*This air fryer fried chicken recipe post may include affiliate links, if you click and buy, I make a commission.*
Here’s what’s true: I do not like to cook.
I like to eat and I like to feed my children, but I am wholly uncreative when it comes to meal preparation and I’d rather do a whole list of other things besides slave over a hot fire. Or even put a casserole in the oven.
Because, ew, casseroles.
I could go into the why of it, but at the end of the day, it really just boils down to the fact that I get sick of eating the same stuff over and over, I’m too tired after working all day to spend much time in the kitchen, and my evenings and weekends are so packed with things to do that I don’t have the time, energy, or desire to be Rachel Ray-ing it around my kitchen every day.
I wind up with my menu on repeat and my oven being the primary source of food production, pumping out winners like fish sticks and tater tots with nothing more than 10 minutes to preheat.
That said, I can throw down in the kitchen.
Listen, my mama raised me right, and my disdain for cooking is not born of inability to perform.
Some would say, I’ve got mad cooking skills.
In fact, I can count on one hand how many food fails I’ve had in my life, and my family generally loves the things I create for their bellies (look, we always have that one person who has something to say no matter what you cook).
And, since I live with three always-starving-on-the-go Dudes, providing them with nutrient rich, filling food options is just a requirement of life.
When I find ways to make that easier, believe me when I say that I am all over that.
Case in point: my air fryer.
I’m in love.
You can read my post about why you should buy an air fryer too, but I think the most convincing piece of evidence is right here:
Air fryer fried chicken.
Made crispy, juicy, and delicious in my air fryer.
Minus the mess, minus the deep fried horror show that will plant itself in your arteries, waiting to kill you in your early fifties, minus the time and commitment, minus the forearm burns that comes from, um, I’m not really sure why that happens actually.
Point is, some say air fryer fried chicken is the best thing to come out of my kitchen since chocolate chip cookie dough brownies. I say they’re not wrong!
10 Easy Steps to Juicy, Crispy Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Step 1: Moisturize
Select the chicken pieces you like (the pictured ones are boneless thighs because that’s what my family likes best, we’ve also done chicken legs and wings), place them in a flat pan and drizzle with oil (use whatever kind you like, I used olive). Don’t be skimpy about it either. This is a heavy drizzle, almost like a full rain, because you want your chicken covered with it. You can also use cooking spray if that’s your jam.
Step 2: Mix
In a shallow dish, beat an egg and mix with 3 tablespoons of water.
Step 3: Flavor
In another dish, add a cup and a half of flour, a half a cup of bread crumbs, a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of pepper, and whatever other seasonings you use for your chicken. I use this Weber garlic and herb grill mix because it’s delicious.
Step 4: Sprinkle
Season with salt and pepper on your chicken while it’s in the oil. Flip, sprinkle on that side too.
Step 5: Drag
Dip each piece of chicken once in egg and water mixture and once in flour mixture. Make sure it is egged and floured on both sides. Place on the air fryer rack. Repeat for all of your pieces of chicken.
Step 6: Fry
Place in air fryer and cook at 375 degrees for 25 minutes (I use the chicken preset on my air fryer).
Step 9: Cool
Remove from air fryer, let cool on a wire rack (not a paper towel, because it will probably make your crispy rip off, plus it’s not super oily like it is when you deep fry!)
Step 10: Grub
Get your grub on because you’re going to love your air fryer fried chicken as much as we do!
The thing about the oil: Yes, air fryers are supposed to be healthier and, even with the added oil, they are. Unlike deep frying the oil isn’t absorbed by your air fryer as it is basically blown off by the hot air. The purpose of the oil is to keep your food from getting too dry. Imagine your air fryer is like the windy Sahara Desert. Imagine how dry your skin would be if you stood out there for hours in the heat and wind. That’s how your chicken feels if you don’t moisturize that baby.
Looking for an air fryer? The new Power Air Fryer is going for a great price on Amazon right now!
You can find mine here: XL Power Air Fryer