Packed with Asian-inspired flavor and oh-so-juicy, Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs will be your new favorite weeknight meal! Prep is done in minutes, and the air fryer handles all the hard work for you. Go from fridge to table in just 20 minutes!
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Air fryers are magical appliances. They cook food faster, but drying it out is less risky. How amazing is that? That’s just part of the reason I love these Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken thighs, and just look how they glisten!
The chicken is tossed in an Asian-inspired sauce made with soy sauce, honey, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil. It has a little kick and a deep, complex flavor that makes the chicken pop. So what are you waiting for? Grab your air fryer, and let’s get cooking!
What you’ll love about Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken
- Go from fridge to table in 20 minutes flat!
- Chicken thighs turn out super flavorful and juicy.
- No heating up the kitchen with the oven or waiting for it to preheat!
INGREDIENTS
- Soy sauce — I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce.
- Honey
- Garlic — Minced fresh garlic cloves.
- Rice wine vinegar
- Sriracha
- Sesame oil
- Chicken thighs — Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs work the best.
HOW TO MAKE HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN IN THE AIR FRYER
- Preheat the air fryer to 375-F.
- Mix together the soy sauce, honey, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- Coat the chicken thighs in the sauce; hang onto the remaining sauce.
- Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the chicken for 12 minutes.
- Flip the chicken thighs so they’re skin-side up, and drizzle with more sauce.
- Air fry for 3-4 more minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165-F, making sure the honey doesn’t burn.
- Discard any remaining sauce that came in contact with raw chicken.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Trim off any excess fat or skin from the chicken.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure your chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Your chicken may cook faster; check the temperature after 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken after it is mostly cooked to crisp up the top.
Recommended
MAKE IT A MEAL
If you have a Blackstone Griddle, making Potstickers is fun and easy! It’s also great for taking the flavor of Chicken Fried Rice up about 10 notches. For something refreshing and full of healthy veggies, this Easy Shirazi Salad is a fabulous addition and uses an easy hack to skip all the chopping. Or add more flavor to your meal while the air fryer is out with this air fryer aloo gobi dish. And when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth after your meal, make sure you try these Air Fryer Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
WILL HONEY BURN IN THE AIR FRYER?
If you add straight honey to food and try to cook it, it will char the surface and give your food a burnt taste while the inside is still raw. This can happen in the air fryer as well as in the oven, on the grill, or in a pan on the stove.
However, it becomes much more stable once you mix honey with another liquid. Because we mix the honey with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil, it will be much more heat resistant. You still want to keep an eye on your Honey Garlic Chicken in the air fryer, but you should see a nice caramelization rather than burning.
CAN I SERVE ANY LEFTOVER SAUCE WITH AIR FRYER HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN?
Only if you keep the sauce separate from the raw chicken. If you think there’s any chance the sauce was contaminated or came in contact with raw chicken, it’s always best to play it safe and toss it.
If you know you want to add extra sauce to your thighs, I recommend pouring some into a separate ramekin and setting it aside before using the sauce to flavor the raw chicken. That way, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your sauce is safe to eat!
Step By Step Process
Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken thighs 4-6 meaty thighs
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375-F.
- Mix together the soy sauce, honey, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- Coat the chicken thighs in the sauce; hang onto the remaining sauce.
- Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the chicken for 12 minutes.
- Flip the chicken thighs so they’re skin-side up, and drizzle with more sauce.
- Air fry for 3-4 more minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165-F, making sure the honey doesn’t burn.
- Discard any remaining sauce that came in contact with raw chicken.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Trim off any excess fat or skin from the chicken.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure your chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Your chicken may cook faster; check the temperature after 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken after it is mostly cooked to crisp up the top.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
