Air Fryer BBQ Chicken

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs gets slathered in rich, tangy sauce and cooked to juicy perfection. This saucy chicken makes the perfect dinner recipe to make on busy weeknights since it is ready under 30 minutes! You can make boneless thighs or chicken legs with this recipe.

Easy air fryer recipes are our favorite recipes! If you are looking for more chicken recipes to make in our favorite kitchen appliance, try these Air Fryer Honey Garlic Marinated Chicken Thighs, delicious! Or Frozen Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer, made with pickle juice and a homemade Panko breading.

Sweet, sticky, and finger lickin’ good, barbecue chicken is a classic barbecue recipe that is always a favorite at our house. It is a summer tradition to drag out the grill and ‘cue up some bbq chicken several times a month when it’s nice outside. I mean it pretty much makes the perfect summer meal.

But, when the weather gets chilly, we can no longer barbecue because no one is going out in freezing cold temperatures to heat up the grill.

This is just one of the reasons why the air fryer is one of my favorite cooking appliances, it is convenient to cook with any time of the year.

When I make this recipe, I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they seem to cook pretty evenly and they cook quicker than some other cuts. You can also use chicken legs and they cook for a similar amount of time.

This bbq chicken recipe uses a store-bought bbq sauce to keep this a simple and quick dinner. If you have a favorite sauce that you make on your own, feel free to use it.

The whole family will love this easy weeknight dinner idea! Also try baked chicken thighs in the oven.

What is BBQ Chicken?

Barbecue chicken is often made on a grill where is gets cooked away from direct heat. The lid is closed to create an oven type environment where the heat completely surrounds the chicken cooking it from all sides.

You definitely don’t want to cook it over a direct source of heat on a grill or you will end up with crispy burnt chicken!

But, today we are making bbq chicken in the air fryer so there are no messy grills to deal with or worrying about where the chicken goes. It tastes just as good as grilled chicken even though it’s cooked with hot air instead of a grill.

PRO TIP! Add barbecue sauce at the end of air frying the chicken so that the sugars in the sauce don’t burn.

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make these air fryer chicken thighs. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient amounts.

• Chicken: I love to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Bone in chicken thighs will take a bit longer to cook than the boneless ones. You can also make this recipe with chicken drumsticks with (bone-in, skin-on), but the cooking time may be a little less. You will need 6-8 drumsticks depending on the size of your air fryer.
• Oil: I usually cook with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
• Garlic Powder: Adds a little garlic flavor. This is part of the seasoning rub.
• Onion Powder.
• Poultry Seasoning: Adds an extra layer of flavor, you can leave this out if you like.
• Paprika: You can use smoked paprika or plain paprika.
• Salt: Brings out the flavor of the chicken. I like to use sea salt or kosher salt.
• Pepper: I like freshly ground black pepper, it’s the best.
• BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite bbq sauce or make your own.

How to Make BBQ Chicken in an Air Fryer

Get ready for one easy main dish, air fryer bbq chicken thighs! Here are the basic instructions, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for full instructions.

• Set the air fryer to preheat for 5 minutes.
• Dry chicken off with a paper towel so that the oil and spices stick well.
• In a small bowl, mix together the spices.
• Put chicken in a large bowl, drizzle on the oil. Rub the oil in covering as much of the chicken as you can. Spinkle on the spices, rubbing them in as evenly as possible.
• Add a parchment paper liner to the basket if you want easier cleanup.
• Add the chicken to the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Open the air fryer basket and brush bbq sauce onto just one side of the chicken, making sure to get the sides of the chicken. Cook for 3 minutes.
• Open air fryer again and flip over the chicken, brush on bbq sauce on the other side of the chicken. Cook for 3 more minutes until chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees f.

What to Serve with Barbecue Chicken

Chicken is kind of like the color black, it works well with anything! Make your favorite side dishes to serve alongside bbq chicken. Here are some ideas we like:

• With salad. Make a simple green salad or try pasta salad or potato salad.
• Alongside grains. Serve chicken with hearty grains like quinoa, whole grain rice, or lemon butter rice.
• With vegetables. Any vegetables are great with chicken. Try roasted asparagus, air fryer parmesan broccoli, or air fryer squash and zucchini.
• Potatoes. Serve it with salt and vinegar smashed potatoes, air fryer fries, cheesy garlic mashed potatoes, or air fryer sweet potato cubes.

Tips for Success

• Room temperature chicken. For best results, pull the chicken out 20-30 minutes before you are going to cook it to allow it to warm up a little.
• Easier cleanup. Line the air fryer with parchment paper to help with cleanup, since barbecue chicken can be messy!
• Use a meat thermometer. This one is a must! Check the internal temperature of the chicken, you want it to be at least 165 deg F for chicken.
• Don’t skip the dry rub. Using a rub on your chicken gives it another layer of flavor outside of the bbq sauce.
• Overcrowding chicken. For best results, make sure not to put too much chicken in the air fryer basket, you don’t want to overcrowd the chicken and have it not cook properly. Also, don’t stack chicken in the air fryer, you want to keep it in a single layer.
• Cooking time. The cook time on chicken really depends on the thickness. If it is thicker it may need a couple more minutes of time to cook or less if it is thinner.

Recipe Variations

• Homemade bbq sauce. This recipe uses a store bought sauce to keep this a simple and quick dinner. If you have a favorite bbq sauce that you make on your own, feel free to use it. To keep this recipe low carb, use a keto barbecue sauce.
• Your favorite spices. Use different spices than what I have used here, whatever your favorite spices are for chicken. Some great options are thyme or coriander.
• Cooking for a crowd. Easily double this recipe, you will just need to cook the chicken in batches.
• Hint of spicy. For a bit of spiciness, add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in with the spices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do chicken thighs need to cook in the air fryer? Boneless skinless chicken thighs will cook in the air fryer for a total of 18-20 minutes.

What temperature to cook bbq chicken? You want to cook chicken until the internal temperature is 160°f and the juices are clear. The temperature will continue to raise up to 165°f. Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it.

Can you bbq in an air fryer? Yes, the air fryer can kind of be treated like a grill. It isn’t exactly grilling but you can definitely make bbq chicken in it.

Can you put raw chicken in an air fryer? You can definitely add raw chicken to the air fryer.

Do you put bbq sauce on chicken before air frying? I don’t recommend adding the barbecue sauce before cooking the chicken. The sugars in the sauce can easily burn if you add it too soon.

Can you put bbq sauce on the chicken while it’s in the air fryer? Yes, and that is what we are going to do in this recipe. Almost all the way through the cooking process is when we will add the sauce.

Can I use cooking spray in the air fryer? I don’t recommend using cooking spray because it can cause the coating on the air fryer to deteriorate. I prefer just basting on a little oil with a pastry brush.

How to Store & Reheat Leftover Chicken

How to store leftovers? Let the chicken come to room temperature and put in an airtight container. It should last about 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

How do you reheat bbq chicken? Pre-heat the air fryer to 400° Fahrenheit. Cook for 5-7 minutes until heated to desired temperature. Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn.

Can I Freeze Air Fryer Thighs Chicken?

How to freeze bbq chicken? Let the chicken (even with barbecue come to room temperature before putting into an air tight, freezer safe container. can be frozen for 3-6 months, just be sure to label with the recipe and date.

How to thaw bbq chicken? Thaw frozen cooked chicken in the refrigerator overnight until defrosted.

Try these other chicken recipes!

• Air Fryer Chicken Breast without Breading
• Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Honey Garlic Marinated Chicken Thighs

If you’ve tried this air fryer barbecue chicken recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!

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