Crispy Air Fryer Garlic Chicken

Ever since I baked chicken in my Air Fryer I never make it any other way. Air fryer makes the crispiest chicken skin with the perfect fall-apart and juicy meat. Plus it's so much easier and takes less time to cook!

I kept this recipe super simple and marinated some skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs in avocado oil, lemon juice, salt and crushed garlic. You can add herbs and any spices although you will need to scrape them off just before cooking as these bits tend to burn fast.

If you're short on time, simply brush with oil and season with salt and skip the marinating. Place in the air fryer for about 20 minutes and then serve with some Gremolata for extra flavor!

Sides to Serve with Crispy Garlic Chicken

I served mine with Cheesy Parmesan Cauliflower Mash but you can serve these marinated crispy chicken thighs with any of the sides below:

• Low-Carb Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous
• Quick Gremolata Cauli-Rice
• Arugula Salad with Anchovy Caper Dressing
• Authentic Greek Salad
• Super Simple Keto Coleslaw
• Roasted Marinated Broccoli

Oven Baking Instructions

If you don't have an air fryer, you can simply bake the chicken in the oven. To do that, marinate the chicken exactly the same way you would for air fryer cooking. Place the chicken thighs skin side up in a tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional) for 25 to 30 minutes. An instant read thermometer should read 74 °C/ 165 °F when done.

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Step-by-step

1. Pat dry the chicken using a paper towel. Drizzle with lemon juice.

2. In a small bowl combine the avocado oil (or melted ghee) and crushed garlic. Brush all over the chicken and season with salt. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
   Note: We're using 4 bone-in chicken thighs, about 560 g (1.2 lbs). You can alternatively use 4 boneless chicken thighs, about 400 g (14.1 oz).

   

3. When ready to cook, scrape any pieces off the chicken (these bits tend to burn fast) and place in the air fryer, skin side up (no basket insert inside to prevent the chicken from drying out).

4. Turn the air fryer on and set the temperature to 200 °C/ 400 °F and cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
   Note: If you don't have an air fryer, check the tips in the recipe post above for oven baking.

   

5. Once done, the skin should be golden and crispy and the meat cooked through. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should read at least 74 °C/ 165 °F.)

   

6. Season with black pepper and eat while still warm. Serve with simple salads such as Greek Salad or Arugula Salad. For a more satisfying meal, serve with Cheesy Parmesan Cauliflower Mash. The thighs can be reheated in the air fryer, oven or microwave but are best served fresh.

   

Recipe

Crispy Air Fryer Garlic Chicken

★★★★★4.8 (30 ratings)

These easy garlic chicken thighs are the perfect dinner option for busy weeknights. Crispy skin with juicy ...

Hands on

5m

Overall

1h

Servings

2

0.9 g

Net carbs

35.7 g

Protein

47 g

Fat

566

kcal

1 serving2 servings3 servings4 servings5 servings6 servings7 servings8 servings9 servings10 servings11 servings12 servings

US + metricMetricUS

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Ingredients makes 2 servings

• 4 skin on, bone in chicken thighs (560 g/ 1.2 lbs), about 400 g/ 14.1 oz if using boneless
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp virgin avocado oil or ghee (30 ml)
• sea salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Pat dry the chicken using a paper towel. Drizzle with lemon juice.

2. In a small bowl combine the avocado oil (or melted ghee) and crushed garlic. Brush all over the chicken and season with salt. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
   Note: We're using 4 bone-in chicken thighs, about 560 g (1.2 lbs). You can alternatively use 4 boneless chicken thighs, about 400 g (14.1 oz).

3. When ready to cook, scrape any pieces off the chicken (these bits tend to burn fast) and place in the air fryer, skin side up (no basket insert inside to prevent the chicken from drying out).

4. Turn the air fryer on and set the temperature to 200 °C/ 400 °F and cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
   Note: If you don't have an air fryer, check the tips in the recipe post above for oven baking.

5. Once done, the skin should be golden and crispy and the meat cooked through. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should read at least 74 °C/ 165 °F.)

6. Season with black pepper and eat while still warm. Serve with simple salads such as Greek Salad or Arugula Salad. For a more satisfying meal, serve with Cheesy Parmesan Cauliflower Mash. The thighs can be reheated in the air fryer, oven or microwave but are best served fresh.

Nutrition per serving, 2 thighs

Carbs 1%Protein 25%Fat 74% of calories

Net carbs

0.9 g

Total carbs

1 g

Fiber

0.1 g

Sugars

0.2 g

Protein

35.7 g

Fat

47 g

Saturated fat

10.8 g

Calories

566 kcal

Sodium

421 mg · 18.3% RDA

Magnesium

31 mg · 7.75% RDA

Potassium

302 mg · 15.1% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per 2 thighs	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Chicken thighs, boneless, skin-on, raw	0 g	35.6 g	33 g	438
Lemon juice, fresh	0.4 g	0 g	0 g	1
Garlic, fresh	0.5 g	0.1 g	0 g	2
Avocado oil, extra virgin	0 g	0 g	14 g	124
Salt, sea salt	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Pepper, black, spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0
Total	0.9 g	35.7 g	47 g	566

Serving size 2 thighs

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free
• Nut free
• Nightshade free
• Pork free
• Avocado free
• Coconut free
• Fish free
• Shellfish free
• Beef free