Delicious crunchy and very easy air fryer fried chicken thighs and drumsticks recipe. Buttermilk tenderized, this bone in chicken will taste like if you fried it in oil, but healthier!
What does buttermilk do to chicken
Buttermilk help tenderizing the meat. For the best results, leave chicken in buttermilk for at least one hour, better if for two. Just pour buttermilk over the chicken, cover the bowl with some plastic wrap or put in a fridge.
How to make air fryer fried chicken
First thing to do is to buy a nice, not previously frozen chicken quarters and cut them in to a drumstick and a thigh. Or you can just buy drumsticks and thighs already separated. Wash them to remove any dirt (of course its your choice to wash your chicken or not… i always do, just clean the sink after) and pat dry with paper towels.
Ingredients
2 chicken quarters ot two drumsticks and two thighs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoon salt
hot sauce, optional, add it to buttermilk if using
cooking spray
Instructions
Wash and pat dry chicken. If using chicken quarters, cut them in half, right by the joint to separate them in to thighs and drumsticks. Put in a bowl and pour buttermilk on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in to the fridge for two hours.
Take the chicken out and using paper towel remove extra buttermilk. Prepare the spice mixture, mix all the spices and flour in a small bowl. Using thongs, dip each chicken piece in the mixture and place on the rack or plate. Make sure the chicken is coated all the way.
Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees. Spray the bottom of the basket with oil spray. Place chicken in the basket , don’t overcrowd. Spray the top of the chicken with oil, just a bit.
Cook for about 20 minute for drumsticks and 30 minutes for thighs. Turn chicken halfway through the cooking, spraying dry flour spots with oil where needed. Make sure the temperature of cooked chicken is at least 165 degrees.
