Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Thighs make boneless skinless chicken thighs crisp on the outside and juicy inside, all with that bold buffalo flavor everyone craves at dinnertime. This air-fried meal comes together fast, feels easy to pull off after a long day, and fits right in whether you're eating keto or just aiming for a healthier dinner. You'll learn how to cook chicken thighs so they turn out right every time, along with more recipes with chicken thighs and fresh dinner ideas using chicken thighs when the week gets busy. Pin this now so you always have one of the best no-fuss dinners ready to go when time is tight.
Why is this the best air fryer buffalo chicken thighs recipe
This easy chicken thigh recipe is absolutely delicious! The combination of crispy air-fried chicken, baked with a spicy flavor, buffalo sauce, and Parmesan cheese is divine!
This recipe makes the best chicken thighs in the air fryer, every time! It's super easy to make and quick enough for busy weeknight dinners.
This is an easy recipe for air fryer buffalo chicken thighs. Soak your skewers in water for 15 minutes. While those are soaking, soak the chicken breasts with buffalo sauce and parmesan cheese. Thread the chicken on the skewers, place the chicken in a single layer in the basket and let the air fryer do all the work! That's it!
The ingredients for the dish are common and easy to find. You likely already have most of the simple ingredients for this easy air fryer chicken thigh recipe in your pantry. If you need an ingredient or two, you can easily find them in most local grocery stores or on Amazon!
This air fryer buffalo chicken thigh recipe tastes amazing! These boneless chicken thighs are delicious on their own, but to add more texture and flavor, you can top them with bacon, diced jalapeños, additional shredded cheeses such as Monterey Jack, smoked Gouda, or Pepper Jack, chives or toasted breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese. Or you can even make it into a heartier meal and serve it over rice or pasta.
What you'll need to make buffalo chicken thighs
Equipment
- 8 Bamboo skewers - The skewers help cook the chicken evenly by lifting them off the air fryer basket. Make sure you soak the skewers in water for 15 minutes before putting the chicken on them.
- Air fryer - The air fryer is ideal for chicken because it cooks it quickly, preventing it from drying out. Your chicken stays moist inside!
- Basting brush - You'll need a brush to rub the buffalo sauce evenly over the chicken thighs.
Ingredients
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs - These should be cut into bite-sized pieces. I chose thighs because they stand up to high heat nicely, and they are more forgiving and generally juicier than breasts.
- Frank's RedHot Sauce or hot sauce of your choice - You'll want extra for basting. I like Frank's but you can literally use any sauce from hot sauce to sweet chili sauce to BBQ sauce to garlic and oil. Any sauce will work in this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese - I like the freshly grated Parmesan that you can buy in the dairy case, not the green can that is shelf stable.
How to make buffalo chicken thighs boneless
- Add the Parmesan cheese and buffalo sauce to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken and fold to distribute the sauce evenly.
- Slide 4-5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer.
- Place the chicken skewers in the air fryer basket, with a little space between each one. You may need to cook the chicken in batches.
- Air fry for 9 minutes at 360ºF. After 9 minutes, brush the chicken with a little more buffalo sauce and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Substitutions & variations
You can substitute bone-in chicken thighs (don't use skewers), boneless skinless chicken breast, or chicken tenders instead of the boneless skinless thighs.
We prefer fresh grated Parmesan cheese, but you can use any Parmesan for these chicken thighs, even the powdery stuff in the can, if you like that.
You can swap the Parmesan cheese for blue cheese crumbles. Or add a blue cheese or ranch dressing to the buffalo sauce you're dipping the chicken in.
Feel free to use any kind of buffalo sauce for this recipe. We love Frank's RedHot Sauce, but you could use any buffalo sauce, sweet chili sauce, BBQ sauce, or oil-based sauce you want.
This meat would make a great wrap with some shredded lettuce, cheddar, blue cheese crumbles, and ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Serve the chicken thighs on top of baked sweet potatoes or baked white potatoes.
Storing leftovers
These chicken skewers are best served fresh. However, you can store your leftovers in an airtight container or zippered plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 360ºF.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 8 Bamboo skewers
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup Frank's RedHot Sauce or hot sauce of your choice, plus extra for basting
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Add the Parmesan cheese and buffalo sauce to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken and fold to distribute the sauce evenly.
- Slide 4-5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer.
- Place the chicken skewers in the air fryer basket, with a little space between each one. You may need to cook the chicken in batches.
- Air fry for 9 minutes at 360ºF. After 9 minutes, brush the chicken with a little more buffalo sauce and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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