After sharing many air fryer chicken recipes, why am I calling this one the best ever juicy air fryer chicken? That’s simply because this juicy air fryer chicken turned out way better than my expectations even with a minimal set of ingredients!
If you are looking for a quick & easy recipe which is high in protein and can fit into your busy weekday schedule, then this juicy air fryer chicken is the one that you are looking for!
Let me tell you the story of how I discovered this phenomenal recipe!
I use my air fryer daily to whip up my weekday dinners, which is mainly protein & salad on the side, as it hardly requires any prep and then everything is taken care of by the trusty air fryer.
So I keep playing up with the flavors, sometimes barely adding any spice; just aromatics & seasonings!
During one such experiment, this juicy air fryer chicken materialized when I was racing against time to join the next meeting!
So all I could add to the marinade, other than aromatics, were only turmeric & red chilli powder! I was okay with it as it was just one of my daily weekday dinners and nothing fancy or blog-worthy!
But I turned out to be so wrong!
The yogurt marinated chicken thighs came out so tender, juicy and flavorful even though I didn’t use too many spices, that I was shook as soon as I took my very first bite!
I instantly asked my better half too to do a taste test and he also got hooked to the juiciness of the chicken! So I was not biased, you see! LOL!
Hence it goes without saying that this juicy air fryer chicken must feature in our blog as I can’t deprive my readers of such a mind-blowing recipe!
What is Juicy Air Fryer Chicken?
After making this juicy air fryer chicken, I was unsure what to name this wonder! First I thought I should name this “Indian Spiced Air Fryer Chicken”.
But then I felt that this name is not doing justice to this incredibly juicy air fryer chicken which had simply blown my mind with its tenderness & juiciness!
I had to ensure I let you guys know that this is the juiciest chicken that you can make in your air fryer without any fuss and that’s the best part of this recipe!
Yes, this juicy air fryer chicken has the flavors of Indian spices but the magic is done by our good old yogurt!
The milk protein in yogurt tenderizes the chicken so impeccably that it melts in your mouth while having been infused with all the flavorful Indian spices.
Though I have kept the spices minimum so that you can make this juicy air fryer chicken quickly, you can easily switch up this recipe just by adding more spices e.g. garam masala, coriander or cumin powder etc.
Ingredients for Juicy Air Fryer Chicken
Chicken: To be very honest, the star of this recipe is the marinate and not chicken! Which is why you can use any portion of chicken.
If you see the photos, I have used only chicken thighs that day whereas in my video, I had used both chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks which were skinless but bone-in.
Both portions of chicken worked wonderfully in this recipe; you may use chicken breast too but then do not cook it for more than 12 minutes.
Greek yogurt: This thick and creamy yogurt is the base of the chicken marinade and the primary reason why this air fryer chicken turns out so juicy & tender!
I would strongly recommend using Greek yogurt that is easily available in the supermarket nowadays. I use the one from Milky Mist brand and really like its texture and taste.
Alternatively, you may also substitute it with hung curd which is nothing but regular yogurt with all the water squeezed out after tying it into a cheesecloth.
Spices: To make this juicy air fryer chicken a weekday-friendly recipe, I kept the spices minimal. Just a dash of turmeric powder and red chilli powder (or paprika) will do the trick!
You may experiment with other flavors and add your own signature to the dish; e.g. to impart an earthy flavor you may add cumin powder.
For warmth, you may add homemade garam masala and coriander powder. Possibilities are endless once you figure out this base recipe!
Aromatics: The quintessential aromatics of any Indian spiced recipe is of course ginger and garlic without which it’s impossible to have that classic Indian flavor!
Use a generous amount of ginger and garlic paste for that soul-satisfying experience!
You must keep these two pastes always handy as they are inevitable in any good flavorful chicken recipe!
Seasoning: Add salt and black pepper to the marinate to season your chicken appropriately.
This will ensure seasoning penetrates the meat beautifully giving you ultimate satisfaction in every bite!
Oil: For that classic Indian flavor I used mustard oil in the marinade.
This oil not only keeps the chicken tender & prevents them from drying under high heat, but also enhances flavors of the spices used in the marinade.
How to make Juicy Air Fryer Chicken?
Step 1: Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs. Set aside while you prepare the marinade.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, take the Greek yogurt. Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, pepper and oil.
Step 3: Using a wire whisk, give a good mix making sure all spices, aromatics and seasoning are uniformly distributed and evenly mixed in with the yogurt.
Step 4: Now add the washed chicken thighs into the yogurt mixture. Coat each chicken thigh with the yogurt mixture adding a thick coating around each piece.
Step 5: Once you are happy with the marination, leave the chicken for an hour or so at room temperature to allow them to absorb all the flavors.
Step 6: When you are ready to air fry, preheat your air fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 30 minutes.
Step 7: Spray oil over the bottom of the air fryer basket once the fryer is preheated. Then arrange the marinated chicken pieces inside the basket in a single layer leaving a gap between two pieces.
Step 8: Air fry the chicken until halfway through cooking time. Then take out the basket and spray a little oil over the chicken.
Step 9: Flip each chicken over and spray a little more oil over the flipped side. Return the basket back to the fryer and finish air frying for the remaining time.
Step 10: Your best ever juicy air fryer chicken thighs are ready! Transfer to a platter with lime wedges on the side and enjoy with a big bowl of fresh salad!
More delicious air fryer chicken recipes from Flavor Quotient
Best Ever Juicy Air Fryer Chicken | Indian Style Air Fryer Chicken Thighs for Weight Loss
Author: Priyanka
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 2 Servings
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs – 6, bone-in & skinless
- Greek yogurt – ½ cup
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
- Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Mustard oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs. Set aside while you prepare the marinade.
- In a large mixing bowl, take the Greek yogurt. Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, pepper and oil.
- Using a wire whisk, give a good mix making sure all spices, aromatics and seasoning are uniformly distributed and evenly mixed in with the yogurt.
- Now add the washed chicken thighs into the yogurt mixture. Coat each chicken thigh with the yogurt mixture adding a thick coating around each piece.
- Once you are happy with the marination, leave the chicken for an hour or so at room temperature to allow them to absorb all the flavors.
- When you are ready to air fry, preheat your air fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 30 minutes.
- Spray oil over the bottom of the air fryer basket once the fryer is preheated. Then arrange the marinated chicken pieces inside the basket in a single layer leaving a gap between two pieces.
- Air fry the chicken until halfway through cooking time. Then take out the basket and spray a little oil over the chicken.
- Flip each chicken over and spray a little more oil over the flipped side. Return the basket back to the fryer and finish air frying for the remaining time.
- Your best ever juicy air fryer chicken thighs are ready! Transfer to a platter with lime wedges on the side and enjoy with a big bowl of fresh salad!
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