Name: Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs (bone-in and skin on); 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (or to taste); 1 tsp salt (or to taste); 1/4 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste); 1 tsp granulated garlic (or to taste); 1/2 tsp onion powder (or to taste); 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste); 1/2 tsp ground paprika (or to taste); 1/4 tsp ground oregano (or to taste)

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These juicy air fryer bbq chicken thighs are perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection.

There is nothing better than making some barbecue chicken in the air fryer. Especially during hot, summer days when you don’t feel like being outside or turning the oven on. For me, it’s all about the barbecue sauce you use. I love Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and that is the one I use for most of my recipes. Try these other air fryer chicken recipes like this Latin style air fried chicken bites and these Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Wings.

Air fryer bbq chicken thighs are perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

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Let’s Talk About The Ingredients

Chicken Thighs – Bone-in and skin on is best.
Barbecue Sauce – Use good quality bbq sauce for this recipe.
Seasonings – Use any blend you’d like or mix together the recommended seasonings included in this recipe.

The ingredients needed are chicken thighs, barbecue sauce, and a seasoning blend of your liking.

Season the chicken thighs and place them in the air fryer to cook.

How To Make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs

First, start by preheating the air fryer to 375 degrees F.
Use a paper towel to pat dry the chicken thighs.
Season with salt, pepper, paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder, oregano and cayenne pepper. Massage the seasonings all over the chicken thighs and under the skin.
Spray the inside of the air fryer with olive oil spray.
Place the chicken in the air fryer and cook at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cook a little bit longer if the skin is not yet crispy.
Transfer the thighs to a bowl and toss in bbq sauce, making sure to coat each piece of chicken.
Place back in the air fryer and continue cooking at 375 degrees F for an additional 5-7 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees F.
Serve while still hot and enjoy.

Chicken thighs with lots of bbq sauce made in the air fryer.

Best Barbecue Sauce

I really love Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce but you can use any other brand you enjoy. You can also change it up and use different types of bbq sauce like mesquite or honey bbq.

Storing Suggestions

Store leftover air fried bbq chicken in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the air fryer at the lowest possible temperature.

Air fried barbecue chicken is packed with flavor.

Recipe Notes

Cooking times may vary depending on the size of your chicken thighs. The best way to know if they are done is by measuring the internal temperature with a kitchen thermometer which should read 165 degrees F. If your thighs are very large, you may need to add additional cooking time over the 20 minutes of recommended time before adding the barbecue sauce.
You may season to your liking. The seasoning blend used in this recipe is what my family likes but feel free to adjust.
Make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you’d like. Just make sure to reduce the cooking time, as boneless chicken cooks much faster.

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs

These air fryer bbq chicken thighs are made in just 30 minutes. They're seasoned perfectly then slathered with barbecue sauce right at the end.

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Keyword: air fryer bbq chicken, air fryer bbq chicken thighs, air fryer barbecue chicken, air fried chicken thighs

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Servings: chicken thighs

Calories: 314kcal

Equipment

air fryer

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs bone-in and skin on
1/2 cup barbecue sauce or to taste
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
1 tsp granulated garlic or to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder or to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
1/2 tsp ground paprika or to taste
1/4 tsp ground oregano or to taste

Instructions

First, start by preheating the air fryer to 375 degrees F.
Use a paper towel to pat dry the chicken thighs.
Season with salt, pepper, paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder, oregano and cayenne pepper. Massage the seasonings all over the chicken thighs and under the skin.
Spray the inside of the air fryer with olive oil spray.
Place the chicken in the air fryer skin side up and cook at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cook a little bit longer if the skin is not yet crispy.
Transfer the thighs to a bowl and toss in bbq sauce, making sure to coat each piece of chicken.
Place back in the air fryer and continue cooking at 375 degrees F for an additional 5-7 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees F.
Serve while still hot and enjoy.

Notes

Cooking times may vary depending on the size of your chicken thighs. The best way to know if they are done is by measuring the internal temperature with a kitchen thermometer which should read 165 degrees F. If your thighs are very large, you may need to add additional cooking time over the 20 minutes of recommended time before adding the barbecue sauce.
You may season to your liking. The seasoning blend used in this recipe is what my family likes but feel free to adjust.
Make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you’d like. Just make sure to reduce the cooking time, as boneless chicken cooks much faster.

Nutrition