This Air Fryer Fried Chicken is golden brown, juicy, and full of flavor, thanks to a simple buttermilk and hot sauce marinade.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
5 Star Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Linda says, "I’ve made this several times and it always turns out yummy."
Southern fried chicken is a classic comfort food, but for a long time, I wasn’t that excited about it. In fact, the only fried chicken I usually ate was air-fried chicken wings tossed in an Asian-inspired sauce.
That changed when I made fried chicken in my air fryer. Marinating the pieces in buttermilk and hot sauce gave me fried chicken that was beautifully golden on the outside and juicy on the inside, with way more flavor than I expected.
Whether you’re new to frying chicken or just looking for an easier way to make it at home, this air fryer version is a simple, flavorful place to start.
With love, Tanya
AIR FRYER FRIED CHICKEN AT A GLANCE
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Marinade Time: 1–24 hours
- Total Time: 35 minutes (plus marinating)
- Serves: 4 people
- Best For: Comfort food cravings, Sunday dinners, family meals, game day, and when you want classic fried chicken with less oil
A Quick Look at the Ingredients Needed
Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Whole chicken cut into separate pieces (breast, thigh, wing, and leg)
- For the Marinade: Hot sauce (I use Texas Pete) and Buttermilk. Choose a mild hot sauce and avoid very spicy ones like sriracha.
- Seasoned flour: All-purpose flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper.
- Canola or vegetable oil: for spraying the chicken.
How to Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Step 1: Marinate your chicken. I use a mixture of half buttermilk and half hot sauce. I learned the hot sauce trick from my mother-in-law. The buttermilk helps keep the chicken juicy on the inside, and the hot sauce adds flavor. Don't worry about it being spicy; it won't be if you use a milder hot sauce. You can marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 24 hours.
Step 2: Combine flour, Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. I use a whisk to ensure that my flour is fully seasoned.
Step 3: Grab a pair of tongs and remove one piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing it to drain off a bit, and place it in the flour mixture. Use the tongs to make sure the chicken pieces are fully coated.
Step 4: Lightly spray your air fryer basket with oil, or add a parchment liner with holes if your basket tends to stick. Place the floured chicken pieces on top, in a single layer, with space between each piece so the air can circulate. If using parchment, be sure the chicken is on the liner before you start the air fryer—loose parchment can fly up into the heating coil and be a fire hazard, and could start a fire if it hits the heating element.
Step 5: Close the air fryer drawer, set the temperature to 390 degrees Fahrenheit, and set the timer to 25 minutes.
Step 6: After about 13 minutes, open the Air Fryer. Your chicken should look like the photo below on the left (still showing some dry flour spots). Grab your Air Fryer oil spray bottle and spray those flour spots. Then grab some tongs and flip your chicken. Spray this side of the chicken as well, covering all flour spots. Close your Air Fryer and let it resume cooking.
Step 7: Once your cooking cycle is done, use a quick-read thermometer to ensure your chicken is fully cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove and enjoy 🙂
There you have it! Delicious Southern Style Buttermilk Soaked Air Fryer Fried Chicken.
Other Chicken Recipes in the Air Fryer You May Enjoy
If you like chicken in the air fryer, try these out:
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken (Peruvian Style) - the marinade for this recipe is simply amazing.
- BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Breast - For that BBQ flavor, but made quickly in the air fryer.
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets - Another way to fry chicken in the air fryer, these nuggets are brined in pickle juice, then breaded and air-fried.
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings - My go-to way to make wings these days. I love cooking wings in the air fryer and tossing them in all kinds of sauces.
Make it a Meal
Fried chicken deserves good sides. Here are some of my favorites to make this a full meal.
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges (KFC Copycat) - Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, these KFC-style Air Fryer Potato Wedges are an easy, family-friendly side dish for your Air Fryer Fried Chicken.
- Sweet and Spicy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts - If you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts, these sweet, slightly spicy, crispy bites might change your mind.
- Kale and Broccoli Salad - I love serving this crunchy kale and broccoli salad on the side for something fresh and green with all that crispy chicken.
- Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens - These collard greens give you that classic Southern flavor without babysitting a pot on the stove all day.
- Old Fashioned Potato Salad - this salad is perfect for fried chicken nights, cookouts, and potlucks.
Tanya's Top Tips
- I do not recommend overlapping the chicken pieces in this recipe. It’s best to have the chicken pieces in a single layer and not touching. That way, the air can circulate around the chicken, crisping it and giving it a nice, golden crust.
- Remember to spray lightly with oil. The purpose of the oil in this recipe is to cover the dried flour spots. Not spraying with oil will have those flour spots tasting like you would imagine they would, dry flour. Use an oil with a high-smoke point for your chicken.
- If using parchment liners, make sure you place the chicken on them before starting the Air Fryer. Not doing so will cause the liners to fly into the fan, get caught, and possibly start a fire.
- Timing will vary depending on the Air Fryer brand. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken has reached at least 165°F. My chicken usually reaches 180 degrees or higher and remains juicy and deliciously crisp.
How to store leftover fried chicken
To refrigerate: Keep any leftover fried chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To heat up, warm the chicken in a preheated oven at 400F until warmed through.
For freezing: Once cooked and cooled, place any pieces of leftover chicken into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQs:
You can place your chicken pieces in the fridge for 10-15 minutes after breading, and before air frying. This will help if you have trouble with the breading staying on.
You can, but the results will be a little different. The skin helps the coating stick and get extra crispy, and bone-in pieces stay juicier. If you use boneless, skinless chicken, reduce the cook time and keep a close eye on the internal temperature so it doesn’t dry out.
If you have tried my Air Fryer Fried Chicken or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Air Fryer Fried Chicken Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place chicken pieces in buttermilk and hot sauce. Place in refrigerator and allow to marinate anytime from 1-24 hours.
- Whisk together all-purpose flour, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder, italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
- Place a parchment liner in the Air Fryer basket.
- Remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture and place in the flour mixture, coating all sides of the chicken and shaking off any excess flour. Place the chicken pieces in the basket in a single layer.
- Close the Air Fryer basket and set temperature to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and timer to 25 minutes. Start the Air Fryer.
- After 13 minutes, open the air fryer and spray any flour spots on the chicken. Flip the chicken and spray the other side with oil, ensuring all the flour spots are covered. Close the Air fryer and cook for 12 more minutes.
- Once the timer is up, open the Air Fryer and check chicken pieces with a quick read thermometer. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken.
Nutrition
Notes
- I do not recommend overlapping the chicken pieces in this recipe. It’s best to have the chicken pieces in a single layer and not touching. That way, the air can circulate around the chicken to crisp it and give it a nice, golden crust.
- Remember to spray lightly with oil. The purpose of the oil in this recipe is to cover the dried flour spots. Not spraying with oil will have those flour spots tasting like you would imagine they would, dry flour.
- Some breading will fall off, whether you use the liners or not. However, much less breading falls off when using the parchment liners.
- If using parchment liners, make sure you place the chicken on them before starting the Air Fryer. Not doing so will cause the liners to fly into the fan, get caught, and possibly start a fire.
- Timing will vary depending on the Air Fryer brand. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken has reached at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. My chicken usually reaches 180 degrees or higher and remains juicy and deliciously crisp.
- Use any part of the chicken you like that has skin on. The breading may not stick to skinless chicken, and it may not be as crispy.
- I use Texas Pete hot sauce in this recipe. If you are sensitive to heat or use a spicier brand, reduce the amount of hot sauce.
- Air Fryer Parchment Liners (They come in different sizes so make sure to select the one that correlates to your size of Air Fryer)
- Oil bottle for spraying
- Tongs for flipping (I like to have a few around)
- Quick Read Thermometer
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This post was originally published on March 5, 2019. It has been updated with additional helpful tips.
Jill says
I can’t wait to get an air fryer to try this recipe. But I really wanted to say I LOVE your blog name!
Tanya says
Thank you so much Jill, I really appreciate it 🙂
Jeffrey Mullen says
The technique is good, but I don't know why you promised that it wouldn't be spicy. The hot sauce doesn't disappear. It ends up in the chicken, like Nashville hot wings. My family didn't like it because of that.
Tanya says
Hi Jeffrey, it actually wasn’t spicy at all to us or others who have made this recipe. We use Texas Pete hot sauce, any other hot sauce that is spicier than that brand, like Sriracha, may have different results.
Lisa E says
I just made this tonight with Frank's Original Hot sauce and we loved it. My husband, who likes EVERYTHING spicy hot, said it was delicious could have been spicier for him lol! Great flavor! I will make this again and if it's just for the hubs, I'll kick the heat up a notch.
Tanya says
Yay! So glad you all liked it. Frank's is a great hot sauce to use for this recipe.
Kristy says
Awesome recipe! We had to make a few adjustments for to altitude and some missing ingredients, but the results were delicious! We live at about 5000' elevation, so we cooked at about 360F for a few minutes longer on both sides and double checked the internal temperature with a food thermometer for safety. Also, I've never used seasoning salt, so we replaced this with Old Bay and it was AMAZING!!!
Tanya says
Yay, so glad you liked them and good tip for the altitude adjustment. Also, Old Bay is amazing and a great sub for seasoning salt.
Cindy says
Can’t wait to try this, Can you use boneless chicken breasts?
Tanya says
You can, but the results may be slightly different. The chicken may not be as crispy as pictured.
PK says
I used breast strips and they came out pretty good! I definitely want to try with skinned pieces next time though.
Plus, it was spicy because we marinated for 24 hours in the buttermilk and Frank's.
Floyd says
Hi I tried your recipe without the cayenne pepper and the chicken was really flavorful and juicy, but the skin came out burnt on a few of the chicken breasts. I sprayed olive oil midway through the cooking time on the dry patches of batter, and used the same 390 degrees at 25 minutes on my Ninja Airfryer. Any idea what can be done to prevent this?
Tanya says
Hi Floyd, so glad the chicken was flavorful and juicy. My guess is that the chicken were closer to the heating element on top of the Ninja, causing some spots to burn. You could try again making sure that the pieces aren't too large or lowering the temperature by about 20-30 degrees and coooking a little longer.
Debra Scoular says
If I need to double this recipe how do you recommend we keep first batch warm, juicy and crispy while waiting for second batch to cook? We have a large family so we have to double it. Can't wait to make this tonight and I will definitely follow up with full recipe review.
Tanya says
Hi Debra, You'd probably need to keep them warm in an oven set to about 225 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the first pieces warm. I wish there was a better way without turning on the oven but it's probably the best way to keep them warm and crispy.
Liz says
Really good. Nothing like traditional southern fried chicken. But just as good in its own way,
As I had no parchment or oil spritzer, I heated a seasoned stoneware pan with a light layer of olive oil. Then cooked my chic turning it over halfway. Crispy, juicy AND crunchy. I used buffalo sauce instead. The smell while cooking is amazing. Thank you!
Scott says
Thank you for this. We were given an air fryer for Christmas, so this was our first recipe using it. Amazing! I doubled it, using a whole chicken. Marinated for only 2 hours (weeknight meal) with buttermilk and Sriracha. It was SO moist and delicious. Great crust, too!
I'm so glad I found you! THANK YOU.
If you're into it, I'd love to interview you for my podcast, Way Off the Record: http://www.WOTRpod.com
Tanya says
Awesome! So glad you liked it Scott. Feel free to email me about the podcast interview, tanya@myforkinglife.com and Congrats on launching it!
Riley says
Do you pre heat the fryer at all?
Tanya says
For this recipe, I usually don't. If your air fryer recommends pre-heating, then I would preheat.
Lynn says
I thought the purpose of an air fryer was not to coat it
Tanya says
In order to get the chicken pieces nice and golden, you need a light spray of oil. Most air fryer brands encourage a light spray of oil over certain foods, especially breaded foods.
Char Ohle says
Just followed this recipe tonight and everyone loved it. I will be making it again. Thank you.
Tanya says
Awesome! So glad everyone liked it 🙂
Beth says
I have made this recipe twice, Spouse loves it, as do I. Very easy, quick and delicious.
Thank you for sharing this delightful recipe!
Tanya says
Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂 I'm glad you liked it.
Elizabeth Waksmunski says
I haven't tried this recipe yet but I'm looking forward to doing so. I have a new Breville Smart Oven Air and I am still in the learning phase. I am planning to use parchment paper but am wondering if the chicken will still be crispy if I don't poke holes in the parchment paper. I don't want to get grease drippings on the heating elements...learned the hard way when I cooked chicken wings without using parchment paper first time out.
Your advice is most appreciated.
Tanya says
Hi Elizabeth, I don't think the chicken will get as crispy without the holes. The air circulating around the chicken really helps with the crispiness and I found that the holes help.
Don says
Awesomely Done!!! I modified it a little bit (cause some of those ingredients I didn't have) but your technique and overall assistance was a great help!!!!... I could never get this air fryer to work right for me until now!
Erika says
Thank you for this recipe! My whole family LOVED this...even my kids who are super picky when it comes to things being "too spicy". I followed the recipe exactly, except I only used 1/8 tsp cayenne in the flour mixture, but I kept everything else the same. My oldest even asked for seconds! Surprisingly, I could not find a fryer chicken cut up at my grocer, so I did use skinless chicken breasts. However, I did not have too much trouble with the crispy coating staying on. This one will be on heavy rotation at our house for sure!