Crispy, juicy, and incredibly easy – these air fryer chicken thighs and potatoes are the ultimate one-basket meal. Simple to prepare, kid-friendly, and sure to become a weeknight staple.
Simplify your weeknight dinner, air fry chicken thighs and potatoes together!
This recipe for chicken thighs and potatoes cooked together in the air fryer is my secret weapon for easy weeknight dinners. Cooking the chicken and potatoes together saves on dishes and hassle, and they both come out perfectly cooked! The chicken is incredibly juicy, and the potatoes are tender and crispy. Add a quick side salad or some steamed greens, and you have a complete dinner without the fuss.
For some other one-pan air fryer recipes, try air fryer chicken breast and potatoes, or air fryer pork chops and potatoes.
What do you need?
- Chicken thighs. I use fresh boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can use skin-on in this recipe, but if you are using bone-in then you will need to adjust the cooking time. Add an extra 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of the thighs), and be sure to check the final internal temperature to ensure they have reached at least 165°F/74°C in the center.
- Potatoes. For crispy fluffy potatoes choose a roasting variety like russet, Maris Piper, Agria, or Sebago potatoes.
- Seasoning. In this recipe I used my go-to homemade all-purpose seasoning rub, made from paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, and salt. However, you can use your own spice blend or a pre-made seasoning rub, or simple salt and pepper if you prefer.
- Oil. I used light olive oil for this recipe, but you can substitute any other cooking oil with a neutral flavour and a high smoke point. Try corn oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil.
You will need an air fryer with a big enough capacity to hold at least 1kg/ 2 pounds for this recipe. If you have a small air fryer you have two options:
- You can adjust the quantities to match your air fryer’s capacity, or
- You can part-cook the potatoes for 15 minutes before cooking the chicken thighs, remove and cover them while the chicken cooks. Then return them to finish cooking for ten minutes once the chicken is resting.
Let’s cook these chicken thighs and potatoes in the air fryer!
1
Prepare the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes (optional), then cut into 1-1½ inch chunks. Rinse under cool running water for a minute to remove the surface starch, then pat the potatoes dry. Toss in a bowl with a drizzle of oil.
2
Prepare the chicken.
Pat the chicken thighs dry, then toss in another bowl with a drizzle of oil and the seasoning.
3
Air fry chicken thighs and potatoes together.
Add the potatoes to the air fryer basket and place the chicken thighs on top. Air fry chicken thighs and potatoes together for 15-20 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs halfway through the cooking time to ensure they cook evenly.
4
Check the temperature.
Check the internal temperature of the chicken thighs in a few places to ensure they have reached 74°C/ 165°F all the way through, then remove chicken thighs to a plate and cover with kitchen foil to rest for ten minutes.
5
Crisp the potatoes.
Shake the potatoes in the air fryer basket to redistribute them. This ensures that they cook evenly. Then air fry the potatoes on their own for a final 5-10 minutes while the chicken thighs rest, until they are cooked to your liking.
Make it a meal with these serving ideas
I normally serve chicken thighs and potatoes with a side salad and a tasty dressing or sauce like sweet chili mayo, ranch dressing, or bbq sauce. For some other easy and side dish options, try:
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs 3-4 thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1 lb russet potatoes [Note 1]
- 3 tablespoons light olive oil divided
Seasoning rub – mix together in a small bowl [Note 2]
- 2 teaspoons paprika smoked, sweet, or hot
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes, and rinse under cool water to remove the surface starch. Pat the potatoes dry, place in a large bowl, then drizzle with oil and toss to coat.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and place in a bowl. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle the seasoning mix over the thighs, and toss to coat.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F/180°C.
- Place the chicken thighs and potatoes in the air fryer and cook at 360°F/180°C for 15-20 minutes, flipping the chicken thighs over half-way through the cooking time.
- When the cooking time is up check the internal temperature of the chicken thighs to ensure they have reached 165°F/74°C in the center of the thickest part [Note 3].
- Remove the chicken thighs to a plate, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Shake the basket to redistribute the potatoes or flip with tongs, then air fry for 5-10 minutes until cooked to your liking while the chicken rests.
Notes
- Choose a roasting variety, such as russet, Yukon Gold, Maris Piper, Agria, or Sebago potatoes, or use all purpose potatoes.
- Or substitute a premade seasoning rub.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
