russej02 ReviewsThis is how I cook bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in the air fryer, and it is the method I keep coming back to. The short version is 380°F for 12 minutes, flip them, then another 12 minutes at 380°F.
I used six thighs for this cook. I also used it as a chance to show why I don't wash raw chicken before cooking it, which is the other half of the video.
Air Fryer Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs: Time and Temperature
For bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in the air fryer, I cook at 380°F for 12 minutes, flip them, then cook them for another 12 minutes at 380°F. That works out to 24 minutes in the air fryer in total.
I didn't check the internal temperature in this video, but you should. USDA recommends cooking poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, measured in the thickest part with a food thermometer.
How I Cook Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
Bone-in, skin-on thighs are forgiving, and the air fryer does a good job on the skin. This is the whole process I use:
- Season the thighs with olive oil and your seasonings. I use olive oil plus a mix that includes monosodium glutamate, or MSG.
- Put them in the air fryer at 380°F for 12 minutes.
- Flip them so the skin side is up, and add a little more olive oil.
- Cook for another 12 minutes at 380°F.
Flipping so the skin ends up on top matters, because the skin side is the side that crisps. Giving it the second half of the cook facing the heat is what gets the skin where I want it.
How They Turn Out
With the skin side up for the second half, the skin comes out browned and crisp, and the meat underneath stays juicy. Because these are bone-in, skin-on thighs, they hold up well to the air fryer instead of drying out.
I show them up close in the video, including how the skin turned out and how the meat looked inside.
What I Use
These are the everyday things I use for this cook:
If you like quick air fryer meals, I also have a post on air fryer brats and the time and temperature I use.
A Few Things That Matter
Doneness. 165°F is the minimum internal temperature for poultry. A food thermometer in the thickest part is the reliable way to check it, and you want to avoid touching the bone.
Air fryers vary. Models differ, so treat 380°F for 12 plus 12 as the starting point and go by the internal temperature rather than the clock.
Skin side up for the second half. That is the side that crisps, so it is worth flipping even if you are tempted to leave them alone.
I don't wash raw chicken. Washing doesn't make the chicken safer. It just spreads bacteria around the sink, the counter and anything close by. Cooking to 165°F is what makes chicken safe to eat.
Final Thoughts
Bone-in, skin-on thighs at 380°F for 12 minutes, flipped, then 12 more minutes is the method I use. Just make sure the poultry reaches 165°F before you serve it.
It is one of the easier things I cook in the air fryer, and the video walks through the whole thing from start to finish.