These air fryer Korean fried chicken is so easy and delicious. Air frying gives that perfect crunch on the outside while keeping the chicken juicy. Exactly what I like!
This air fryer Korean fried chicken recipe comes from a classic meal that I adapted into a homemade air fryer recipe. I love Asian dishes and all their savoury flavor, but sometimes the oil and grease from deep frying is a bit much. That’s why I love the air fryer! It does the job, except with a ton less oil!
While living in Seattle, I was exposed to so many great Korean and Asian restaurants. In fact, it was our go-to cuisine for weekend restaurant meals with friends. I vividly remember getting sticky Korean fried chicken all the time! So, of course I had to make my own homemade version of Korean fried chicken in the air fryer.
Need an air fryer? This Cosori air fryer has been my favorite for a long time now. If you’re curious what else to make in your air fryer, check out my air fryer recipes for lots of ideas.
Air Fry Korean Chicken Thighs Video
How to Air Fry Korean Chicken Thighs
If five minutes is all you have to prep the protein for dinner, this Korean chicken thigh recipe is exactly what you need. Plus, it takes only four simple ingredients!
- Prepare the ingredients: Debone the chicken thighs (if preferred), and gather the soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil.
- Make the Asian chicken thigh marinade: In a large mixing bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together, then add in the chicken and marinate for at least two hours (up to 24).
- Air fry: Place the thighs in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 350°F for 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature is 165°F and they are golden brown.
Serving tip: Toss up a garden salad and pair some air fryer french fries with your chicken dish and have yourself a nice, well-rounded dinner! Feeling extra indulgent? Make my guilty mashed potatoes.
Love Korean-inspired entrees? Try our beef bulgogi or grilled beef galbi recipes!
Tips For the Best Air Fried Korean Fried Chicken Thighs
I find that the air fryer is one of the easiest kitchen appliances you can use. Well, ok, maybe not as easy as a toaster, but it’s still in the top 5! Here are a few of my top tips when making this air fryer chicken recipe that’ll make it even better.
- Use your favorite seasoning: If you have a favorite chicken seasoning, go ahead and use it! Feel free to get creative. Just make sure to keep an eye on the salt, as soy sauce is salty as is. Some options may be ketchup, garlic powder, sesame seeds, and gochujang sauce.
- Remove the bones (optional): If your cooking with bone-in chicken thighs, you can remove the bones to make the cooking time shorter. Go ahead and save the bones to make chicken broth.
- Leave the skin: Keep the skin on the thigh! It helps flavor the meat and is vital for the crispy chicken outer layer that is to-die-for.
- Cook in one layer: A golden rule of air frying is to not overcrowd the air fryer basket. Stacking and overcrowding the basket results in uneven cooking, so cook the chicken in a single layer and in small batches. If/when needed, use tongs to flip or slightly move the thighs around in the basket.
- Check temperature with a thermometer: Cook the chicken thighs in the air fryer for about 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F when checking with a thermometer. This one has never led me astray!
- Garnish for visual appeal (optional): If you’re a fan of garnishes, add freshly sliced spring onion or any fresh herbs on top.
Reader suggestion: Here are a few reader suggestions I haven’t personally tried yet: add a pinch of red pepper flakes and garlic paste/fresh garlic, slightly increase the brown sugar, and reduce the sesame oil. For the air fry, start at 300°F to cook the chicken through, then increase the heat to crisp the outside.
Storing & Reheating Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
This recipe makes eight servings, so you may have a couple thigh leftovers for lunch or dinner tomorrow. Here’s how I store and reheat my thighs the next time I eat them.
- Refrigerator: To store the thighs for up to a week, place them in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheating: To regain the crisp, I recommend reheating the thighs in the air fryer for a couple of minutes. Or, a hot skillet with a bit of oil can work, too. Otherwise, the microwave is the fastest, easiest option (but the chicken may lack some of its crisp).
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
- Grilled Chicken Thighs – Five minutes, super simple and tasty
- Pan Seared Chicken Thighs – Simple, garlicky thighs
- Oven Baked Chicken Thighs – Five ingredients & only 30 minutes
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs – Only three ingredients!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken thighs
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients for the air fryer chicken thighs.
- Combine the soy sauce with the 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 the thighs into an air fryer in a single layer, as this helps speed up the cooking time.
- Air fry the chicken thighs for 20-30 minutes at 350°F or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
no temp in recipe
Hello- you are right, thank you for catching that! It should be 350°. We will update the recipe!
I don't see the temperature setting for the air fryer
Hi Will, Cook the chicken at 350°F. Enjoy!
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.