I am sure they will be useful to others.
A temperature to cook at would be helpful.
Cook chicken at 350F.