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air fryer bbq chicken served with potatoes and limes
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4.80 from 5 votes

Air Fryer Bbq Chicken

This delicious air fryer BBQ chicken is juicy, sweet, smoky, and flavorful. It is ready in less than 30 minutes and it's made with just a few ingredients.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Poultry
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 324kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 4 chicken thighs Note 1
  • a few dashes olive or vegetable oil spray
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1-2 sprinkles cayenne pepper to taste
  • fine sea salt and pepper

BBQ sauce (Note 2):

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoon balsamic vinegar to taste
  • 2 teaspoon lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • fine sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 375°F/ 190°C, if required by its instructions.
  • Season chicken: Dry the chicken pieces with kitchen paper. Spray them with a little oil on both sides. Mix the smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and rub the chicken with the mixture on both sides.
    4 chicken thighs + a few dashes olive + ½ teaspoon smoked paprika + 1-2 sprinkles cayenne pepper + fine sea salt and pepper
  • Air fry chicken: Place in the basket of the fryer, skin-side down. Cook for 18 minutes.
  • Make BBQ sauce: In the meantime, make the sauce. Mix all the ingredients. Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, more sugar, vinegar, or lime juice. Taste until it's exactly to your liking.
    2 tablespoons ketchup + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + 2 teaspoons brown sugar + 2-3 teaspoon balsamic vinegar + 2 teaspoon lime juice + ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper + ½ teaspoon smoked paprika + fine sea salt and pepper
  • Brush the thighs with bbq sauce, flip and brush the upper side with more sauce.
  • Continue cooking, this time skin-side up for 3 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer; it should be 165°F/ 74°C. Or insert a toothpick in the thickest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear.
  • Brush with more sauce if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Chicken cut: You can use chicken breast instead. Cook for 15 minutes, flipping halfway and brushing with the sauce during the last 3 minutes of the cooking time. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer; it should be 74°C/165°F.
  2. BBQ sauce: Use your favorite brand to make the recipe even simpler. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 596mg | Sugar: 5g