Air Fryer Chicken

I recently bought one of those little ovens that does a ton of different things: broil, bake, defrost, proof, air fryer and more. I love it! The brand is Beelicious, which I had never heard of, but read the reviews, which were all very good so took a chance on an unfamiliar brand.

In 2006 a Dutch engineer, Fred van der Weij invented the Air Fryer as a safer, healthier alternative to deep frying. The oven forcefully circulates intense hot air around the food to crisp the exterior using little to no oil and keeps the interior of the meat super moist and tender. Although similar convection ovens have been around since 1945, van der Weij’s superior design launched a multi-billion dollar global industry. I thought it was about time I got onboard!

The chicken was delicious. It was crispy on the outside, but next time I will “fry” for a little more time to get the skin even crispier. The interior could not have been better; unbelievably moist and tender. I also used 3 tablespoons of oil and probably should have used  1 to 1 1/2. When I write out the recipe below I will recommend 1 1/2 Tbsp.

The drumsticks are a little darker as I re-heated them the next night. The skin was a bit crispier, but still very moist inside.

I “fried” both drumsticks and thighs; bone-in, skin-on, but you can use any cut you like. If using chicken breast I would suggest cooking a little less time so they don’t dry out. I also want to try air frying a whole chicken!

Start by making a dry-rub. Use your favorite spices and herbs, but always add cornstarch. The cornstarch acts as a powerful texturizer and preservative that maximizes crispiness and locks in meat juices. It also prevents your spices from clumping.

This is what I used in the dry-rub:

1 Tbsp. cornstarch; 2 tsp. smoked paprika, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. cayenne (more or less depending on your heat level), 1 tsp. Kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.

Clean the chicken pieces and remove excess (but not all) fat from the thighs. Cut out any sinewy bits. Wash and thoroughly dry the chicken pieces. Fold the skin of the thighs to make a little bundle.

Next, rub all pieces with the olive oil. Coat each piece thoroughly with the dry rub.

Place in a zip-lock bag or glass covered container and let marinate in the fridge for a few hours; the longer the better. I marinated for 4 hours. Bring to room temperature while keeping on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place the chicken pieces without crowding as you want the forced hot air to circulate around the chicken.

Place in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully turn the chicken over and cook for another 8 minutes.

Flip one last time, skin side up/seam-side down, and cook for 2 more minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temp is 165 degrees. If not, cook for another couple of minutes. I cooked to 160 degrees as I wanted to keep the thighs warm while I air fried the drumsticks.  Also, meat continues to “cook” while resting, as much as 3 to 5 degrees for smaller cuts, like these chicken pieces, and by 10 to 15 degrees for larger pieces, like a roast.  So don’t worry if the temp is not exactly 165.

Cook the drumsticks using the same time and method recommendations.

I served our chicken with coleslaw and asparagus the first night, and the drumsticks with just the coleslaw next night.

Once again, my dear husband Jerry, was very happy to chow down!

Next week I’m going to talk about a delicious shrimp dish using lemon verbena (my new herb this year!) and lots of other lemon flavorings.

Looks a little like Wacky Weed!

It has the most wonderful, fresh aromatic flavors; mainly lemon, but also hints of orange, ginger and lime.

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Air Fryer Chicken

Nicely crisped skin and moist tender meat, all using hardly any oil.

Ingredients

For the Dry Rub

• 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. Onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. Oregano, dried
• 1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Chicken Pieces

• 4 large Chicken thighs, bone-in; skin-on
• 4 large Chicken legs, bone-in; skin-on
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Instructions

• Mix all of the dry rub ingredients together and place in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Wash the chicken pieces and remove some of the extra fat on the thighs and any sinewy bits. Dry completely. Rub the olive oil over each chicken piece.
• Next, coat each piece thoroughly with the dry rub. Place in a zip-lock bag and let marinate in the fridge for 4 hours.
• Take chicken out of the fridge and bring to room temperature on the counter; about 30 minutes. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
• Place the chicken thighs, seam side down, in the air fryer basket making sure there is plenty of space between each piece. Cook for 10 minutes. Carefully turn the pieces over and cook for another 8 minutes.
• Flip one last time, seam side down, and cook another 2 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure internal temp is 165 degrees.
• Air fry the drumsticks using the same times and cooking method.