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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Air Fryer Panko Chicken Thighs (Boneless or Bone-in)

    Published: May 1, 2023 by Cara Lanz · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    top photo: panko chicken thighs in air fryer; bottom photo: panko chicken thigh on a white plate
    panko bone-in chicken thigh on a white plate with bowl of marinara and platter of chicken in background
    air fryer panko boneless chicken thighs on a white platter next to a bowl of marinara

    Air Fryer Panko Chicken Thighs are tender and juicy with an irresistible crunchy coating -- and a great way to enjoy crispy fried chicken without all the oil. Easy 30-minute weeknight dinner the whole family will love. 

    For more recipes for air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs, check out Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs and Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Thighs. 

    air fryer panko chicken thighs on a white platter next to a bowl of marinara

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    Jump to:
    • Why You're Going to Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Variations
    • How to Make Panko Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer: Step-by-Step
    • Dipping Sauces
    • Storage & Reheating
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQs
    • More Easy Chicken Recipes
    • 💌Let's Stay in Touch
    • 📖 Recipe

    Crispy, golden brown fried chicken without the mess and almost none of the oil? Yes, please! Crispy air fryer chicken thighs are breaded in a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and simple seasonings, and air fried to juicy perfection in under 30 minutes.

    No need to mess with a breading station with flour and eggs. A thin layer of zesty mayonnaise coats the chicken and keeps the panko bread crumbs from falling off the chicken. 

    We love cooking with chicken thighs because they're so flavorful and juicy and much harder to overcook than boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can make this easy air fryer chicken recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs -- with or without skin. 

    Why You're Going to Love This Recipe

    • Easy weeknight dinner you can make in about 30 minutes
    • Flavorful juicy chicken thighs with a crunchy, crispy coating 
    • Easy recipe for crispy chicken thighs without deep frying in oil

    Ingredients

    air fryer panko chicken thighs ingredients

    Chicken thighs. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs, with or without skin. Bone-in takes a bit longer than boneless -- see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for cooking instructions for both. 

    Panko bread crumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese-style breadcrumbs that are lighter and crunchier than regular breadcrumbs. They create a crispy breading on chicken, fish, and pork chops and a crunchy topping for macaroni and cheese and crab artichoke dip. 

    Mayonnaise. A layer of mayonnaise coats the chicken and helps the panko breading stick to the chicken.

    Seasonings. A blend of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning add flavor to the panko breadcrumbs. Feel free to adjust the seasonings and quantities to your personal preferences. 

    Parmesan cheese. Just a little freshly grated parmesan cheese adds flavor and a bit of saltiness. 

    Variations

    Season the panko breading mixture with your favorite seasonings!

    • Cajun seasoning
    • Chicken taco seasoning
    • Lemon pepper
    • Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
    • Lawry's seasoned salt
    • Rosemary
    • Basil
    • Montreal seasoning

    How to Make Panko Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer: Step-by-Step

    1. Prep the air fryer. 

    Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray the air fryer basket with pure avocado oil or olive oil cooking spray. 

    2. Prep the chicken thighs. 

    Pat the chicken dry and generously season both sides with salt and black pepper. 

    3. Coat with mayonnaise mixture. 

    Stir mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat the chicken.  

    tongs turning chicken in mayo mixture in a clear bowl

    4. Bread with panko breadcrumbs. 

    Combine the panko, Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning in a shallow bowl or pie plate. 

    Press each chicken piece into the panko mixture, thoroughly coating all sides of the chicken. 

    tongs dredging chicken in panko breadcrumb mixture

    5. Air fry chicken thighs. 

    Arrange the chicken thighs top-side down in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray with a light coating of olive oil or avocado oil spray. 

    panko coated boneless chicken thighs in air fryer

    Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Air fry for 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and spray with oil. Air fry for 7 more minutes*. 

    Bone-in chicken thighs (skinless or skin-on): Air fry for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and spray with oil. Air fry for 8-10 more minutes*. 

    cooked panko coated bone-in chicken thighs in air fryer

    *Exact cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken. 

    Air fry panko chicken thighs until they are dark golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. 

    For the juiciest, most flavorful chicken thighs, cook to an internal temperature of 175 to 195. 

    6. Rest, serve, enjoy! 

    Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Serve panko parmesan chicken thighs with hearty marinara sauce and a side of roasted green beans, orzo pesto salad, or roasted broccolini salad. 

    air fryer panko boneless chicken thighs on a white platter next to a bowl of marinara
    panko bone-in chicken thigh on a white plate with bowl of marinara and platter of chicken in background

    Dipping Sauces

    Panko parmesan chicken is awesome with a side of marinara sauce. Or try one of these!

    • Copycat Big Mac sauce
    • Jack Daniels BBQ sauce
    • Honey teriyaki sauce
    • Honey mustard
    • Spicy mayo
    • Ranch dressing

    Storage & Reheating

    Store leftover air fryer panko chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

    Reheat panko breaded thighs in the air fryer at 350 degrees until warmed through to 165 degrees, about 7 minutes for boneless chicken thighs and 9 minutes for bone-in chicken thighs.

    Expert Tips

    • Cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken. 
    • Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. Poultry should be cooked to 165, but chicken thighs are even juicier and more flavorful at 175 - 195. 
    • For best results, pat the chicken dry to help the mayonnaise mixture and panko breadcrumb mixture stick to the chicken. 
    • To keep the panko breading from sticking to your tongs while flipping the chicken, spray the tongs with a little olive oil spray.

    FAQs

    How do you get panko breading to stick to chicken? 

    This air fryer chicken thighs recipe has two secrets to getting panko bread crumbs to stick to the chicken: paper towels and mayonnaise!

    Chicken juices are kind of slippery and can cause breading to fall off. A quick pat with paper towels primes the chicken thighs for the breading process. The mayonnaise creates a sticky coating for the breadcrumb coating to grab onto. 

    Bonus third secret: oil. If your tongs stick to the breading while flipping them over, spray the tongs with a little oil. 

    How do you make crispy skin in an air fryer? 

    When you cook bone-in skin-on chicken thighs in the air fryer, place them skin-side down in the air fryer basket. Turn the chicken over halfway through the cooking time to ensure the chicken cooks evenly and the skin gets perfectly crispy. 

    Can I use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko? 

    Yes, you can make this chicken thigh recipe with regular breadcrumbs, but the texture won't be quite as crispy. 

    Do boneless chicken thighs cook the same as bone in in an air fryer? 

    Boneless skinless chicken thighs and bone-in skin on chicken thighs both cook quickly in the air fryer.

    Air fryer boneless chicken thighs take less time, about 15 minutes, while bone-in chicken thighs take about 20 minutes.

    Use a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it's cooked through.

    panko boneless chicken thigh on a white plate with bowl of marinara and platter of chicken in background

    More Easy Chicken Recipes

    • air fryer teriyaki chicken thigh on a white plate with white rice and broccoli
      Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Thighs (Boneless and Bone-in)
    • air fryer bbq chicken thighs on a white platter next to bowl of bbq sauce
      Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Thighs (Boneless or Bone-in)
    • baked thin sliced chicken with panko on white platter on black and white napkin
      Crispy Baked Thin Chicken Breasts
    • shredded salsa chicken in a white bowl
      Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

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    📖 Recipe

    air fryer panko boneless chicken thighs on a white platter next to a bowl of marinara

    Air Fryer Panko Chicken Thighs

    Cara Lanz
    Air Fryer Panko Chicken Thighs are tender and juicy with an irresistible crunchy coating -- and a great way to enjoy crispy fried chicken without all the oil. Easy 30- minute weeknight dinner the whole family will love. 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 338 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 to 2 ½ pounds chicken thighs boneless or bone-in (skinless or skin-on)
    • ¼ cup mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
    • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • salt and pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or avocado oil.
    • Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
    • Stir the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat the chicken.
    • Combine the panko, Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning in a shallow bowl or pie plate.
      Press each chicken piece into the panko mixture, thoroughly coating all sides of the chicken.
    • Arrange the chicken thighs top-side down in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray with a light coating of olive oil or avocado oil spray.
    • Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Air fry for 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and spray with oil. Air fry for 7 more minutes*.
    • Bone-in chicken thighs (skinless or skin-on): Air fry for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and spray with oil. Air fry for 8-10 more minutes*.
    • Air fry boneless and bone-in chicken thighs until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of at least 165, up to 175 to 195.
    • Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. If desired, serve with marinara dipping sauce.

    Notes

    • Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken. 
    • Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. Poultry should be cooked to 165, but chicken thighs are even juicier and more flavorful at 175 - 195. 
    • To keep the panko breading from sticking to your tongs while flipping the chicken, spray the tongs with a little oil. 
    • Patting the chicken dry helps the mayonnaise mixture and panko breadcrumbs stick to the chicken. 
    Nutrition calculation is based on boneless skinless chicken thighs. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 338kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 39gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 187mgSodium: 365mgPotassium: 496mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 104IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 2mg
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    Hi, I'm Cara!

    I love sharing easy, delicious everyday recipes from the heartland.

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