This Air Fryer Fried Chicken is golden brown, juicy, and full of flavor. It’s one recipe you have to try in your Air Fryer.
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Full Recipe/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
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This recipe has over 150 5-star reviews! Check out our comments to discover why readers love this fried chicken made in the air fryer.
If you’re living in the South, then knowing how to make fried chicken is a must. I tried for the longest to avoid posting a fried chicken recipe on the blog because, in all honesty, I didn't tend to get excited about fried chicken.
Until now. For years, when my Southern husband requested fried chicken, I’d just shrug and make him these air fried chicken wings covered in an Asian sauce instead.
But one day, I went ahead and made a traditional Southern fried chicken recipe right in my Air Fryer. It was phenomenal. I had to apologize for taking so long to make it and I had to apologize for hating on fried chicken all these years. Now it’s a part of our monthly meal rotation.
I like to cut a whole chicken up into separate portions, it's economical and nothing goes to waste. I can make air fryer fried chicken thighs, air fryer fried chicken drumsticks, and also use the breast meat and wings too.
For the juiciest chicken, I like to marinade my Air Fryer Fried Chicken in buttermilk, which tenderizes the chicken and also adds a great tangy flavor.
Ingredients
- Whole chicken cut into separate pieces (breast, thigh, wing, and leg)
- Hot sauce - I use Texas Pete.
- Buttermilk
- All-Purpose Flour
- Seasoning salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Cayenne pepper
- Canola or vegetable oil
How to Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken
First, you will want to marinate your chicken. I use a mixture of half buttermilk and half hot sauce. I learned the hot sauce trick from my mother-in-law. The buttermilk helps keep the chicken juicy on the inside and the hot sauce adds flavor to the chicken. Don't worry about it being spicy, it won't be. You can marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 1 hr to as long as 24 hours.
Combine flour, Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. I use a whisk to ensure that my flour is fully seasoned.
Grab a pair of tongs and remove one piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing it to drain off a bit, and place it in the flour mixture and use the tongs to make sure the chicken pieces are fully coated.
Place a piece of parchment paper with holes in the Air Fryer. This has been my best solution for not having the breaded fried chicken stick to the bottom of the Air Fryer. Just make sure that you don’t put the parchment paper down without food on top. If it there is no food to hold it down, it could fly up into the heating coils on top of the air fryer and start a fire.
Place your floured chicken piece on top of the parchment paper. Make sure the chicken pieces are not overlapping or touching. The more space the better.
Frying the Chicken Pieces
Close the air fryer drawer and set the temperature to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and timer for 25 minutes.
After about 13 minutes, open the Air Fryer. Your chicken should look like the photo below on the left (still showing some dry flour spots). Grab your Air Fryer oil spray bottle and spray those flour spots. Then grab some tongs and flip your chicken. Spray this side of the chicken as well, covering all flour spots. Close your Air Fryer and let it resume cooking.
Once your cooking cycle is done, use a quick-read thermometer to ensure your chicken is fully cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove and enjoy 🙂
There you have it! Delicious Southern Style Buttermilk Soaked Air Fryer Fried Chicken.
Additional recipes
If you like chicken, try these out:
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken (Peruvian Style)
- BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
If you're looking to fry fish instead, try this recipe for fish in your air fryer.
What to serve with Crispy Fried Chicken
Looking for some recipes to serve this chicken with? Try these out:
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges (KFC Copycat)
- Sweet and Spicy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Kale and Broccoli Salad
- Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
- White Cheddar Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- Sautéed Beet Greens
- Old Fashioned Potato Salad
Notes on Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- I do not recommend overlapping the chicken pieces in this recipe. It’s best to have the chicken spaces in a single layer and not touching. That way the air can get around the chicken to crisp it up and give it that nice and crispy golden layer.
- Remember to spray lightly with oil. The purpose of the oil in this recipe is to cover the dried flour spots. Not spraying with oil will have those flour spots tasting like you would imagine they would, dry flour. I use either canola or vegetable oil for my air-fried chicken.
- Some breading will fall off, whether you use the liners or not. However, much less breading falls off when using parchment liners.
- If using parchment liners, make sure that you place the chicken on top of them before starting the Air Fryer. Not doing so will cause the liners to fly into the fan, get caught, and possibly start a fire.
- Timing will vary depending on the Air Fryer brand. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken has at least reached a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. My chicken usually reaches 180 degrees or more and is still juicy and deliciously crisp.
- This chicken is best served on the same day. If reheating, place chicken in Air Fryer and cook at 370 for about 10 minutes.
- Use any part of the chicken you like that has skin on. The breading may not stick to skinless chicken and it may not be as crispy.
Pin Air Fryer Fried Chicken for Later
Watch me make this chicken from start to finish.
How to store leftover fried chicken
To refrigerate: Keep any leftover fried chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To heat up the next day warm the chicken in a preheated oven at 400F until warmed through. Leftovers also make a great addition to salads and sandwiches the next day.
To freeze: Once cooked and cooled, place any pieces of leftover chicken into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. As the chicken is already cooked it can be reheated from frozen in a preheated oven at 350F. When ready to enjoy place the frozen chicken onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes to reheat.
FAQs:
Yes, absolutely, just ensure you cook it until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The pieces of chicken are marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce. When ready to cook lift a piece of chicken and shake it gently to remove any excess marinade. This marinade will help the breading mixture to stick to the chicken.
If you don't have buttermilk in the fridge don't worry, there are a few good substitutes for buttermilk. Try adding a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk; alternatively, mix 1 ¾ teaspoons of cream of tartar to a cup of milk; or mix some sour cream or plain yogurt with a little milk or water to thin it down a little.
Once the chicken is coated in the breading place the pieces into the Air Fryer in a single layer, allowing space between each piece of chicken for the air to circulate. Do not be tempted to overcrowd the basket or the chicken won't crisp up. Next set the Air Fryer to a hot 390 degrees Fahrenheit so the chicken cooks fast and high. Finally, I like the flip the chicken over halfway through, this also allows me to spray any flour spots with a little extra oil so the coating crisps up nicely.
I like to use Canola oil or vegetable oil as it has a higher smoke point which is ideal for frying chicken. Don't be tempted to use olive oil as it has a lower smoke point and is likely to burn.
Your chicken will not crisp up if using boneless chicken. I recommend using skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces.
You can place your chicken pieces in the fridge for 10-15 minutes after breading, and before air frying. This will help if you have trouble with the breading staying on.
If you have tried my Air Fryer Fried Chicken or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade
- ½ whole chicken cut into separate pieces (breast, thigh, wing, and leg)
- ½ cup hot sauce
- ½ cup buttermilk
Seasoning
- ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Oil for spraying Canola or Vegetable
Instructions
- Place chicken pieces in buttermilk and hot sauce. Place in refrigerator and allow to marinate anytime from 1-24 hours.
- Whisk together all-purpose flour, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- Place a parchment liner in the Air Fryer basket.
- Remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture and place in the flour mixture, coating all sides of the chicken and shaking off any excess flour. Place the chicken pieces in the basket in a single layer.
- Close the Air Fryer basket and set temperature to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and timer to 25 minutes. Start the Air Fryer.
- After 13 minutes, open the air fryer and spray any flour spots on the chicken. Flip the chicken and spray the other side with oil, ensuring all the flour spots are covered. Close the Air fryer and cook for 12 more minutes.
- Once the timer is up, open the Air Fryer and check chicken pieces with a quick read thermometer. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken.
Video
Notes
- I do not recommend overlapping the chicken pieces in this recipe. It’s best to have the chicken spaces in a single layer and not touching. That way the air can get around the chicken to crisp it up and give it that nice and crispy golden layer.
- Remember to spray lightly with oil. The purpose of the oil in this recipe is to cover the dried flour spots. Not spraying with oil will have those flour spots tasting like you would imagine they would, dry flour.
- Some breading will fall of, whether you use the liners or not. However, much less breading falls of when using the parchment liners.
- If using parchment liners, make sure that you place the chicken on top of them before starting the Air Fryer. Not doing so will cause the liners to fly into the fan, get caught, and possibly start a fire.
- Timing will vary depending on Air Fryer brand. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken has at least reached a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. My chicken usually reaches 180 degrees or more and is still juicy and deliciousy crsip.
- This chicken is best serve the same day. If reheating, place chicken in Air Fryer and cook on 370 for about 10 minutes.
- Use any part of the chicken you like that has skin on. The breading may not stick to skinless chicken and it may not be as crispy.
- I use Texas Pete hot sauce in this recipe. If you are sensitive to heat or use a spicier brand, reduce the amount of hot sauce.
- Air Fryer Parchment Liners (They come in different sizes so make sure to select the one that correlates to your size of Air Fryer)
- Oil bottle for spraying
- Tongs for flipping (I like to have a few around)
- Quick Read Thermometer
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 5, 2019. It has been updated with additional helpful tips.
Cristen says
I added crushed doritos to mine as well, it tasted amazing ^///^
Tanya says
That is genius!
JK says
AWESOME! I’ve tried various recipes for Airfryer chicken and they’ve been mediocre. Not this one! Perfect! My husband said it tasted just like ‘traditional’ fried chicken, but better. I agree - thanks for a fantastic recipe and the tip about using the parchment paper. I made my own liner/filter with the parchment foil paper that you can buy by the roll. I cut it to size and poked a lot of holes in it with an ice pick. Worked like a charm.
Tanya says
Thank you JK! So happy you liked this recipe 🙂
Colleen says
Which air fryer (make and model) are you using. I want one, but there are too many to choose from. Thanks!
Tanya says
Hi Colleen, the one I used for this chicken in sthe Philips Avance XL.
Lexi says
My husband and I made this recipe using boneless skinless chicken breast because that's all we had, but it still turned out great. Best recipe ever! We did however use Cholula hot sauce for the recipe, and it turned out spicy. What hot sauce did you use?
Tanya says
Hi Lexi, thank you. I usually use Texas Pete hot sauce for this recipe.
Keana McMahon says
WOW! made this tonight. was super amazing .. my whole family loved it!
Tanya says
Thank you Keana! So glad you liked the recipe.
Margaret L says
Thank you so much for this recipe, it is fantastic! My daughter has to eat gluten and cow-dairy free for health reasons, so I made modifications:
1) For the buttermilk, used almond milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar per cup
2) For the flour, used a pre-made gluten free flour blend (no xanthum gum)
It worked perfectly, even the cooking time was the same (gluten free blends are typically heavy on rice flour, so I think that's why it didn't overbrown like an almond flour would)
I made a dozen chicken legs with just one batch of the coating per your recipe above. They were INHALED by my family. Everyone agreed it was the single best thing I've ever made in the air fryer.
Thank you and I'm bookmarking your blog!
Tanya says
Thank you Margaret L! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for the feedback and modifications. 🙂
Beena says
This recipe is the bomb! Came out amazing. Kids and I loved it. The only thing I did was reduce the hot sauce by half...I was using Frank's Red Hot sauce, plus my kids can't eat too spicy. I also read the comments and kept the chicken in the fridge again after applying the flour mixture so that it doesn't fall off the chicken during the air fryer process. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Definitely going in my permanent folder.
Tanya says
Thank you Beena! So glad you liked the recipe.
Cyndee Freeman says
This looks soooo delicious. Has anyone ever tried it with almond flour?
Tanya says
Yes, I have a comment of someone that made it with almond flour, it's a bit down in the feed. She said almond flour worked fine but you would have to watch it, as almond flour does brown quicker than all-purpose.
Terri Randall says
This is the BEST chicken, try it, you won't be disappointed
Pat says
Hi Tanya
I made the chicken in my ninja foodi and it turned out great. Crunchy on outside and moist inside. I sprayed air crisp basket with oil and no problems with sticking. I followed the advice of another comment and put chicken in refrigerator for an hour before frying. I had one big breast and three thighs all bone-in and had to do in two batches due to limited space in foodi. Now thinking about getting the ninja air fryer. I can see it would be useful for some dishes. Thanks
I am going to make your Chai Tea Cupcakes next, they look delicious.
Pat says
Hi Jennifer
Could I make this in the Ninja Foodi air crisp. I realize I can’t fit as many pieces but would the results be the same?
Tanya says
Yes you can make it in the Ninja Foodi, the results will be the same. Just make sure the pieces are in a single layer.
Jennifer says
I planned this meal last week and missed the part about needing chicken with skin on it. Is there anything I can do to my skinless chicken to help the breading not fall off? I had also bought tenders. Does that make a difference?
Tanya says
Hi Jennifer. You can bread the chicken and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes or more to help the flour stick better.
Loretta Moore says
i just want to thank you for your good & easy recipes. My daughter's coworker gave her an air fryer which she in turn gave to me. No instructions. I have read many articles about cooking with an air fryer but they all have different info, different cooking times, temperatures, preheat or not. So I decided on just one, yours. The fried chicken was easy to follow and tasted great! I willtry more of your recipes. Thank you again.
Loretta
Tanya says
Thank you Loretta! Happy to help and share these recipes 🙂
Billie says
Great recipe! I omitted the hot sauce and cayenne, partly because I was lazy, partly because I was making the chicken for my small children. I had a pack of 7 legs, which fit perfectly in my fryer basket (could’ve fit 1 more...). I had plenty of breading left over. I didn’t use parchment paper because I thought that defeated the purpose of the fryer (using air circulation to cook). Instead I sprayed the basket with cooking spray and it cooked perfectly without sticking. This is my new go-to fried chicken recipe. Thanks!
Tanya says
Hi Billie, thanks for the feedback. So glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Nanci Pelati says
This is the best chicken I've ever had!!
Tanya says
Thank you 🙂 So glad you liked it.
Saima Kamal says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I tried my air fryer the first time for this recipe. I really like it.
Tanya says
Thank you Saima! So glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂