Frozen Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
If you’re looking for an easy dinner when you’re short on time, you’ll love making frozen chicken thighs in the air fryer. And don’t worry, they will come out juicy and not rubbery!
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Frozen Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
I love how delicious these Frozen Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer came out. I was skeptical at first about cooking frozen chicken in the air fryer.
Since my air fryer frozen salmon recipe was a success and I had a ton of frozen chicken thighs in the freezer, I decided to give it a try! You may also like this air fryer frozen shrimp recipe and these air fryer frozen chicken wings.
If you’re like me and always have frozen chicken thighs on hand, you’re going to want to save this recipe. No need to wonder if you can cook chicken thighs frozen in an air fryer.
And if you love easy air fryer recipes, these are some of my favorites: Air Fryer Ribeye Steak, Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Potatoes, Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts and Air Fryer New York Strip Steaks.
Why you’ll love this Frozen Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
- Meal prep – these frozen chicken thighs are great for meal prep! You can make a few batches of these air fryer chicken thighs and serve them with your favorite healthy sides.
- Quick Recipe – frozen chicken thighs take less than 20 minutes to make and it’s mostly hands off time.
- Keto and Paleo Recipe – whether you’re watching your carbohydrate intake or you’re just trying to eat healthy, you’ll love the air fryer keto chicken thighs. There’s less than a half carb per serving (from the seasonings) and a whopping 33g of protein.
Ingredients
- Frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs – I buy chicken thighs in bulk and freeze the leftovers. I try to separate them into bags that contain around 5-6 chicken thighs.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
- Avocado oil – or you can use any other high heat oil. Avocado oil is one of my favorite since it’s not a seed oil
Frozen Chicken Thighs Nutrition
For this recipe, I was only cooking 2 servings, which were 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs. Per serving there are about 234 calories, 33g protein, 10g fat, and 0.4g carbs.
It makes for an easy low-carb air fryer recipe. You can even cook these air fryer frozen Brussels sprouts too. Just put the Brussel sprouts in the air fryer after the first 5 minutes that the chicken thighs are cooking.
The time and temperature are the same for both. You would just need to make sure you don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket.
Nutrition
This study shows high-protein diets, including foods such as chicken meat, have proven effective for weight loss in both the short term and long term.
Chicken meat is a lean and protein-rich food that provides several important vitamins and minerals. Here’s some of its nutritional benefits:
- Chicken is a good source of vitamin B12, which is crucial for nerve function and the production of red blood cells.
- Chicken provides essential minerals, including zinc, which supports immune function and wound healing.
- Chicken breast meat contains approximately 0.01 mg of selenium per 100 grams. Selenium is an important antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage.
- Chicken thigh meat contains about 0.06 grams per 100 grams of very long-chain omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA, DPA, and DHA. These fatty acids are beneficial for heart health and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Overall, while chicken meat may not be as high in omega-3 fatty acids as fish, it is still a valuable source of lean protein and essential micronutrients, contributing to a balanced diet.
Tips & Tricks
Make sure you don’t over crowd the air fryer basket. This will make the chicken cook unevenly and will take longer to make.
Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken and remove it when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
If you use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs they will take much longer to cook from frozen in the air fryer
How to make Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Thighs
- Remove the frozen chicken thighs from their bag or packaging. Transfer them to the air fryer basket. More than likely they will be stuck together and that’s okay.
- Cook the frozen chicken thighs for 5 minutes at 390F.
- Next, separate chicken thighs (they should be easy to separate since they’re partially defrosted)
- Then, coat the boneless chicken thighs with avocado oil and top with seasonings.
- Cook for another 5 minutes at 390F
- Next, flip the chicken thighs and cook for another 6-8 minutes at 390F (time varies depending on if they were folded over or flat and the thickness of the thighs).
- Remove the chicken thighs from the air fryer basket once they reach an internal temperature of 165F.
- Optionally top with fresh herbs like thyme.
Stovetop Directions
If you don’t have an air fryer you can still make these delicious frozen chicken thighs.
First, add the oil to a cast iron skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet once the oil is hot and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
About halfway through cooking add the seasoning to the chicken thighs. You don’t want to season the chicken thighs will they’re still frozen because the seasoning will not stick very well and you’ll end up with bland chicken.
Substitutions
If you don’t have boneless skinless chicken thighs, you can also use bone-in chicken thighs. Cooking bone-in chicken thighs will take longer than boneless skinless chicken thighs.
You will most likely need to add an additional 4-5 minutes of cooking time. Always check the temperature of your chicken thighs and ensure it’s at least 165F before eating.
Spice it up! With this easy sauce, how to make jerk sauce or this honey sriracha sauce, you can easily transform the flavor profile of these chicken thighs.
What to serve with Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Thighs
If you are looking to keep this meal low carb, I would serve these air fryer boneless chicken thighs with this Instant Pot Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower or this Roasted Garlic Parmesan Asparagus.
If you are looking to make this an all air fryer recipe, serve it with these Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts, Air Fryer Broccolini, or this Air Fryer Parmesan Asparagus.
How to store
Store leftover chicken thighs in a glass airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
How to reheat
Remove the lid from the container or transfer it to a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 60-90 seconds on high.
You can also re-heat these chicken thighs in the air fryer. Add the chicken thighs to the air fryer basket, turn the temperature to 390F and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Easy Chicken Air Fryer Recipes
If you loved making these frozen chicken thighs in the air fryer, check out these other air fryer chicken recipes to make.
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
- Small Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Pistachio Crusted Chicken
You may also like these other chicken thigh recipes: Cast Iron Chicken Thighs in Creamy Tomato Sauce, Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice, Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Thighs, Teriyaki Chicken Thighs on the Blackstone Griddle.
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 3 frozen chicken thighs
- 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tap salt
- 1/8 tap pepper
Instructions
- Remove the frozen chicken from the bag and transfer them to the air fryer basket.
- Cook the frozen chicken thighs for 5 minutes at 390
- Then separate chicken thighs (they should be easy to separate since they’re partially defrosted)
- Next, coat with the oil, then top with seasonings.
- Cook for another 5 minutes at 390
- Next, flip the chicken thighs and cook for another 6-8 minutes at 390f (time varies depending on if they were folded over or flat and the thickness of the thighs)
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