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.
Tanya says
I really want to make this today however I don't have any buttermilk, is there anything else I could use?
Tanya says
Hi Tanya (love your name), you can make a buttermilk sub my adding 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for a few minutes. Then you can use that mixture in the recipe to replace the buttermilk.
KPH says
What is "seasoning salt"?
Tanya says
It's the same as "Seasoned Salt." It's a blend of salt and spices. You can buy it at the store or you can make it homemade.
Annie D says
This recipe is perfection! Huge hit for dinner. No one could believe that such a great crisp was available without a deep fry! Thank you for a great meal.
Gail says
Could this be done with the Mealthy Crisp Lid?
Tanya says
Yes it can 🙂
Gail says
@Tanya, oh ty. Time and temp? Want to show up hubby who does it in a elec fry pan, omg
Tanya says
Reduce the temp to about 350 degrees and fry for 25-30 minutes. The great thing about the Mealthy is that you can watch it while it cooks.
Margaret says
I made this for us to have on a picnic at the beach. My family liked it - the hot sauce gave the chicken a little extra and unique flavour. I doubled the recipe, and cooked the chicken in two batches. It worked well. I will make again.
Tanya says
Thank you so much Margaret.
Linda Morgan says
Hi, Tanya. I just tried your recipe for this fried chicken, and I must tell you that We Loved It! My hubby said that this is our new favorite fried chicken recipe and thanked me for finding it. I really can't wait to have it again and also try your other recipes. We enjoy you on You Tube also. I appreciate that you don't talk about the recipe forever and waste my time like a lot of others do. Thank you and I wish you much success.
Tanya says
Thank you so much Linda! I truly appreciate that and I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Miki Debb says
Absolutely delicious. Just got an air fryer in April and this was the first recipe I tried. NO recipe I have tried since can compare with this. Highly recommend it!
Tanya says
Thank you so much Miki 🙂
Bob says
Your chicken looks so good I can't wait to try it. Thank you.
Tanya says
Thank you Bob 🙂 I hope you enjoy it.
Terese R Conklin says
Tanya, this was great! I used boneless chicken thighs. My family tasted the cooked coating as I was taking the chicken out of the air fryer and said it was too salty! However, when we sat down and ate the fried chicken, they chowed down! It wasn't salty at all, it was an outstanding combination of buttermilk, hot sauce and flour coating. Thank you for this great recipe. I did not put the parchment paper down as I was concerned with a fire. Clean up wasn't bad at all; in fact, my husband cleaned out the air fryer!
Tanya says
Thank you Terese 🙂 Good idea on getting your husband to clean the air fryer, I'll start making mine do it too lol
Jill says
My family can’t get enough of this recipe. So good.
Tanya says
Thank you so much Jill 🙂
Brandy says
Great recipe and so easy!! Thank you!!
Tillandsia says
I have used this recipe multiple times with success. We are mostly vegetarian and I'm afraid of cooking meat because it always comes out dry, but this recipe makes chicken that is juicy inside and crispy outside. It's addictive! I now have riffed on the recipe a few times and my favorite combo is: 2/3 panko breadcrumbs with 1/3 flour. I find the panko ensures the crispiest breading while the flour delivers total coverage. I like to add smoked paprika to the seasoning too. Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Mary Pippin says
We just ate I mean devoured this for dinner. It was incredibly moist and flavorful. I am a definite believer in the church of Ms. Harris.. OMG. I used skinless and boneless breast and marinated overnight. Typically I chew my chicken for days because I dry it out. I am sooooooooooooo glad I found you and your recipes that make me look like a gourmet chef ?? ?
Vicky says
If you bread the chicken is that more fat?
Kat says
The recipe is tasty, but not as authentic as we had hoped. The breading doesn't really get crispy like traditional fried chicken, and the chicken REALLY absorbed the flavor of the hot sauce (we used Texas Pete). It wasn't that it was too spicy, but the hot sauce was definitely the dominant flavor and overpowered the chicken and the other herbs and spices.