Description
Crispy buttermilk fried chicken sizzles with Southern charm straight from your air fryer. Golden brown perfection delivers juicy, tender meat with irresistible crunch that welcomes you to savor every delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Marinade and Liquid:
- 1 cup buttermilk
Coating and Seasoning:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Submerge chicken thighs in buttermilk within a shallow container, ensuring complete coverage. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours to enhance flavor and tenderize meat.
- Calibrate air fryer to 380°F, allowing sufficient time for preheating.
- Combine flour with seasoned salt and black pepper inside a large resealable plastic bag, creating a uniform coating mixture.
- Extract chicken from buttermilk, allowing excess liquid to drip. Thoroughly coat each piece in seasoned flour, then reintroduce to buttermilk before rolling in panko breadcrumbs for maximum crispiness.
- Liberally coat air fryer basket with nonstick spray. Carefully position chicken thighs without overlapping, ensuring adequate air circulation.
- Lightly mist chicken surfaces with cooking spray to promote even browning.
- Initiate cooking cycle for 15 minutes. Midway through, carefully rotate chicken pieces and reapply cooking spray.
- Continue air frying until exterior achieves deep golden color and internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 10 additional minutes.
- Repeat entire process with remaining chicken thighs. Transfer to serving platter and present immediately while maintaining optimal temperature and crispness.
Notes
- Marinate chicken in buttermilk overnight to ensure maximum tenderness and flavor penetration deep into the meat.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket by cooking chicken in batches, which allows hot air to circulate and create an even, crispy exterior.
- Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature, guaranteeing perfectly cooked chicken without drying out the meat.
- Experiment with different seasoning blends in the flour mixture to customize the flavor profile, such as adding paprika, garlic powder, or cayenne for extra kick.
- Prep Time: 4 hours (or overnight)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg