You will absolutely love these Air Fryer Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs. Bone-in chicken thighs are coated with a brown sugar seasoning mixture and then air fried until crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Perfect for a quick and easy dinner that you’ll want to make again and again!
These taste great paired with my Easy Instant Pot Baby Potatoes or my Southern Fried Potatoes! Also, if you like air fryer chicken recipes, be sure to try my Easy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders recipe!
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
- This recipe only takes 30 minutes from start to finish! You’ll love how simple yet delicious these chicken thighs are. I make this recipe often. It’s just too easy and good not to!
- The brown sugar in this recipe makes the skin of the chicken thighs extra crispy and delectable. My family loves to eat the crispy chicken skin. It’s the best part!
- Air fryer chicken thighs are great for dinner or lunch. Just pair them with a couple side dishes and you'll have a meal.
Recipe Video:
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Q&A:
Yes, you will need to make sure the chicken thighs are separated and not frozen together. Cook in a preheated air fryer at 365 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Flip the chicken thighs halfway through. See Frozen Instructions below.
Yes, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Boneless thighs tend to cook faster than bone in chicken thighs so you will need to reduce the cook time by a couple of minutes.
Bone in chicken thighs should be air fried at 380 degrees Fahrenheit. This will give them a crispy outside and juicy center.
Equipment Needed:
Air Fryer
Ingredients:
- Bone-in Chicken Thighs (skin on) - You will need to pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. This is one way to make them extra crispy in the air fryer.
- Olive Oil - I used olive oil, but you can use whatever cooking oil you’d regularly use.
- Brown Sugar - Makes the chicken extra crispy and adds a slight sweet flavor.
- Smoked Paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
Air Fryer Instructions:
1. Brush the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 22 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
4. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Then add them to a medium sized bowl.
5. Add the seasoning mixture to the chicken thighs and toss until the chicken thighs are well coated.
6. Add the chicken thighs to the air fryer, skin side down, and cook for 11 minutes.
7. Flip the chicken thighs and cook for another 9 to 11 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Remove the chicken thighs from the air fryer. Let cool for 3 minutes, then enjoy!
Air Fryer Frozen Instructions:
1. Separate the chicken thighs making sure they are not frozen together.
2. Mix together the olive oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the chicken thighs and rub all over the chicken thighs until well coated.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 365 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 24 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Flip the chicken thighs halfway through.
4. Remove the chicken thighs from the air fryer. Let cool for 3 minutes, then enjoy!
Oven Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and add them to a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix together the olive oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the chicken thighs and rub all over the chicken thighs until well coated.
4. Add the chicken thighs, skin up, to a baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin is crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165 Fahrenheit.
5. Remove the chicken thighs from oven. Let them cool for 3 minutes. Then enjoy!
Recipe Variations And Substitutions:
- Olive oil - I used olive oil but you can use whatever cooking oil you prefer.
- Boneless Chicken Thighs - Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used as well. Typically, boneless chicken thighs will cook faster than bone-in thighs, so be sure to keep an eye on them so that they do not burn.
Storage And Reheating Instructions:
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a preheated air fryer of 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes until crispy. You can also reheat them in the microwave but they won't have the same crispiness to them. Personally, I prefer reheating these in the air fryer.
Pro Tips:
- Cook chicken thighs skin down first. This is so you don’t overcook the skin before the middle is done.
- Cook time varies based on the size of your chicken thighs. Smaller thighs will need less time so be sure to keep an eye on them while cooking. Always check on them halfway through.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry to remove excess moisture. This will make them extra crispy.
- The air fryer I used was the Instant Vortex Plus 6 quart. Since all air fryers are different, you will need to adjust the cook time based on the air fryer you are using.
Try These Easy Air Fryer Recipes Next!
- Easy Air Fryer Pizza Roll Ups + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Hot Ham and Cheese Wraps + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Hot Italian Wraps + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Cheeseburger Egg Rolls + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Baby Carrots + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Corn On The Cob + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Green Beans with Bacon + Video
- Easy Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders (no breading) + Video
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Other Easy Air Fryer Recipes:
Easy Air Fryer Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Brush the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 22 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Then add them to a medium sized bowl.
- Add the seasoning mixture to the chicken thighs and toss until the chicken thighs are well coated.
- Add the chicken thighs to the air fryer, skin side down, and cook for 11 minutes.
- Flip the chicken thighs and cook for another 9 to 11 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the air fryer. Let cool for 3 minutes, then enjoy!
Air Fryer Frozen Instructions:
- Separate the chicken thighs making sure they are not frozen together.
- Mix together the olive oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the chicken thighs and rub all over the chicken thighs until well coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 365 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 24 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Flip the chicken thighs halfway through.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the air fryer. Let cool for 3 minutes, then enjoy!
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and add them to a medium sized bowl.
- Mix together the olive oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the chicken thighs and rub all over the chicken thighs until well coated.
- Add the chicken thighs, skin up, to a baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin is crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165 Fahrenheit.
- Remove the chicken thighs from oven. Let them cool for 3 minutes. Then enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a preheated air fryer of 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes until crispy. You can also reheat them in the microwave but they won't have the same crispiness to them. Personally, I prefer reheating these in the air fryer.
- Cook chicken thighs skin down first. This is so you don’t overcook the skin before the middle is done.
- Cook time varies based on the size of your chicken thighs. Smaller thighs will need less time so be sure to keep an eye on them while cooking. Always check on them halfway through.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry to remove excess moisture. This will make them extra crispy.
- The air fryer I used was the Instant Vortex Plus 6 quart. Since all air fryers are different, you will need to adjust the cook time based on the air fryer you are using.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate. For accurate nutritional information you should refer to the nutritional labels on the packages of the specific ingredients that you used.
BA Bonetti says
Made this tonight for dinner. It was absolutely delicious. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and air fried them for 20 minutes. I have the Chefman 8 quart air fryer so the four pieces fit nicely in the basket with room to spare. The meat was very juicy and had a great flavor. I posted it to my Facebook page and will definitely make it again
Ivory says
That's awesome! So glad you enjoyed. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, I appreciate it!
Jo says
The only thing I added was thyme bc I like it. Spoiled for life. Now I cant seem to eat air fryer chicken any other way. Hands down my favorite. Thank you
Michael says
I made these for my family and I and we LOVED it, I used boneless thighs but followed the recipe and it still came out good! I loved the crisp charred pieces. We made a side of rice snd used the juice from the chicken in the air fryer, to place on the rice, it was quick simple and great for a quick weeknight meal!
Kate says
Made this tonight, my husband has been raving about it. My AF doesn’t do 180 degrees, so I cooked at 190 for a little less time. I had 6 thighs with skin/bones so I doubled sauce, perfect!
Ivory says
Thanks so much for the review! Glad to hear your family enjoy the recipe. These chicken thighs are another favorite at my house.
Lucille Dolson says
Can I use this recipe for air fry oven, I have an oven???
Ivory says
Absolutely! You may need to add more cook time.
Carolee says
This was good! I used bone in, skin on thighs and they came out so juicy and tender and the thighs stayed plump. My husband eats the skin and thought it was delicious. I don't eat the skin but mixed a little of the seasoning mixture on the side for a dipping sauce. Great flavor. Will definitely make this again. Thank you.
Ivory says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. It's a family favorite!
Jean says
Delicious recipe! My first time using an air fryer. The seasoned skin was crisp and yummy, the inside tender and juicy. I only planned to eat one with dinner, but it was so good I ate two. Lol.
Ivory says
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! It's definitely a family favorite.
Sandi says
Excellent..used skinless, boneless thighs in air fryer for 20 minutes..Fabulous said my husband, and he was right..thank you!
Ivory says
So happy to hear you both enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate it!
SHILA WRIGHT says
Thank you little missy, you have some GREAT RECIPES... and have helped this ole gal learn to love her air fryer!
jc says
Easy and delicious. I have made this a few times and it always turns out great!
Thanks for the recipe!
Ivory says
You're welcome! This is one of my favorite chicken thigh recipes. So glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Lisa says
So, so good! And easy as can be. Kids loved em.
I was already using the recipe's spice blend for my oven-baked chicken thighs, but it somehow never occurred to me to cook them in the air fryer (and I cook EVERYTHING in my air fryer). I doubled the recipe and had to make them in four batches. That depth of flavor from caramelizing the brown sugar in the spice blend is simply not achievable in the oven (I don't care how much you broil), and they look like something you might be served at a four-star restaurant. Thank you for this! About to explore all your recipes - I'm a freshly minted fan now!
Ivory says
Thanks so much for the kind review! So glad to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe.
Chris says
Made this last night - this was delicious! We've tried a lot of air fryer chicken thighs recipe, but these came out more juicy and flavorful than most. (The brown sugar, in particular, is a great add!) Will definitely make again! We used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, so per your advice, cooked this for less time (20 minutes instead of 22), which I think really helped. Thank you!