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4 chicken thighs breaded with panko on white plate sitting on medium blue colored cloth; bottom of air fryer and handle in background

Breaded Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer Recipe

Contributor: Lauren Keating

This is the best chicken thigh recipe out there. There’s just enough panko to give it a satisfying crunch and cooking them in the air fryer makes them perfectly crispy.

  • Author: Lauren Keating
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Entrée
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 tsp. celery salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp. paprika
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Remove chicken thighs from the refrigerator and arrange skin-side up on a plate or cutting board. Use a pair of kitchen shears to trim away any excess skin.
  2. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the panko, celery salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and paprika. Mix well.
  4. Pour the panko over the chicken; gently pat down on the breading to help it stick.
  5. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil.
  6. Put chicken in the air fryer basket, skin-side up. Cook 20-25 minutes or until 165°F on an instant read thermometer.

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