These ranch crusted air fried chicken thighs are incredibly juicy on the inside with a crispy, flavourful coating. Ready in less than 30 minutes, these are a quick and easy dinner perfect any night of the week.
If you haven’t tried chicken thighs cooked in the air fryer you’ve been missing out.
Chicken thighs cooked in the air fryer are tender and juicy on the inside and on the outside they are perfectly golden and crispy.
The best part about cooking them in the air fryer is that they are ready in less than 30 minutes, which is far less time than they take in the oven.
There are so many ways to flavour chicken thighs, but one of my favourites is by simply coating them in ranch dressing mix.
The ranch dressing is garlicky and herby and matches perfectly with the richer flavour of the dark meat.
You can use packaged ranch dressing mix if you like, but I strongly suggest making your own. It is easy to do and has a much better flavour than store bought, not to mention it is far lower in sodium.
If you are willing to give it a try, then I have the perfect recipe for you with this buttermilk ranch dressing mix.
How to make ranch crusted air fried chicken thighs
These chicken thighs are so easy to make. There are only a few steps and only 2 ingredients involved.
- Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl
- Sprinkle with ranch dressing mix and toss to coat
- Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket and lightly spray with cooking oil
- Turn the air fryer to 380 degrees and set for 23 minutes
- Half way through the cooking time flip the thighs over
- When the cook time is complete, remove from the air fryer and serve
What should I serve with chicken thighs?
There are so many side dishes that go well with chicken thighs.
Often I like to keep things simple and just serve them with some mashed potatoes or a salad.
Other sides that go great with these ranch crusted chicken thighs and keep the entire meal under 30 minutes to prepare are:
Creamy mushroom and bacon gnocchi
Classic stovetop Mac and Cheese
Sweet potato waffles with maple chipotle syrup
Air fryer potato wedges
Lemon ricotta pasta
Things to know & helpful tips
- Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead? You definitely can do this if you like. They won’t have that delicious crispiness, but they will still be flavourful. I suggest reducing the cooking time to about 18 minutes, then test for doneness. If they are not quite ready, add another couple minutes.
- Can I substitute chicken drumsticks for chicken thighs? Definitely! Increase cook time to 25 minutes.
- If I don’t have an air fryer can I bake these instead? Yes, they can easily be baked in the oven. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.
Other recipes you might like
Air fryer buffalo chicken drumsticks
Easy boneless chicken bites
Air fryer blueberry turnovers
Air fried garlic parmesan chicken wings
And if you still need more recipes, check out these great dinner ideas!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken thighs bone-in, skin on
- 3 tablespoon Ranch dressing mix
- Olive oil spray
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and sprinkle with ranch dressing mix.
- Toss to coat and then place chicken thighs in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Lightly spray the top of the chicken thighs with olive oil spray. If you don't have an oil sprayer, you can add ½ tablespoon of oil to the bottom of the air fryer basket.
- Set air fryer to 380 degrees for 23 minutes.
- Half way through cooking time, open the air fryer and flip the thighs.
- When cooking time is complete, remove the chicken from the air fryer and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below!
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Tanya
Sunday 4th of July 2021
Kids asked for seconds!
Deanna
Monday 5th of July 2021
That is always a win! So glad everyone enjoyed it.
Arlene
Tuesday 16th of March 2021
Very easy to and extra tasty! Have made it twice in the last couple of weeks. Both my husband and I were at the point where we didn’t like chicken any more but LOVE this recipe! Definitely a keeper!
Heather
Thursday 7th of January 2021
On the Ninja Foodie Deluxe, is this setting on Air crisp, bake, pressure cook?
Deanna
Thursday 7th of January 2021
I've never used a Ninja Foodie, but upon doing some research I believe Air Crisp is the air fryer setting and would be the one you want to use. You definitely don't want the pressure cook setting.
Kelli
Thursday 12th of November 2020
Any changes if you have boneless/skinless chicken thighs?
Deanna
Wednesday 18th of November 2020
Yes, as noted in the post you will want to reduce cook time to about 18 minutes.
Susan Mann
Friday 18th of September 2020
These are amazing!! Definitely will be making these again!
Deanna
Friday 18th of September 2020
Thank you so much! We love them, especially with the homemade ranch mix.