This Air Fryer Fried Chicken is golden brown, juicy, and full of flavor. It’s one recipe you have to try in your Air Fryer.
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Full Recipe/Instructions are available in the
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This recipe has over 150 5-star reviews! Check out our comments to discover why readers love this fried chicken made in the air fryer.
If you’re living in the South, then knowing how to make fried chicken is a must. I tried for the longest to avoid posting a fried chicken recipe on the blog because, in all honesty, I didn't tend to get excited about fried chicken.
Until now. For years, when my Southern husband requested fried chicken, I’d just shrug and make him these air fried chicken wings covered in an Asian sauce instead.
But one day, I went ahead and made a traditional Southern fried chicken recipe right in my Air Fryer. It was phenomenal. I had to apologize for taking so long to make it and I had to apologize for hating on fried chicken all these years. Now it’s a part of our monthly meal rotation.
I like to cut a whole chicken up into separate portions, it's economical and nothing goes to waste. I can make air fryer fried chicken thighs, air fryer fried chicken drumsticks, and also use the breast meat and wings too.
For the juiciest chicken, I like to marinade my Air Fryer Fried Chicken in buttermilk, which tenderizes the chicken and also adds a great tangy flavor.
Ingredients
- Whole chicken cut into separate pieces (breast, thigh, wing, and leg)
- Hot sauce - I use Texas Pete.
- Buttermilk
- All-Purpose Flour
- Seasoning salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Cayenne pepper
- Canola or vegetable oil
How to Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken
First, you will want to 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 to the chicken. Don't worry about it being spicy, it won't be. You can marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 1 hr to as long as 24 hours.
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.
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 and use the tongs to make sure the chicken pieces are fully coated.
Place a piece of parchment paper with holes in the Air Fryer. This has been my best solution for not having the breaded fried chicken stick to the bottom of the Air Fryer. Just make sure that you don’t put the parchment paper down without food on top. If it there is no food to hold it down, it could fly up into the heating coils on top of the air fryer and start a fire.
Place your floured chicken piece on top of the parchment paper. Make sure the chicken pieces are not overlapping or touching. The more space the better.
Frying the Chicken Pieces
Close the air fryer drawer and set the temperature to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and timer for 25 minutes.
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.
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.
Additional recipes
If you like chicken, try these out:
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken (Peruvian Style)
- BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
If you're looking to fry fish instead, try this recipe for fish in your air fryer.
What to serve with Crispy Fried Chicken
Looking for some recipes to serve this chicken with? Try these out:
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges (KFC Copycat)
- Sweet and Spicy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Kale and Broccoli Salad
- Southern Style Pressure Cooker Collard Greens
- White Cheddar Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- Sautéed Beet Greens
- Old Fashioned Potato Salad
Notes on Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- I do not recommend overlapping the chicken pieces in this recipe. It’s best to have the chicken spaces in a single layer and not touching. That way the air can get around the chicken to crisp it up and give it that nice and crispy golden layer.
- 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. I use either canola or vegetable oil for my air-fried chicken.
- Some breading will fall off, whether you use the liners or not. However, much less breading falls off when using parchment liners.
- If using parchment liners, make sure that you place the chicken on top of 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 at least reached a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. My chicken usually reaches 180 degrees or more and is still juicy and deliciously crisp.
- This chicken is best served on the same day. If reheating, place chicken in Air Fryer and cook at 370 for about 10 minutes.
- 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.
Pin Air Fryer Fried Chicken for Later
Watch me make this chicken from start to finish.
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 the next day warm the chicken in a preheated oven at 400F until warmed through. Leftovers also make a great addition to salads and sandwiches the next day.
To freeze: Once cooked and cooled, place any pieces of leftover chicken into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. As the chicken is already cooked it can be reheated from frozen in a preheated oven at 350F. When ready to enjoy place the frozen chicken onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes to reheat.
FAQs:
Yes, absolutely, just ensure you cook it until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The pieces of chicken are marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce. When ready to cook lift a piece of chicken and shake it gently to remove any excess marinade. This marinade will help the breading mixture to stick to the chicken.
If you don't have buttermilk in the fridge don't worry, there are a few good substitutes for buttermilk. Try adding a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk; alternatively, mix 1 ¾ teaspoons of cream of tartar to a cup of milk; or mix some sour cream or plain yogurt with a little milk or water to thin it down a little.
Once the chicken is coated in the breading place the pieces into the Air Fryer in a single layer, allowing space between each piece of chicken for the air to circulate. Do not be tempted to overcrowd the basket or the chicken won't crisp up. Next set the Air Fryer to a hot 390 degrees Fahrenheit so the chicken cooks fast and high. Finally, I like the flip the chicken over halfway through, this also allows me to spray any flour spots with a little extra oil so the coating crisps up nicely.
I like to use Canola oil or vegetable oil as it has a higher smoke point which is ideal for frying chicken. Don't be tempted to use olive oil as it has a lower smoke point and is likely to burn.
Your chicken will not crisp up if using boneless chicken. I recommend using skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces.
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.
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
Ingredients
Marinade
- ½ whole chicken cut into separate pieces (breast, thigh, wing, and leg)
- ½ cup hot sauce
- ½ cup buttermilk
Seasoning
- ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Oil for spraying Canola or Vegetable
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.
Video
Notes
- I do not recommend overlapping the chicken pieces in this recipe. It’s best to have the chicken spaces in a single layer and not touching. That way the air can get around the chicken to crisp it up and give it that nice and crispy golden layer.
- 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 of, whether you use the liners or not. However, much less breading falls of when using the parchment liners.
- If using parchment liners, make sure that you place the chicken on top of 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 Air Fryer brand. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken has at least reached a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. My chicken usually reaches 180 degrees or more and is still juicy and deliciousy crsip.
- This chicken is best serve the same day. If reheating, place chicken in Air Fryer and cook on 370 for about 10 minutes.
- 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
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 5, 2019. It has been updated with additional helpful tips.
Mar says
I tried this recipe with what i had on hand: two huge drumsticks and about 1lb of wings. And I made the “buttermilk” as suggested in the comments. It was a hit!! Albeit, the wings came out spicy - I should’ve expected as much due their small size but hubby didn’t mind at all. He likes the heat. I marinated for a full day. Thank you for the recipe! It was super easy and your tips and instructions are so thorough, it’s hard to mess it up. This is definitely a keeper.
Tanya says
Yay! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Thank you for the feedback.
Jamie Coy says
Made this tonight and the chicken turned out amazing! Very tender, juicy, and flavorful. The only issue we had was I must have bought the biggest chicken breasts ever! Took about 45-50 mins for each batch; took me 3 batches. We ordered out pizza for dinner and will be eating this tomorrow for dinner. 🙂
Brandy Freeman says
@Jamie Coy, next time you get the large chicken breasts butterfly them & it shouldn't take so long to cook. If you aren't familiar with the term butterfly just Google it to see how it's done. Super simple. I butterfly all my chicken breasts regardless of the method I'm using to cook them. Not only will they cook faster & be more moist but you can also feed 4 people off 2 breasts. You'll go from 4 huge breasts to 2 "normal" breasts. Stretch that grocery budget ?. Seems like no matter where I purchase my chicken breasts they are always gigantic! Hope this is helpful ?.
Shelly says
made this with chicken thighs and it was very good. Mine needed longer cooking, but not an issue. I was wondering, can you use this recipe for chicken livers? Thank you.
Alisha Ross says
A friend of mine buys chicken kotlets from a Persian store in LA area and she says they are amazing. Will share your recipe with her. Although your recipe is with turkey, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to be able to make it herself. Thanks for the recipe ?
AH says
None of my breading stayed on the one side.... and I soaked it for 24 hours.
Tanya says
Was your chicken skin on or skinless, that would make a difference.
Tom says
I've tried a few times to make fried chicken, but was never satisfied. I am now.
The use of the parchment paper is a great idea, and I'm thankful for it (no need to buy specialized paper - just cut a sheet of parchment paper into quarters and put one in and make a bunch of holes with a wooden skewer).
Since we're in Centigrade here: 13 minutes at 200 and 12 at 190, for thighs and legs.
Brandy Freeman says
@Tom, thanks for the tip about the parchment paper. Can't believe I never thought to do that myself ??.
MJT says
Made this last night and was not disappointed! I didn't read the notes until after I got my groceries, so I got boneless skinless thighs. As the notes said, the batter didn't stick to the skinless thighs as well as I hoped, but it was still really good! Just needed to be careful when turning the chicken to make sure too much skin didn't fall off. The chicken was very hot and juicy and could cut it with a fork.
I used Frank's Red Hot for the hot sauce, which carried a bit more heat than expected, but my wife and I both didn't mind. If you're heat-sensitive, I'd try a milder hot sauce (Frank's is pretty mild on its own but they also have milder sauces).
I did not have perforated parchment paper on-hand, so I braced myself for a messy clean-up, but it wasn't bad at all! Just bits of the batter that fell through the basket, a quick wipe with a paper towel, and washed normally.
Lisa says
I have the Instant Pot Airfryer lid and this was the first time I tried air frying chicken. The chicken tasted great, and was definitely crispy. We really like the recipe and will try again. The only issue was with the cooking time. I did two large breasts and they actually took about 45 minutes to get to temperature. Worth the wait but next time I will either try smaller pieces or just plan to cook longer! Thanks for a great recipe.
Cindy says
I want to make it right now... sadly I don’t have any buttermilk on hand. What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Gayle Dunning says
Make your own buttermilk with milk and vinegar
Measure one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup. Add in a scant cup of milk and fill to the 1 cup measurement line. Stir the mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes.
Jamie says
Can you use silk milk instead of cow milk ?
Brandy Freeman says
@Lisa, if the chicken breasts you got are anything like the ones I've been getting they are HUGE!! I've found it helpful to butterfly all my chicken breasts no matter what method I use to cook them. They cook evenly, much faster & it stretches the chicken out much further. I've found that 2 large breasts, once butterflied, will easily feed 4 adults w/ sides, of course. Nothing like being able to stretch that grocery budget ?.
Tori says
This was my first recipe in my air fryer and it was delicious. I think I used too much flour and will make adjustments next time. My family loved it!
Tanya says
Thank you so much for the feedback. Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Suzanne Figueroa says
Haven't made fried chicken in so long because of the grease and calories that I forgot how to make it. Your air fryer recipe is DELICIOUS and super easy. Now fried chicken is back in our meal rotation and we couldn't stop talking about it the day after we ate it. Awesome - this rocks.
Jill O' says
I've made this recipe about 4 times already. It's very good! The 1st time I used buttermilk, however, I didn't have any the next time, so I used plain, nonfat Greek yogurt. It worked perfectly and really held the hot sauce!!! I used parchment the 1st time as recommended, but it didn't seem to be any better than just placing the chicken in the basket directly. My son loves this chicken and he's my picky eater!!!
Tanya says
Thanks Jill! I love you sub of the Greek yogurt too. Thanks for the tip 🙂
Nicolette Washburn says
Thank you so much for introducing me to the parchment tip.
Best fried chicken recipe
Jill says
I am new to tpusing my air fryer but I gave this recipe a try. It was very good. I didn’t have buttermilk so I used regular milk with a little vinegar. I used Franks sauce as my hot sauce. My husband said it was the best chicken he’s ever enjoyed. Thank you
Tiffany Blalock says
I have a chef man air fryer and mine turned out horrible idk what I did wrong but I will try again!
dee says
instead of oil spray, can I use Pam ?
Also can regular milk be used ?
Tanya says
Hi Dee, technically you can use Pam and get the same results. I just usually never recommend the over the counter sprays that contain soy lecithin or other additional ingredients as they have been known to cause wear and tear on air fryer baskets over time. For the milk, I would hust add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and let it sit for 5 min. That's a great sub for buttermilk.
Cheryl P Arnold says
I agree using a plant based oil; coconut oil, safflower oil or even olive oil. White Vinegar, lemon or the like give the same result when infusing the ait but I would always recommend apple cider vinegar with the mother for gut support.
Marla says
I tried chicken in mine and it got Smokey in the house