🛒 Ingredients
- 8 skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
👨🍳 Step-by-step instructions
-
Pat the chicken thighs dry thoroughly with paper towels.
-
In a bowl, mix cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
-
Coat the chicken thighs evenly in the spice mixture.
-
Lightly brush with olive oil.
-
Air fry at 200°C for 12 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10–12 minutes until golden and crispy.
💡 Chef's tip
Drying the chicken thoroughly before coating is essential for achieving crispiness. Never overlap the thighs in the basket.
📝 Our take
The air fryer does with chicken what a conventional oven tries but never quite manages: skin that cracks when you bite it. The game-changer is cornstarch in the coating, which acts as an accelerated drying layer, and smoked paprika that creates the illusion of charcoal. No overlapping in the basket: if the thighs touch, the steam ruins the texture.
🍷 Wine & food pairing
An ice-cold lager or a natural Asturian cider. The richness of crispy chicken calls for something carbonated and refreshing, not wine.
Suggested wine: Chilled lager beer or lemonade
⭐ Have you tried this recipe?
Select a rating
