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Air Fryer Fried Chicken Recipe! This Air fryer southern fried chicken recipe is flavorful, crispy skin, tender and juicy inside without the grease of deep frying. It’s easy, simple and one of the best chicken recipes you’ll make in your air fryer oven.
Say hello to the most delicious buttermilk fried chicken made in the air fryer! From my instant pot chicken drumsticks to bbq chicken and the many other loved chicken recipes on this blog, I promise you this crispy fried chicken that my kids refer to as KFC chicken is about to be another readers favorite. It’s just so good!
When I recently took delivery of the Probreeze air fryer 5.5 liters which I bought from amazon and was delivered the next day, you would think I would be all eager to open it? No, it was left in the box and it took me a week before I even opened the box to see if it was what I had ordered but let me tell you, once I brought it out and found a space for it in my kitchen, I couldn’t stop using it!
I haven’t stopped going with testing recipes in it and you are in for a treat with the air fryer recipes coming your way. Let me just say I love the air fryer and it’s my new best friend kitchen gadget.
Back to this fried chicken recipe, it’s just so good. Golden brown, crunchy, crispy skin with juicy, tender inside makes this air fried chicken perfect.
Air Fryer Fried Chicken Recipe
Air fryer southern fried chicken is healthier than deep-frying and tastes just like the real deal. Imagine the tons of calories you save yourself from consuming each time you air fry rather than deep fry. That’s cutting down up to 70-80% of the calories from deep frying.
It’s so much easier and hands-off than deep frying. Once it goes in the air fryer you are free to go do something else till the timer beeps to alert you when the time is up. No danger of splashing hot oil on yourself and you save up on your cooking oil.
Making your own air fryer crispy fried chicken at home is cheaper than buying and you know the ingredients used, you determine the salt and pepper level, and no frying is involved. Now, let me show you how to make the best air fryer fried chicken.
Ingredients
Chicken – I like to use a combination of chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks. These parts are dark meat and so flavorful. They also have a similar cooking time. You can also use wings or chicken breasts.
Buttermilk – This makes the chicken tender and makes the flour mix stick to the chicken when coating with the dredge mix. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make it at home by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk.
Hot Sauce – I use Sriracha. It adds flavor and some heat to the chicken.
FOR DREDGING
Flour – Use All purpose (Plain) or self raising flour.
Paprika
Bouillon cube or powder – This adds flavor. Use chicken bouillon like the knorr or Maggi brand.
Black pepper/ Cayenne pepper – Use according to how hot you’d like your southern fried chicken.
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
How to make Fried Chicken in Air Fryer
Prep the chicken – Clean and pat chicken portions dry and put them in a bowl.
Marinate– Pour the buttermilk over the chicken in the bowl, add in the hot sauce and salt then mix well. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and put it in the fridge to marinate for 2-4 hours.
Make the dredging– In a separate bowl, add in the flour, paprika, black pepper, stock powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well.
Dredge the chicken – Bring out the chicken marinated chicken from the fridge. Take the chicken parts one at a time from the buttermilk mix, put in the flour mix, and coat all parts with the flour mix. Pat the flour on the chicken, briefly shake off excess flour, and lay it on a plate.
Repeat process till all chicken marinated in buttermilk used up.
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray/oil spray and arrange the coated chicken on it in a single layer.
Cook– Spray the top with cooking oil and put the basket in the air fryer then air fry at a temperature of 175C for 20 minutes. After half the time, turn the chicken to the other side to ensure the other side is crisp as well.
Bring out of the fryer, serve, and enjoy.
What to Serve with fried chicken
It’s just so good you can eat on its own. You can eat fried chicken with most side dishes. Here are some of the suggestions of what to serve with
Roast potatoes, chips
Coleslaw
Corn on the cob
How to Store
To store leftover, wrap tightly in foil or put in an airtight bowl/container or Ziploc bag and put it in the fridge. It will last in the fridge for 3 days. If you put in the freezer, it will last up to 4 months.
How to Reheat
To reheat in the air fryer, spray the fryer basket with cooking oil or line with air fryer parchment paper then arrange the chicken in the basket. Air fry at a temperature of 180C for 5 minutes or until it’s heated through. You can also reheat in the oven. If reheated in the microwave, it might lose the crispiness.
Tips on Air fryer Fried Chicken
To make the best air fryer fried chicken, don’t miss the tips below:
- Ensure all parts of the chicken are well dredged and covered in flour mix.
- Use chicken parts cut into a similar size so they cook at the same time in the fryer.
- You can use your favorite seasoning in the flour mixture. For example jerk seasoning, chicken seasoning, taco seasoning.
- Add the hot sauce into the buttermilk marinade for the flavor. Adjust to how spicy you want the food.
- Remember to spray the air fryer basket or use baking paper with holes so the chicken dredging doesn’t stick to the basket.
- You can use this recipe for other chicken parts like wings and breasts but note that the cooking time will vary.
- Cooking time will vary based on the air fryer brand.
- Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is at least 165F.
- It’s best served hot.
Other Air Fryer Recipes
More Chicken recipes you’ll love
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Air Fryer Fried Chicken (Southern Fried Chicken)
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 8 pieces Chicken drumsticks or thighs or both.
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1-2 tablespoon Hot Sauce
- Salt
For dredging
- 1 cup All purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 Bouillion cube/powder
- Salt
Instructions
- Clean and pat chicken portions dry and put them in a bowl.
- Pour the buttermilk over the chicken in the bowl, add in the hot sauce and salt then mix well. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and put it in the fridge to marinate for 2-4 hours.
- In a separate bowl, add in the flour, paprika, black pepper, stock powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Bring out the chicken marinated chicken from the fridge. Take the chicken parts one at a time from the buttermilk mix, put in the flour mix, and coat all parts with the flour mix. Pat the flour on the chicken, briefly shake off excess flour, and lay it on a plate. Repeat process till all chicken marinated in buttermilk used up.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray/oil spray and arrange the coated chicken on it in a single layer. Spray the top with cooking oil and put the basket in the air fryer then air fry at a temperature of 175C for 20 minutes. After half the time, turn the chicken to the other side to ensure the other side is crisp as well.
- Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Ensure all parts of the chicken are well dredged and covered in buttermilk and flour mix.
- Use chicken parts cut into a similar size so they cook at the same time in the fryer.
- You can use your favorite seasoning in the flour mixture. For example jerk seasoning, chicken seasoning, taco seasoning.
- Add the hot sauce into the buttermilk marinade for the flavor. Adjust to how spicy you want the food.
- Remember to spray the air fryer basket or use baking paper with holes so the chicken dredging doesn’t stick to the basket.
- You can use this recipe for other chicken parts like wings and breasts but note that the cooking time will vary.
- Cooking time will vary based on the air fryer brand.
- Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature is at least 165F.
- Air fried chicken is best served hot.
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