It couldn’t be easier to make these air fryer BBQ chicken thighs. They are flavourful, tender and juicy thanks to a simple homemade dry rub. Cooking using the air fryer means they are perfectly cooked every time in less than 20 minutes! This classic barbeque chicken will be a staple weeknight dinner served with your favourite salads and sides.
If you have been following for a while, you’ll know I had a slow start with using my air fryer, but recently I have been testing how to maximise its use so I can justify the counter space it takes up.
It all started with these lemon pepper chicken tenders, where I first discovered how the magic of the air fryer results in the most perfectly cooked chicken that is juicy and tender – never dry. Since then I’ve been making air fryer chicken schnitzels and air fryer teriyaki salmon on regular rotation as they are just so much better than when made in a conventional oven.
The air fryer is now my preferred way to cook chicken, and these BBQ chicken thighs are certainly no exception. They are a great option for weeknight cooking and definitely a dairy free dinner recipe you should add to your rotation.
The key to this recipe is building bold flavours with a homemade BBQ dry rub and then basting the chicken with BBQ sauce while cooking. The result is chicken that is perfectly seasoned with a balance of sweet, salty and just a hint of heat without being spicy.
These air fryer BBQ chicken thighs are so quick and easy to make I know you’ll love this recipe. The chicken gets sticky with little caramelised edges and honestly, it’s just so good, I can’t wait for you to try them!
Key Ingredients
With a well stocked spice rack, you’ll really only need a few ingredients to make these tasty BBQ chicken thighs in the air fryer.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken thighs – I am using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe as they have more flavour and stay nice and juicy. You can substitute with bone-in chicken thighs but I would recommend removing any skin as it won’t get crispy as we’re basting the chicken thighs with the BBQ sauce while cooking.
- Brown sugar – forming the base of the dry rub and being the essential sweet component of the rubs flavour profile balancing out the salt and heat that we add with the spices.
- Spices – we’re using a classic combination of spices to create our BBQ dry rub with a blend of cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, onion and chilli combined with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- BBQ sauce – you can use any BBQ sauce you prefer. As it’s a key flavour for these chicken thighs, make sure it’s one you like. My preference is Sweet Baby Ray’s Original as I find the bold, sweet flavours delicious when slathered over the chicken. This BBQ sauce is also gluten free but not all are, so double check if needing to make this chicken gluten free.
If you want to make this chicken even easier, you can also substitute the brown sugar and spices with a premade store bought BBQ dry rub.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make this BBQ chicken you will need an air fryer. I am using my Philips Essential Air Fryer which is a smaller, basket style one at 4.1 Litres therefore I need to cook the chicken in two batches. Whether you need to cook it in batches and your exact cooking time will depend on your air fryer as they are all just a little different.
This brings me to the other kitchen tool that I highly recommend when cooking chicken perfectly every time and that is a thermometer. Using a kitchen thermometer to check the doneness of your chicken thighs will be the most accurate and will help ensure you never have overcooked chicken again.
To make the air fryer BBQ chicken, start by mixing together your homemade dry rub. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar with the spices and salt and pepper. Mix everything together well.
Using your hands, rub the mixture into the chicken thighs, making sure all areas of the chicken are covered.
If your air fryer has a preheat function, preheat the air fryer otherwise just let it run for a few minutes before lightly spraying the basket with cooking oil. Place the chicken thigh fillets into the basket being careful not to overcrowd them and cook the fillets in batches if needed depending on the size of your air fryer.
Turn the chicken after 10 minutes, and after 15 minutes brush both sides of the fillets generously with BBQ sauce and finish cooking.
I found smaller fillets took 18 minutes total cooking time, while my larger ones were 20 minutes but using your thermometer will help make sure you don’t over or undercook the chicken. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 75°C or 165°F.
Once your chicken is cooked let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving with your favourite sides and extra BBQ sauce.
Serving suggestions
Now you have the most flavourful, delicious and tender BBQ chicken thighs you can keep the sides simple. Why not try one or two of the below:
- Dairy free potato salad – my personal favourite!
- Crispy oven baked potato wedges – crispy and salty and so delicious!
- Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Bake – a dairy free version of a classic comfort food that pairs perfectly with the smoky BBQ chicken flavour.
- Sweet potato fries – I mean you can never go wrong with a side of fries.
- Combine the classic sides of roasted vegetables and salad together with one of my roasted vegetable salad recipes. Try my classic roasted vegetable salad, roasted broccoli salad or this roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad.
Preparation and storage
- You can make the BBQ dry rub mixture ahead of time and store it in the pantry in an airtight container for weeks. You can double or triple the quantity of the dry rub to make preparation of this recipe much easier next time or use the rub for another recipe.
- Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Any leftover chicken can also be used for sandwiches, wraps, pizza or added to a simple salad.
Tips for making air fryer chicken thighs
- I highly recommend investing in a thermometer as it’s going to make getting perfectly cooked chicken so easy. The size of chicken thighs vary so much as do air fryers therefore cooking times can really only be a guide. It’s much easier to base doneness off an internal temperature of 75°C or 165°F.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer. When cooking in the air fryer, always make sure there is still enough room either side of the fillets as you want to make sure the air can circulate which is how the air fryer does its rapid cooking. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook in batches.
- Only baste the chicken thighs with the BBQ sauce right at the end to avoid the BBQ sauce from burning. The chicken should be close to being cooked through before you add it so that this final step is just getting that beautiful caramelised exterior.
More weeknight dinner recipes:
Honey Soy Chicken
Slow Cooked Curried Sausages
Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
15 Minute Garlic Prawn Noodles
Crispy Chicken Burgers
Lemon and Garlic Chicken Tray Bake
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 kg skinless boneless chicken thighs approx 6-8 thighs
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar with the cumin, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper until well combined to create your dry rub.
- Using your hands, rub the mixture into the chicken thighs, making sure all areas of the chicken are covered.
- If your air fryer has a preheat function, preheat the air fryer otherwise just let it run for a few minutes at 200°C or 400°F before lightly spraying the basket with cooking oil. Place the chicken thigh fillets into the basket being careful not to overcrowd them and cook the fillets in batches if needed depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Cook the chicken for a total of 18-20 minutes, turning the fillets after 10 minutes. After 15 minutes, brush both sides of the fillets generously with BBQ sauce and finish cooking.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to check that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 75°C or 165°F. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with your favourite sides and extra BBQ sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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