Sweet Chili Air Fryer Chicken (Printable)
Crispy glazed chicken thighs with sweet chili sauce, cooked in the air fryer for a quick and flavorful Asian-inspired dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
→ Marinade and Sauce
02 - 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 tablespoon honey
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Garnish
10 - 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
11 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
# How to Make It:
01 - Pat the chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels to ensure proper browning and crispiness.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - Place the chicken thighs in a large zip-top bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, turning each piece to coat evenly. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes, or up to 4 hours refrigerated for deeper flavor penetration.
04 - Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 3 minutes.
05 - Place the chicken thighs skin-side up in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they do not overlap. Brush the tops with some of the remaining marinade.
06 - Cook for 20 minutes, flipping the thighs halfway through and basting with the remaining marinade. Continue cooking until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
07 - Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sticky sweet chili glaze gets slightly charred edges in the air fryer that taste like they came off a grill.
- From pantry to plate in thirty minutes, which is faster than delivery and honestly better.
- Bone in skin on thighs stay incredibly juicy even if you accidentally overcook them a minute or two.
02 -
- Do not crowd the air fryer basket because overlapping chicken will steam instead of crisp and you will lose that beautiful texture entirely.
- If you want extra crunchy skin, add two to three more minutes at the end and watch it like a hawk because the line between perfectly charred and burnt is surprisingly thin.
- Gluten free soy sauce works beautifully here but double check your sweet chili sauce label since some brands sneak wheat into the ingredients.
03 -
- Marinate the chicken in the morning before work and by dinner time the flavor will have soaked all the way to the bone, which is absolutely worth the wait.
- Use a meat thermometer instead of guessing because pulling the chicken at exactly 165 degrees Fahrenheit means juicy meat every single time without fail.