These air fryer buffalo chicken thighs are ridiculously good! They cook quickly in the air fryer and are coated in the most perfect tangy buffalo sauce.
My love for anything coated in buffalo sauce started when I did my first Whole30 in 2017. I found myself constantly making buffalo sauce dishes multiple times a week. People always think that eating gluten-free is boring but these tangy chicken thighs prove that it's anything but boring.
Let me tell you about these buffalo chicken thighs. I am obsessed! They are so easy to make and cooking them in the air fryer gives them the perfect crisp while keeping the insides nice and juicy. What I love about these chicken thighs is they are great for a fast weeknight meal when paired with your favorite side, like coleslaw or creamed spinach. You can also keep them on hand to make quick Caesar salads or buffalo chicken rice bowls.
Come along as I show you how simple making these yummy buffalo chicken thighs is.
Ingredients
Substitutions
Chicken- I use boneless skinless chicken thighs but you can use bone-in with the skin on or boneless skinless chicken breasts. The cooking time will be longer if you use bone-in chicken thighs.
Frank's Original Hot Sauce- If you don't have Frank's Original Hot Sauce you can use Crystal's Hot Sauce, Frank's Buffalo Sauce, or Primal Kitchen's Buffalo Sauce. If you use premade buffalo sauce you can omit the seasonings if you'd like.
Ghee- You can use regular butter or if you have a severe dairy allergy you can use vegan butter.
Step by step
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine ½ cup of the hot sauce, 1 teaspoon of the melted ghee, garlic powder, onion powder, and dill.
- Coat each chicken breast in the sauce. Make sure that they are completely coated. Be sure to save the leftover sauce. *If you have the time, you can let the chicken marinate in the sauce in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray and place the chicken thighs in a single layer in the basket. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Cook at 400 for 10 minutes, brush on the leftover sauce, then flip them. Cook for another 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix the last ¼ of the hot sauce and ½ teaspoon of the melted ghee in a bowl. Brush the hot sauce on the cooked chicken.
- Serve with ranch or blue cheese and your favorite side dish.
Tips
- If you want to save a little time you can use your favorite premade buffalo sauce.
- Be sure to not over crowd your chicken thighs in the air fryer. You will have to cook these in batches depending on how big your air fryer is.
Storing and reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I like to eat my leftovers cold on salads but if you want to reheat them then pop them in the microwave for 45-60 seconds or until warm. You can also reheat them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for around 5 minutes.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and comment! Your feedback is so important to me.
Recipe
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¾ cup Frank's original hot sauce
- 1.5 teaspoons melted ghee or butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Air fryer
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine ½ cup of the hot sauce, 1 teaspoon of the melted ghee, garlic powder, onion powder, and dill.
- Coat each chicken breast in the sauce. Make sure that they are completely coated. Be sure to save the leftover sauce. *If you have the time, you can let the chicken marinate in the sauce in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray and place the chicken thighs in a single layer in the basket. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Cook at 400 for 10 minutes, brush on the leftover sauce, then flip them. Cook for another 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix the last ¼ of the hot sauce and ½ teaspoon of the melted ghee in a bowl. Brush the hot sauce on the cooked chicken.
- Serve with ranch or blue cheese and your favorite side dish.
Notes
-
- If you want to save a little time you can use your favorite premade buffalo sauce.
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- Be sure to not over crowd your chicken thighs in the air fryer. You will have to cook these in batches depending on how big your air fryer is.
Nutrition
*nutrition information is an approximate
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Hi, I'm Kaleena!
I'm a 30-something wife and dog mom who shares mostly gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, and Paleo-friendly recipes. Since doing my first Whole30 in 2017, I have completely changed my way of cooking. I love to create recipes made from real, flavorful ingredients that the whole family will love!
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