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!
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.
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.
How to make air fryer fried chicken
- 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. Serve and enjoy!
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
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.
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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Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings chicken legs, thighs or chicken breast
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
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
- 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.
- 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.
- The total time is based on 2 batches.
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.
Wanting to be sure here: you put the baking powder/soda in the WET mixture instead of with the flour?
Yes! Baking soda and baking powder in the buttermilk mixture!
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.
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?
Make sure you spray the bottom of the basket with some cooking spray, this should help.
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
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?
That would be great! Leave the baking powder and baking soda out until you’re ready to cook.
Question? Are the fried chicken legs ok if frozen or do they have to be thawed for air fryer recipe?
They should be thawed to avoid any extra moisture!
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!
Here’s a great resource for you to substitute eggs in all different kinds of cooking: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/egg-substitutes
I am going to use chicken tenders for this recipe , do you think it will still take the time you stated?
We have a recipe for air fryer tenders as well: https://www.jocooks.com/ingredient/poultry/air-fryer-chicken-tenders/
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.
Saw your other comment! This recipe actually uses a Ninja Foodi, which has a crisper lid.