Air Fryer BBQ Chicken

Above view of air fried barbecue chicken on a plate with a basting brush and a bowl of sauce.

5 from 12 votes

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken 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! This recipe includes instructions to make boneless thighs or chicken legs.

Prep Time5

Cook Time18

Total Time23

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 285kcal

Author: Tristin - Home Cooked Harvest

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs or drumsticks
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

Set the air fryer to 400° f 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 for easier clean up. Add the chicken thighs or legs to the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
Open the air fryer basket and flip the chicken over. Brush the bbq sauce onto the top side 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°f.
Let the chicken rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting into it.

Notes

- 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.
- Leftover chicken will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Nutrition