Air fryer fried chicken is the quintessential recipe you need at the ready! Versatile enough to go with almost any side and a great example of just how good air-fried food can be!
Add the buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic, and 2 teaspoons of salt to a dish that is large enough to fit all of the chicken pieces. Whisk to combine.
Add the chicken to the buttermilk mixture and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. Turn the chicken occasionally if it’s not fully immersed in the liquid.
Remove the chicken from the fridge about 1 hour before cooking to begin to come to room temperature.
Add the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and remaining teaspoon of salt to a large dish and stir to combine.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of the buttermilk mixture from the chicken to the flour mixture and use a fork to combine. The mixture should have some small lumps of flour throughout to make that classic fried chicken breading.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake gently to remove excess liquid. Dredge 3-4 pieces of the chicken in the flour mixture and place in a well greased air fryer basket. Be sure to leave room between each piece of chicken for air to flow - do not overcrowd the air fryer.
Liberally spray the chicken on all sides with oil spray.
Air fry at 360 degrees for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces, until the chicken is golden brown and crispy and cooked through.
Set chicken aside in a warm oven set at 200 degrees to keep warm while the next batch cooks. Alternately, set chicken aside on a plate and rewarm in the air fryer for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
We used a mixture of thighs and drumsticks. If using breasts, the cook time may increase a bit as they’re larger. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Chicken should be 165 degrees when cooked.Be sure not to leave any dry spots when spraying with oil spray or the breading won’t crisp as nicely.