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Home / Recipes

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

1 hour 15 minutes
4.31 from 89 votes
17 Comments
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
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by: Joanna Cismaru
03.22.20

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This Air Fryer Fried Chicken recipe is a game changer! I have for you the same crunchy and tangy buttermilk coating you all know and love minus the excess grease. Time to put that air fryer to good use!

fried chicken on a serving platter garnished with parsley

I have made fried chicken many times before, but many of you have asked me how to make it in an air fryer! I wasn’t sure how it would turn out but let me just say, I was very pleasantly surprised. Let me tell you, it has the same crispy texture we all know and love and it tastes amazing! All that minus the excess oil. Thank you food gods!

Now fried chicken doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure treat. Isn’t that fantastic news? Enjoy this easy recipe any night of the week! It’s great for a summertime picnic, or even a cold winter night snuggled up at home.

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make fried chicken

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

  • Chicken – Chicken wings, chicken legs, thighs or chicken breast, any part of the chicken will do.
  • Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk available you can substitute 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus 1/2 cup milk.
  • Eggs – Large eggs.
  • Paprika – To add a little extra flavor, I prefer to use smoked paprika, but whatever you have in your pantry will do.
  • Hot Sauce – I used sriracha, use your preference!
  • Salt and Pepper – To taste.
  • Baking powder & baking soda – It’s important to use both. This is what will give you the best possible crunch.
  • Flour – I used all-purpose flour.
process shots showing how to make fried chicken in the air fryer

How to make air fryer fried chicken

  1. Prep the Chicken – Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
  2. Prepare the Buttermilk Mixture – To a large bowl add the buttermilk, eggs, paprika, hot sauce, salt, pepper and whisk until combined. Whisk in the baking powder and baking soda. In a shallow dish add the flour.
  3. Dredge the Chicken – First dredge the chicken in flour on all sides, then dip into the buttermilk mixture. Dredge the chicken in flour one more time, then place the chicken on a plate or rack, and repeat with all chicken pieces.
  4. Cook the Chicken – Place the chicken in the air fryer basket, allowing enough room between each piece to flow around. Spray the chicken with a bit of cooking spray or brush with oil. Cook on 375 F for about 20 minutes, flip over, spray with more cooking oil or brush with oil, and cook for another 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining chicken if doing in batches. Cooking time may vary depending on your air fryer. Serve and enjoy!
overhead shot of air fryer fried chicken in a serving platter

What to serve with fried chicken

Fried chicken is one of those things that I could eat with anything. It’s just so “finger lickin” good, as the Colonel would say. I agree, this fried chicken is so good that whatever you serve with it will work. I have compiled a list of options to serve with your fried chicken to make things easier for all of you!

  • KFC Coleslaw
  • Macaroni Salad
  • Garlic Herb Red Potato Salad
  • Mexican Street Corn Salad
  • Baked Mac and Cheese
  • Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad
  • Mixed Cabbage Apple Coleslaw
  • Easy Potato Salad
frying chicken in an air fryer

How to store leftovers

Leftovers fried chicken will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Fried chicken leftovers can be tough to keep crisp. It’s all about your reheating method.

To reheat, preheat your oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place them on the sheet. Lightly place another sheet of foil over the chicken pieces. Bake for 20 minutes, then let the chicken cool for 5 minutes. Check the chicken for crispiness. Bake for another 5 minutes uncovered if the chicken needs more time.

fried chicken on a serving platter with a chicken drumsticks sitting on top with a bite taken out of it

Did you like this recipe? Try these:

  • Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
  • Crispy Fried Chicken
  • Fried Pickles
  • Air Fryer Chicken Wings
  • Crispy Fried Zucchini
  • Korean Fried Chicken
  • Toasted Ravioli
  • Oven Fried Breaded Chicken Tenders
  • Hash Browns
  • Deep Fried Cauliflower Pieces

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side view shot of air fryer fried chicken on a plate

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

4.31 from 89 votes
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 15 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 4
Print Pin Rate
This Air Fryer Fried Chicken recipe is a game changer! I have for you the same crunchy and tangy buttermilk coating you all know and love minus the excess grease. Time to put that air fryer to good use!

Equipment

  • Ninja Foodi 8-Quart Multi Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken wings chicken legs, thighs or chicken breast
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 tsp pepper or to taste
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Prep the Chicken – Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
  • Prepare the Buttermilk Mixture – To a large bowl add the buttermilk, eggs, paprika, hot sauce, salt, pepper and whisk until combined. Whisk in the baking powder and baking soda. In a shallow dish add the flour.
  • Dredge the Chicken – First dredge the chicken in flour on all sides, then dip into the buttermilk mixture. Dredge the chicken in flour one more time, then place the chicken on a plate or rack, and repeat with all chicken pieces.
  • Cook the Chicken – Place the chicken in the air fryer basket, allowing enough room between each piece to flow around. Spray the chicken with a bit of cooking spray or brush with oil. Cook on 375 F for about 20 minutes, flip over, spray with more cooking oil or brush with oil, and cook for another 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining chicken if doing in batches. Cooking time may vary depending on your air fryer.

Recipe Notes

  1. It took me about 30 minutes to cook the chicken in the air fryer, but each air fryer is different, so read your air fryer’s manual to see how long you should cook it for.
  2. I also only added enough chicken to the air fryer so that it’s in one layer and not stack any chicken pieces on top of each other. This way you’ll get evenly cooked chicken and crispy all around. This means that you might have to do this in batches, depending how big your air fryer is.
  3. The total time is based on 2 batches.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 506kcal (25%)Carbohydrates: 32g (11%)Protein: 33g (66%)Fat: 27g (42%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 213mg (71%)Sodium: 1282mg (56%)Potassium: 690mg (20%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 777IU (16%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 282mg (28%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
Course:Dinner
Cuisine:American
Keyword:air fryer fried chicken, fried chicken
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. MK says

    February 22, 2021 at 6:17 pm

    3 stars
    I used chicken legs. They were crispy, as advertised, but very bland. I think I would marinate them in the milk, hot sauce and seasoning first. Then pat them dry, add the egg baking powder/soda and compete as written.

    Reply
  2. JoAnne Stefanac says

    February 22, 2021 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    Wanting to be sure here: you put the baking powder/soda in the WET mixture instead of with the flour?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      February 22, 2021 at 11:20 am

      Yes! Baking soda and baking powder in the buttermilk mixture!

      Reply
  3. Roberta Davisc says

    December 31, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    I made this tonight, and it’s very good. I also had the problem with it sticking to the pan, but I know now to spray the pan before I put the chicken in. I used boneless, skinless chicken. It’s definitely a keeper.

    Reply
  4. Doreen says

    December 19, 2020 at 4:02 pm

    The chicken breasts were so moist it taste like rotisserie chicken
    Problem I had is when I went to flip the chicken the breading on bottom stuck to the basket
    What did I do wron?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      December 19, 2020 at 5:08 pm

      Make sure you spray the bottom of the basket with some cooking spray, this should help.

      Reply
  5. DebInTX says

    October 29, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    4 stars
    This was good, used 5 plump chicken legs cooked them exactly per recipe in 2 batches. Needs a lot more seasoning, but crisp. I liked them

    Reply
  6. Donna Valdes says

    August 6, 2020 at 12:55 pm

    This recipe sounds terrifc! I am new to the air fryer world. I usually soak my chicken in buttermilk for 4 -12 hours. Can you do so with all the additional ingredients added to the buttermilk or not recomended?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      August 6, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      That would be great! Leave the baking powder and baking soda out until you’re ready to cook.

      Reply
  7. Kelly Penick says

    July 22, 2020 at 2:53 pm

    Question? Are the fried chicken legs ok if frozen or do they have to be thawed for air fryer recipe?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team 2 says

      July 22, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      They should be thawed to avoid any extra moisture!

      Reply
  8. maggie says

    April 1, 2020 at 1:03 pm

    Hello just wondering if you have a substitute for the eggs? I am assuming the egg is to help bind it all? I have a egg allergy so looking for ideas that would work instead thanks!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      April 1, 2020 at 1:53 pm

      Here’s a great resource for you to substitute eggs in all different kinds of cooking: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/egg-substitutes

      Reply
  9. Maria says

    March 25, 2020 at 11:21 am

    I am going to use chicken tenders for this recipe , do you think it will still take the time you stated?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      March 25, 2020 at 4:36 pm

      We have a recipe for air fryer tenders as well: https://www.jocooks.com/ingredient/poultry/air-fryer-chicken-tenders/

      Reply
  10. Ken Easterling says

    March 23, 2020 at 9:25 am

    I was hoping this Air Fryer had the Crisper Lid. I’m looking for recipes that use the lid. This would have been a perfect one for it.

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      March 23, 2020 at 9:34 am

      Saw your other comment! This recipe actually uses a Ninja Foodi, which has a crisper lid.

      Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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