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Home » Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

Published: Jan 7, 2022 · Last Updated: Sep 7, 2023 by Aimee - This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs are so easy and juicy! The chicken thighs are marinated in a honey garlic soy sauce mixture, which gives them a umami and sweet flavor that is delicious with so many dishes. Serve as is, or slice up and serve in a rice bowl, salad, or on top of a soup.

sliced chicken thighs served on top of a bed of rice topped with green onions

I just can't stop making chicken thighs in my air fryer. It's so easy. Even easier than the stove or oven and they just stay so juicy and crisp up to perfection.

These honey garlic chicken thighs are made with boneless skinless chicken thighs, and come out juicy and full of flavor. Since I perfected this recipe, I've been making it almost weekly.

I usually eat the chicken thighs sliced up with a bit of rice or quinoa and some broccoli. However, I've sliced and added to salads, soups, and even on top of my spinach and beans dish.

These chicken thighs cook in the air fryer in less than 15 minutes. That's my idea of a delicious hands-off, easy meal.

Ingredients

  • Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Soy sauce (can use tamari)
  • Honey
  • Olive oil
  • Lime
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt & pepper

What kind of chicken thighs to use:

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work best in this air fryer recipe. I've tried making the honey garlic chicken thighs several times with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, and because the cooking time is longer, the honey caramelizes and burns too much in the cooking.

Because boneless skinless chicken thighs require a shorter cooking time, the sugar in the marinade cooks to the proper amount of caramelization.

For that reason, I only recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.

chicken thighs on a plate topped with green onions

What kind of air fryer to use:

These can be made in any size of air fryer. You do want to make sure you have enough space for the air to circulate around the chicken, and you want the chicken to be in a single layer. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to do them in two batches.

Don't have an air fryer yet and trying to decide which one to get? Read our post about things to know before buying an air fryer.

What temperature to cook chicken thighs to?

Chicken is one of those foods that you never want to undercook! So it's important to cook chicken thighs to the proper temperature.

Because all air fryers cook differently AND cooking times depend on how big your chicken thighs are, I always recommend testing with a meat thermometer. This is the one I have.

Chicken thighs should be cooked at the minimum to 165 degrees F. But actually, chicken thighs are a better texture and flavor if cooked for a little longer! For dark meat, you don't have to worry about overcooking so much as long as you're under 210 degrees F. The sweet spot tends to be between 175 to 195 degrees F, so aim for that if you want tender and juicy chicken thighs.

Other air fryer chicken recipes:

  • Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Thighs
  • Air Fryer Greek Chicken Thighs
  • Air Fryer Chili Lime Chicken Thighs

How to make:

First, take your boneless skinless chicken thighs and pat dry. If you want, you can remove some of the extra fat on the chicken thighs. Then season all sides with salt and pepper.

Next, make your marinade! Combine the marinade ingredients and mix together in a large bowl.

Voila!

marinade in a bowl with a black spatula

Add your chicken thighs to the bowl and toss well to combine. Make sure all the chicken thighs have had a chance to get coated in the marinade. At this point, you can leave them in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap, or transfer to a ziplock bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

chicken thighs in a bowl with marinade

Preheat your air fryer. Either spray the basket, or brush with oil so your chicken thighs don't stick. (You can also use air fryer parchment paper). Place in your air fryer and cook!

cooked chicken thighs in air fryer basket

You can serve as is, or you can slice, as shown below and serve over rice, in salads, with pasta, or a variety of ways!

sliced chicken thighs served on top of a bed of rice topped with green onions

More air fryer chicken recipes

  • Air Fryer Honey Dijon Chicken Breast
  • Air Fryer Chili Lime Chicken Breast
  • Air Fryer Greek Chicken Thighs
  • Air Fryer Paprika Chicken Thighs
  • Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs
  • Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas

More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

chicken thighs on a plate topped with green onions

Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

Recipe by Aimee
Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs are so easy and juicy! The chicken thighs are marinated in a honey garlic soy sauce mixture, which gives them a umami and sweet flavor.
4.91 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 14 minutes mins
Marinating Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 49 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 209 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Meat Thermometer

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken thighs, boneless skinless
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Marinade Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • ½ lime zest and juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Take the chicken thighs and pat dry. Remove any excess fat if desired.
  • Season all sides with salt and pepper.
  • In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, honey, lime juice and zest, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
  • Add the chicken thighs and mix until chicken thighs are covered in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place the the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to marinade.
  • Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. Spray or brush the air fryer basket with oil to keep the chicken from sticking.
  • Add the chicken thighs. Cook for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through. Internal temperature of the thighs should be ideally 175-195 degrees F.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 1589mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.

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Comments

  1. Cathie

    August 29, 2023 at 10:29 pm

    This was really good and I will make again, thank you!, I added a tablespoon of miso paste to tihcken the viscosity of marindate, so I could brush on chikcen whe flipping them over.

    Reply
    • Aimee

      August 31, 2023 at 3:11 pm

      Great idea! Glad you enjoyed.

      Reply
  2. Pam

    June 20, 2023 at 7:27 pm

    5 stars
    Made it tonite for dinner ! It was great ! Will make again !

    Reply
  3. Dorcas

    July 20, 2022 at 3:13 pm

    Do you recommend dark or light soy sauce?

    Reply
    • Aimee

      July 20, 2022 at 4:26 pm

      Great question! I typically use dark soy sauce. Either will work if needed, but I think dark soy sauce gives a bit more flavor.

      Reply
  4. Mary Ronayne

    May 20, 2022 at 1:59 pm

    Can you use bone in thighs?

    Reply
    • Aimee

      May 20, 2022 at 2:29 pm

      While you CAN, I've tried it a couple of times, and I found that the honey burned because bone-in thighs can take a lot longer to cook. If you did try it with bone-in thighs, I'd make sure the thighs were pretty small so it would cut down on the cooking time.

      Reply
      • Linda Evans

        December 31, 2022 at 4:40 am

        5 stars
        Prepared this last evening for dinner. It was really good.

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Hi! I'm Aimee, and I'm so glad you stopped by! I love sharing easy recipes that are flavorful and delicious.
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