If you're craving some fried chicken but don't want the hassle of deep frying, then this recipe is for you. This crispy air fryer KFC chicken will definitely fulfil the craving and with a fraction of the oil, it's a lighter option too. These super crispy buttermilk brined air fryer chicken are ridiculously easy to make and the taste is reminiscent of that infamous Colonel's recipe. So grab some chicken, flour and spices and let's make this!

Now, I will preface this by saying very clearly, this is not traditional fried chicken. It's air fryer KFC style chicken. Meaning, it will be crispy yes, but it won't be as crispy as deep frying. It will still be very, very delicious and is a great option for crispy chicken thighs when you have that craving but don't want to go through the hassle of deep frying. With that said, I think as long as you know that going into making these, you will love this recipe. I know I do, I made these air fryer KFC chicken twice in the span of one week!

Ingredients

Don't be alarmed by the number of ingredients, they're mostly dried spices. And all of these spices combined provides for a very delicious flavour profile that you're going to love.

• buttermilk: this will be used to brine the chicken pieces and make them nice and tender.
• boneless chicken thighs (skin on): I prefer to use skin on, boneless chicken thighs because they cook quicker and have lots of flavour. If you're using bone-in thighs, the cook time will increase.
• chicken legs (bone-in, skin on): if you want options when it comes to the chicken, grab some legs too.
• all-purpose flour: I haven't tested this with an all-purpose gluten-free flour yet, so I'm unsure if that will work the same.
• potato starch: this helps to get the chicken nice and crispy.
• smoked paprika
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• onion powder
• oregano (dried)
• thyme (dried)
• white pepper
• mustard powder
• kosher salt
• nutritional yeast (optional): provides some umami flavour, but it's optional, if you don't have it, leave it out.
• avocado oil spray
• flaky salt (for topping): to add a little more flavour at the end of cooking.

How to Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken

This recipe is fairly straightforward to make.

Depending on how much chicken you're making, you will likely need to work in batches. I recommend making one type first (legs or thighs) and keep them in the your oven on the lowest temperature to keep warm. Alternatively, you can leave them sitting out and then air fry for one to two minutes after to reheat and crisp them up again.

In a large bowl, pour in the buttermilk. Add the chicken pieces and cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight.

When ready to cook, combine the flour along with all of the spices, salt and nutritional yeast (if using) in a large baking dish or bowl.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour in about 1/4 cup of the buttermilk to the flour mixture and mix to combine. This creates some craggily bits on the chicken.

If making the chicken legs (bone-in) make them first. Preheat the air fryer. Remove the legs and place in the flour and coat on all sides, tapping any excess off.

Turn the air fryer to 370ºF. Add the chicken legs to the basket and spray well with oil. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, checking halfway to see if more oil needs to be sprayed on any floury/dry spots. There is no need to flip the pieces.

Place a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for easier cleanup). Remove the chicken legs and immediately sprinkle with flaky salt on top and then place on the wire rack and place in the oven on the lowest setting to keep warm if making more chicken.

For the thighs, repeat the same technique as the legs and place in the air fryer. Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes, checking halfway to spray any dry/floury spots. There is no need to flip the pieces over.

After 15 minutes, increase the temperature to 360ºF and bake for four to five minutes, until browned and very crispy on top. Immediately sprinkle with flaky salt.

Serve all the chicken pieces together and enjoy!

Tips and Suggestions

• Marinate overnight: marinating the chicken overnight in the buttermilk will result in moist and delicious air fryer KFC chicken.
• Add some of the marinade to the flour: before you start breading the chicken pieces, add some of the buttermilk to the flour mixture. This helps produce some craggily bits which taste delicious when air fried.
• Don't flip the chicken: the first time I made these, I flipped them and don't recommend doing so. First, you risk losing some of the breading when you flip them over. And second, you will lost the crispy side you just had facing up in the air fryer.
• Do cook one type of chicken first: this makes things easier if you're using boneless thighs and bone-in legs. The bone-in chicken will take longer, so I suggest doing that first.
• Check on them halfway through: always check on the air fryer KFC fried chicken halfway through. Check if there are any dry/floury spots and spray them with oil if needed.

Serving & Storage

• How to serve: I love serving these crispy air fryer boneless chicken thighs immediately after baking as that's when they will taste the best.
• What to serve with: serve with some of your favourite dipping sauces on the side. Hot honey drizzled on is always a good idea, as is a coleslaw, a simple kale salad like this one or a macaroni salad, like this one.
• Make it into a sandwich: these air fryer KFC chicken thighs taste great served in a bun with shredded lettuce (iceberg is great here), sliced pickles and spicy mayo.
• Leftovers: if you have leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.
• How to reheat: air fry the chicken thighs or legs for about five to seven minutes at 350ºF until warmed through and the top gets somewhat crispy again.

Which Air Fryer Do I Use & Recommend

I've tried three different air fryers over the years, and my most recent is also my favourite.

It's the Wonder Oven from Our Place. I absolutely love it and highly recommend it, for several reasons.

• Aesthetically pleasing: as with all Our Place products, the design is unmatched. This means you can leave it out on your countertop and don't need to hide it away in a cluttered drawer.
• Non-toxic: the trays that come with the Wonder Oven are all non-toxic and made from stainless steel and aluminum with a toxin-free nonstick ceramic coating. This is SO hard to find with other types of air fryers and is the main reason I use it so much.
• Different cooking modes: this is not just an air fryer, it can air fry, bake, toast, roast, reheat and broil. I also love the steam function for bringing breads back to life.
• Compact size: I love how small and mighty it is. It won't take up much room on your countertops, something that was so important to me living in a condo with limited countertop space.

The only drawbacks I've noticed while using this is the timer function. It's not digital and can be hard to be precise when using it. So I prefer to just use the timer on my oven or microwave when using it to be sure it's exact. The knob also has to be turned off manually by turning it rather than having an on/off switch.

But honestly, other than those missing features, it's such a great appliance and I do recommend it.

You can check out Our Place Wonder Oven here!

More Air Fryer Recipes

Looking for more air fryer goodness, check these ones out!

• Air Fryer Calamari
• Air Fryer General Tso Chicken
• Chicken Katsu (air fryer)
• Air Fryer Mac & Cheese Balls
• Crispy & Easy Air Fryer Arancini
• Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
• Bang Bang Shrimp (air fryer)
• Crispy Brie & Fig Jam Stuffed Phyllo Bites
• Buffalo Chicken Strips (air fryer)
• Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
• Breakfast Taquitos (air fryer)
• Thai Sweet Chili Chicken (air fryer)

Ready to make this? Let's get to it!

If you make this air fryer KFC chicken please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

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