Active Time:15 minsAdditional Time:4 hrs 15 minsTotal Time:4 hrs 30 minsServings:4Yield:4 servingsJump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:15 minsAdditional Time:4 hrs 15 minsTotal Time:4 hrs 30 minsServings:4Yield:4 servings
Active Time:15 mins
Active Time:
15 mins
Additional Time:4 hrs 15 mins
Additional Time:
4 hrs 15 mins
Total Time:4 hrs 30 mins
Total Time:
4 hrs 30 mins
Servings:4
Servings:
4
Yield:4 servings
Yield:
4 servings
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
How to Make Fried Chicken Thighs Healthier
“Healthy” and “fried” are two words that don’t often go hand-in-hand, but with the help of an air-fryer, you can get the benefits of fried chicken thighs (think crispy golden crust) with much less oil (which means less fat and calories.) Here’s how to make healthier fried chicken thighs:
Photographer: Christine Ma
Marinate Your Chicken Thighs
Whether you’re deep-frying or air-frying, chicken thighs can benefit from a marinade. We marinate our chicken thighs in buttermilk with garlic and a dash of hot sauce. This flavors and tenderizes the meat and helps keep it moist when it’s cooked. You can marinate the chicken for as little as 4 hours or overnight. We use boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat. This helps keep saturated fat in check and allows for quicker cooking.
Give Them a Crispy Coating
We dredge our chicken thighs in a whole-wheat breadcrumb coating, which will eventually become that signature, crispy golden crust we all crave when it comes to fried food. Whole-wheat breadcrumbs offer an added boost of fiber, but plain white breadcrumbs will work well too. Once the coating is applied, it’s time to cook them! It’s important to spray both sides of the chicken thighs with cooking spray. This helps achieve an even, crispy crust as the hot air from the air-fryer circulates around the chicken, eliminating the need for cups of oil to get crispy results.
Cook Them in Batches for the Best Results
Since air-fryer sizes vary, you may need to cook the chicken thighs in batches. It’s important to keep the chicken thighs in a single layer versus cramming them into the air-fryer basket. A crowded basket will steam as opposed to “fry,” and the chicken thighs won’t cook evenly. To keep the first batch crispy and fresh as the second batch cooks, preheat your oven to warm and line a baking sheet with foil. Transfer your first batch to the baking sheet and let it sit in the warm oven while the second batch cooks.
What to Serve with Fried Chicken Thighs
Fried chicken thighs are best served right away. You can enjoy them on their own with a side of mashed potatoes and a green vegetable, or add them to the top of a salad. Or you can slice them up and serve them with your favorite dipping sauce from ketchup to creamy ranch dressing.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients2cupsbuttermilk1tablespoonhot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot2clovesgarlic, crushed4boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound total), trimmed½cupall-purpose flour1teaspoongarlic powder½teaspoonsalt½teaspoonground pepper2large eggs, lightly beaten1cupwhole-wheat breadcrumbsCooking spray
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
2cupsbuttermilk
1tablespoonhot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot
2clovesgarlic, crushed
4boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound total), trimmed
½cupall-purpose flour
1teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonground pepper
2large eggs, lightly beaten
1cupwhole-wheat breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
DirectionsCombine buttermilk, hot sauce and garlic in a medium nonreactive bowl. Add chicken thighs. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.Photographer: Christine MaCombine flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add eggs to another shallow dish and breadcrumbs to a third shallow dish.Photographer: Christine MaWorking one at a time, remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. Coat with the flour mixture, then the egg. Finally, coat both sides with breadcrumbs. Coat both sides of the chicken with cooking spray.Photographer: Christine MaLightly coat the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray. Place the chicken thighs in a single layer in the basket. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook in batches.)Photographer: Christine MaCook the chicken at 400°F until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chicken registers 165°F, turning the thighs over halfway through, about 16 minutes. (If cooking in batches, cooking time for the second batch may be shorter.)Photographer: Christine MaOriginally appeared: Eatingwell.com, August 2018
Directions
Combine buttermilk, hot sauce and garlic in a medium nonreactive bowl. Add chicken thighs. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.Photographer: Christine MaCombine flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add eggs to another shallow dish and breadcrumbs to a third shallow dish.Photographer: Christine MaWorking one at a time, remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. Coat with the flour mixture, then the egg. Finally, coat both sides with breadcrumbs. Coat both sides of the chicken with cooking spray.Photographer: Christine MaLightly coat the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray. Place the chicken thighs in a single layer in the basket. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook in batches.)Photographer: Christine MaCook the chicken at 400°F until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chicken registers 165°F, turning the thighs over halfway through, about 16 minutes. (If cooking in batches, cooking time for the second batch may be shorter.)Photographer: Christine Ma
Combine buttermilk, hot sauce and garlic in a medium nonreactive bowl. Add chicken thighs. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Combine flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add eggs to another shallow dish and breadcrumbs to a third shallow dish.
Working one at a time, remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. Coat with the flour mixture, then the egg. Finally, coat both sides with breadcrumbs. Coat both sides of the chicken with cooking spray.
Lightly coat the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray. Place the chicken thighs in a single layer in the basket. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook in batches.)
Cook the chicken at 400°F until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chicken registers 165°F, turning the thighs over halfway through, about 16 minutes. (If cooking in batches, cooking time for the second batch may be shorter.)
Originally appeared: Eatingwell.com, August 2018
Rate ItPrint
Nutrition Facts(per serving)353Calories18gFat20gCarbs27gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
