Crispy, crunchy, spicy and oh-so-delicious, these air fryer fried chicken presents themselves with all the glory of a classic crispy fried chicken but without the guilt of deep frying in loads of oil!
I can’t explain how happy I was when these crispy fried chicken came out of my air fryer for the very first time!
I was literally holding my breath and praying to the Air Frying God for churning out perfectly crispy chicken so that I can finally restart to enjoy this favorite chicken of mine without that load of guilt!
Thankfully my prayer was answered and I got a basket of freakingly unbelievable crispy air fryer fried chicken which are super crispy on the outside and juicy & succulent inside!
After I took my first bite, I simply stood there speechless looking at the crispy chicken in my hand and wondering which evil force had stopped me from trying this crazy delicious air fryer fried chicken until now?
What is Air Fryer Fried Chicken?
To put it simply, air fryer fried chicken is your same addictive takeaway style crispy fried chicken but instead of being deep fried in loads of oil, it is air fried with just sprays of oil!
But if you are worried that these air fryer fried chicken will not come out as addictive and as crunchy as the deep fried alternative, you are utterly mistaken my friend!
I insist you try making these crispy fried chicken in your air fryer as soon as you can and I can guarantee that you will come back here to thank me!
After going through many recipes of how to make crispy fried chicken in an air fryer, this recipe of air fryer fried chicken from Gimme Delicious struck the right chord with me.
I made these first to see if they really come out that crispy which sweeps us off our feet with their crazy crunch without being dry or chewy inside.
And you know what the outcome was if you have read this blog from the top! So, this recipe of air fryer fried chicken is a keeper which you can enjoy as a high protein meal, but occasionally!
Ingredients for Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Chicken: Like the takeaway style crispy fried chicken, I used the bone-in pieces of chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks to replicate the same vibe in my air fryer fried chicken!
The only difference is that I opted for skinless chicken to cut down the extra fat & calories to make it even more guilt-free!
Pro tip: Because we are using dark meat, it would take a good amount of time, about 30 minutes to get the meat properly cooked while also converting that outer coating to super-crispy.
If you plan to use chicken breasts, cut down the cooking time to half to retain the softness & juiciness of breast meat and to prevent overcooking.
Buttermilk: For the soft & succulent meat inside your air fryer fried chicken, you will need a good amount of buttermilk which you can either buy from the store or make at home.
Buttermilk will not only soften the chicken meat, but also would help the spices & aromatics penetrate inside the meat deeply when they are immersed inside the buttermilk mixture.
Hot sauce: This is the ingredient which you can be creative with! You can use any hot sauce you like and this will make the key difference in the taste of your air fryer fried chicken.
I used a super-hot sauce called Bhoot Jolokia extra hot sauce which we can’t consume as a side dip due to its hotness; but it worked amazingly with these crispy fried chicken!
The spiciness of the sauce was toned down by tangy buttermilk while still adding a good amount of kick to the chicken meat.
Aromatics: The flavors of chicken need to be amped up using a generous amount of aromatics while marinating them in buttermilk and also while coating them in dry flour mixture.
Garlic powder & onion powder will do the trick to enhance the flavors of chicken that complements beautifully with the crispiness. Using aromatics in powder form will ensure no burnt bits.
Spices: A dash of paprika adds a subtle hint of spiciness without overpowering the fresh flavors of aromatics to your air fryer fried chicken.
Seasoning: Perfecting the seasoning for your crispy fried chicken may seem challenging as the salt needs enough time to penetrate the meat.
That is exactly why marinating the chicken in buttermilk mixture overnight is highly recommended for the seasoning to infuse the meat deeply.
You would also need to season the flour mixture so that the outer coating also hits the right spot in terms of being well-seasoned when you take your very first bite!
Flour & Starch: I am mentioning them both together because the combination of these two is key for a perfectly crispy air fryer fried chicken.
I have taken the flour and starch (cornstarch to be specific which we call corn flour in India) in the ratio of 1 cup to ¼ cup.
Flour i.e. maida will add tenderness while starch will impart crispiness which is why this combination is crucial and this ratio has worked perfectly for me every time!
Oil: For getting the iconic crispy outer exterior of your crispy fried chicken, you will need to spray a generous amount of oil over the coated chicken pieces.
I would prefer spraying oil over brushing for two reasons – firstly, brushing will add a thick coating of oil whereas spraying will spray a thin layer but good enough for achieving that crispiness.
Secondly, sprays will reach all the nooks & crannies of the chicken thighs & drumsticks without much effort while a basting brush may not.
How to make Air Fryer Fried Chicken?
Step 1: First we will be marinating the chicken pieces in a buttermilk mixture. Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces nicely. The drier the chicken, the crispier they will turn out.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients listed under marinade except the chicken – buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper.
Step 3: Give a very good mix to make a uniform marinating liquid distributing all the ingredients evenly. Now drop the washed & dried chicken pieces into this buttermilk mixture.
Step 4: Make sure all the chicken pieces are inside the liquid so that each piece gets infused with all the beautiful flavors of aromatics, spices and seasoning.
Step 5: Let the chicken marinade for at least an hour; but for best results, leave them in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.
Step 6: When you are ready to make your air fryer fried chicken, prepare the breading mixture in another large bowl.
Step 7: Add the flour, starch, onion & garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper to the bowl. Using a wire whisk, give a good mix to evenly distribute and mix all the ingredients.
Step 8: Now we will start breading the chicken using both hands, restricting one for wet & another for dry. Take out one chicken piece at a time from the buttermilk mixture and let the excess liquid drip off.
Step 9: Then drop it into the flour mixture. Using your dry hand, start coating the chicken with the flour mixture on all sides.
Pro tip: Take time at this stage to evenly and nicely coat the chicken pieces with the flour to ensure you end up with super crispy air fryer fried chicken!
Step 10: Once you are happy with the breading, set it aside on a plate. Repeat the same process for remaining chicken. Once done, let them chill in the refrigerator while you preheat your air fryer.
Step 11: Now we will start the air frying process. Start preheating your air fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 30 minutes.
Step 12: Once preheated, take out the air fryer basket and spray oil over the bottom of the basket. Ensure the bottom surface is thoroughly coated with oil to avoid any sticking.
Step 13: Then carefully place the breaded chicken pieces inside the basket in a single layer, keeping a gap of an inch between any two pieces. This will ensure even air circulation around the chicken and make them crispy.
Pro tip: If your basket is not big enough for 8 pieces, do them in batches for best results, because if you do not leave enough gap between pieces, the exterior will not get enough hot air for the coating to become crispy.
Step 14: Now spray cooking oil over the chicken pieces very generously making sure the entire outer coating is nicely covered with oil for that perfect crispiness in your crispy air fryer fried chicken!
Step 15: Start air frying them in the preheated fryer. At the halfway mark, take the fryer basket out. Using a tong carefully flip the chicken pieces over.
Step 16: Spray oil generously over the flipped side to coat all over the chicken surface. Return the basket back to the fryer and finish air frying for the remaining time.
Step 17: Your perfectly crispy & juicy air fryer fried chicken is ready! Take them out on a platter and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Step 18: Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken and enjoy these guilt-free crispy fried chicken with your favorite dip!
More delicious air fryer recipes from Flavor Quotient
Air Fryer Fried Chicken | Healthier Restaurant Style Crispy Fried Chicken
Author: Priyanka
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
For marinade:
- Chicken drumsticks – 4, skinless & bone-in
- Chicken thighs – 4, skinless & bone-in
- Buttermilk – 1 cup
- Hot sauce: ¼ cup
- Garlic powder – 1 tsp
- Paprika/red chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 & ½ tsp
- Black pepper – 1 tsp
For breading:
- All-purpose flour/maida – 1 cup
- Corn flour/cornstarch – ½ cup
- Onion powder – 1 tsp
- Garlic powder – 1 tsp
- Paprika/red chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 & ½ tsp
- Black pepper – 1 tsp
- Oil for spraying
Instructions
- First we will be marinating the chicken pieces in a buttermilk mixture. Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces nicely. The drier the chicken, the crispier they will turn out.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients listed under marinade except the chicken – buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper.
- Give a very good mix to make a uniform marinating liquid distributing all the ingredients evenly. Now drop the washed & dried chicken pieces into this buttermilk mixture.
- Make sure all the chicken pieces are inside the liquid so that each piece gets infused with all the beautiful flavors of aromatic, spices and seasoning.
- Let the chicken marinade for at least an hour; but for best results, leave them in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.
- When you are ready to make your air fryer fried chicken, prepare the breading mixture in another large bowl.
- Add the flour, starch, onion & garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper to the bowl. Using a wire whisk, give a good mix to evenly distribute and mix all the ingredients.
- Now we will start breading the chicken using both hands, restricting one for wet & another for dry. Take out one chicken piece at a time from the buttermilk mixture and let the excess liquid drip off.
- Then drop it into the flour mixture. Using your dry hand, start coating the chicken with the flour mixture on all sides.
- Once you are happy with the breading, set it aside on a plate. Repeat the same process for remaining chicken. Once done, let them chill in the refrigerator while you preheat your air fryer.
- Now we will start the air frying process. Start preheating your air fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 30 minutes.
- Once preheated, take out the air fryer basket and spray oil over the bottom of the basket. Ensure the bottom surface is thoroughly coated with oil to avoid any sticking.
- Then carefully place the breaded chicken pieces inside the basket in a single layer, keeping a gap of an inch between any two pieces. This will ensure even air circulation around the chicken and make them crispy.**
- Now spray cooking oil over the chicken pieces very generously making sure the entire outer coating is nicely covered with oil for that perfect crispiness in your crispy air fryer fried chicken!
- Start air frying them in the preheated fryer. At the halfway mark, take the fryer basket out. Using a tong carefully flip the chicken pieces over.
- Spray oil generously over the flipped side to coat all over the chicken surface. Return the basket back to the fryer and finish air frying for the remaining time.
- Your perfectly crispy & juicy air fryer fried chicken is ready! Take them out on a platter and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken and enjoy these guilt-free crispy fried chicken with your favorite dip!
Notes
**Pro tip: If your basket is not big enough for 8 pieces, do them in batches for best results, because if you do not leave enough gap between pieces, the exterior will not get enough hot air for the coating to become crispy.
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